We here at Multiversity get pretty excited about the holidays, and this year we’re sharing that excitement with the rest of you as we celebrate that wonder of wonders: THE HOLIDAY COMIC!
Each day for the next twenty-five days, and in no particular order, we’ll be featuring one yuletide yarn set to the tune of tidings of comfort and joy, and today we’re setting our sight on a seasonally-themed one-shot from 2007, the Winter Soldier: Winter Kills special.
Check after the cut from some thoughts on the first time Bucky got to be Bucky on his own as you prepare for his new ongoing and celebrate the holidays.
Day #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8
Who Did It?: We can thank master comics scribe Ed Brubaker for the story, and artist extraordinaire, Lee Weeks (with a little help from Stefano Gaudiano and Rick Hoberg) for all the pretty pictures.
What Is It About?: Set during the latter days of Civil War, Winter Kills finds James “Bucky” Barnes, AKA the Winter Soldier wandering New York City on his first Christmas eve since breaking free of his Winter Soldier programming. Disappointed with Christmas in the present, Bucky’s thinks back to his last Christmas in 1944 — just before he was “killed in action” and turned into a Russian killing machine — and reminisces about a night on the town with fellow Invader, Toro.
Sadly, Bucky’s trip down memory lane is interrupted by Nick Fury, who calls him into action. Fury explains that there’s a secret Hydra base in Manhattan, and that the Young Avengers are about ten minutes from taking it down and wrecking on of Fury’s most successful intel operations. Bucky takes the job, and steps in just before Patriot, Hawkeye, and Vision can charge into action, but not before he himself has to kill a Hydra agent, thus compromising the whole operation, and consequently leading the Young Avengers into the Hydra’s nest to burn the whole place to the ground.
With Hydra taken care of, Bucky ditches the kids and pays a visit to the grave of Jack Monroe (AKA Bucky III), a man he killed when he was in full-on Winter Soldier mode. But his silent vigil is interrupted by the Young Avengers who, having realized who he is, just wanted to stop by and pay their respects and deliver a well-intentioned “thank you” or two.
Bucky’s flattered, but the kids send his mind wandering again, and suddenly we’re back in 1944 at a USO Christmas dance where young Bucky and Toro are admiring a pretty young redhead who’s tearing up the floor, and stealing Toro’s heart with every step.
Back in the present, Bucky’s making the graveyard rounds and now stands alone by Toro’s grave. But he’s soon joined by another unexpected visitor, Namor. And there in a snow covered cemetery, as Christmas eve turns to Christmas day, two old friends visit a sleeping third, and take a moment to catch up on old times.
How Holiday Friendly Is It?: On the outside, this book says anything but “Christmas!” Seriously, the cover practically has the Winter Soldier aiming an assault rifle at us, and the word “KILL” is in the title. No exactly “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown”. But all it takes is to read the first page, and there’s absolutely no question as to what this one’s about.
There’s definitely a Dickensian feel to this story. It’s not too much of a stretch to see Nick Fury and the whole Civil War backdrop as Bucky’s Ghost of Christmas Present, the Young Avengers as his Ghost(s) of Christmas Future, and Namor as his Ghost of Christmas Past. And just like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, three encounters in the same night help redefine a good man who’s done bad things, as he’s forced to reflect upon the life he’s lived, and ultimately, the living that he is yet to do.
