A giant sized series finale with several stories by different creators. It’s largely filler (but high-quality filler), so I imagine Marvel just didn’t want to waste a “#50” opportunity to sell a large issue before ending this series and restarting with a new #1.
This one also contains the legacy numbering on the cover–issue #518.
Story #1 is this series’ ‘Nuff Said installment. It’s a wordless Christmas tale with Cap fighting Absorbing Man while a generic “every man” nearly loses his family because he’s broke at Christmas and they want him to buy stuff for them. The guy helps Cap win the battle and gets reward money. Frankly, it’s a stupid Christmas story and a sad ending to Dan Jurgens’ solid run on Captain America. He both wrote and drew this story.
Then, missing the point of “Nuff Said” completely, the next five pages of the comic are the script for the silent story that we just read. I mean, it’s helpful because the story was confusing but…I thought they weren’t supposed to say anything? Printing a script defeats that goal.
Story #2 is by Kathryn Kuder and Stuart Immonen where Steve visits the graves of fallen World War II soldiers, juxtaposed against a veteran speaking to a class about WWII. It’s exactly what you would expect, but it’s done well. Immonen does his own inks and colors for it.
The third story is really the best of the bunch as a “final tale” for Jurgens. He writes the whole thing and a gang of artists join him.
The story is a simple retrospective of Cap stuff, with a framing sequence of Captain America again trying to win Sharon Carter back (after he asked her to renew their relationship last issue).
She needs more time–which shows smarts on her part. Cap has not shown consistent interest in her romantically and she’s a very capable hottie who should be able to have any man she wants. She deserves better.
The above story should have been the final page of the final issue of Jurgens’ run. But there’s still more: An attempt at humor as Cap watches a Saturday Night Live skit about himself. It’s written by publisher/entrepreneur Brian David-Marshall and drawn by Igor Kordey. During the skit, though, Cap is interrupted by Nick Fury who sends him to hunt down a cult that worships Red Skull. Cap arrives before SHIELD, but a bomb goes off and “kills” him.
Sigh.
Nobody is falling for this.
Jen Van Meter adds a filler short piece drawn by Brian Hurtt: A classroom of kids mourns the latest death of Cap. Finally, Evan Dorkin and Kevin Maguire close out the issue with Cap’s star-studded funeral.
I am NOT tagging all those guys. The “story” is literally just that page.
Well, that’s the set-up for the new #1: Cap is dead.