While we may all know now where the Winter Soldier came from, where did Bucky Barnes get his start? The Marvel Movie world would have you believe that he’s Steve Rogers’ best friend from their time living in New York together, in the world of the comics he’s an army brat-turned-orphan-turned-chaotic neutral sniper (and sidekick) for Captain America.

“Faithful sidekick? What am I, Rin-Tin-Tin?”

page 621

While Bucky’s tendency to start his own fights and end other peoples’ stays the same, the journey he takes to becoming Captain America’s Boy Sidekick is significantly different.

 

Why is this on our bookshelf?

This book collects Captain America and Bucky #620-624, written by Ed Brubaker and Marc Andreyko and illustrated by Chris Samnee.

It’s part of the ongoing Bucky/Winter Soldier Mythology of Marvel comics and a part of the “Brubaker Age” on Captain America. While Bucky’s entire backstory is hinted at in other places through the Winter Soldier run, this is where it’s all laid out for you.

Rating (4 stars)

I think we’ve explained here before that I occasionally think I *am* Bucky Barnes (to my friend Katelyn’s Steve Rogers) so I’ll take any excuse I can get to read more about Sidekick-Sniper-Spy James Buchanan Barnes.

This book (narrated by post-Winter Soldier Bucky himself) takes you from his beginning to his supposed end, but then also lets him narrate his own way through the Winter Soldier years and explain how Cap managed to force his memories back.

With cameos from Black Widow as well as the rest of the Invaders, it’s a great insight into what makes Marvel Comic-verse Bucky tick.

If you’re expecting straight up Movie Bucky, you won’t find him here, but seeing the bits of what they DID pick up from the comics is kind of fun. (And keep in mind that Sebastian Stan, the actor who plays Bucky, supposedly read all of the Bucky-centric comics before filming both Captain America movies.)