Darwyn Cooke — Breaking The Glass

Original Art and The Artists

Redo of Tales of Suspense #59, undated (approx. 2008)

The late, great Darwyn Cooke produced a number of these reinterpretations and homages of classics during his all too short lifetime.

I asked him about this one time and he told me he did them to “relax.” Relax? Wow. Think Albert Pujols walking into the batting cage prior to a game. Bam. Home Run. Bam. Another. Bam. Another…

Chic Stone originally inked this milestone splash, one of Jack Kirby’s best known from his Captain America run. Darwyn’s version makes some tweaks — for the better. Most notable are the subtle changes to the face. Cap’s eyes now engage the reader more directly, and overall, his facial expression is clearer and more confident and feels more accurate to Kirby’s vision.

Once upon a time, Darwyn and Marvel talked about an origins series, sort of the Marvel version of his amazing New Frontier series at DC. That is definitely a project I’m certain would have been a classic as well.

For more about Darwyn and the New Frontier, click here.

For more about this classic Captain America tale, click here.

Key appearances of Captain America during the Silver Age revival: Strange Tales 114 — the “first” one — is a cheat. (It’s an imposter, not Cap); The actual first appearance is Avengers #4, quickly followed by his own series in Tales of Suspense. His first solo cover is TOS #70, and he finally breaks into his own series — continuing the numbering from Tales of Suspense — with Captain America #100.
Darwyn’s brilliant New Frontier at DC.
Now imagine the Marvel version too.