Captain America ("The Extremists")

Actually, I'm trying to read the Marvel's Marvel Knights incarnation of the Captain America comic book character.

I tend to get all things Captain America, but the problem I'm having currently is I'm in the Chuck Austen-written "The Extremists" story arc, which comes after the John Ney Rieber "New Deal" arc.

I don't like Chuck Austen's writing. Probably a very nice guy, but I don't like what he does with characters and franchises.

It's not just me -- My local comic shop, if they hand me a Chuck Austen-written comic, let me know I can return it if I hate it. If I wasn't such a compeletist, I'd take them up on this. And what he did with Nightcrawler in the X-Men book was an abuse of writing, and poor management on the editing side for allowing it to happen.

But, as far as Captain America Travesty's go, I lump Austen with the Rob Liefeld and the late Mark Gruenwald. Talented folks all in their own right (Sqaudron Supreme is amazing), but they all screwed up this franchise in their own special way.

I need to finish my lengthy essay on "Why Captain America Matters", but the short version is if he's done right, Cap is patriotic, noble, inspiring, and outside of policitical dogmatism. Since the 1970s Done wrong, he's at best an overgrown boy scout or jingoist, at worst fascist.

Chuck Austen alternates the character between boy scout, jingoist, and fascist. Nice.

Again, probably a nice person, but I'm not happy with his writing.

Must. Get through. This. Story arc...