Michael Lark delivers another gorgeous issue here. Bucky's angst is rendered perfectly and the action looks frantic and brutal. HIs dirty, gritty style fits the Winter Soldier mythos. Once again, he is complimented by the incredible color work of Bettie Breitweiser and the results are stunning. Whatever happens after Brubaker leaves, hopefully Marvel will keep these two paired up some where, because Lark and Breitweiser are one hell of an art team. Read Full Review

Lark's artwork has been perfectly matched to capture the frustration and relief that Bucky suffers which adds to its enjoyment. Read Full Review

That said, even if I have problems with the concept, Brubaker's execution is still well done. The comic does have a couple nice moments, my favorite being Bucky's internal monologue as he squares off against Natasha and realizes how much she's been holding back during their sparring sessions. Does a brainwashed Black Widow make for a dangerous adversary? Sure, but with the character currently involved in other Marvel titles I don't see this arc having any immediate impact. For fans. Read Full Review

At $2.99 and with Brubaker departing from this book on issue #14, now is as good as ever to jump on this issue and see it's way to the end. Read Full Review

Those who pay attention will note that Marvel first cancelled then un-cancelled this book (probably due to that Captain America sequel movie), and that it is now expected to survive after Ed Brubaker leaves the Captain America franchise in the near future. I'm somewhat torn about this, because I really want to love this book, but mostly find it a bit tedious. Had it launched at a point where Bucky had some character momentum behind him (say, three years ago) it could have been a huge hit, but after Fear Itself, even the most die-hard Bucky Barnes fans seem to be a bit gunshy. Winter Soldier #9 is kind of pedestrian, kind of predictable, but mostly just ill-advised, earning a disappointed 1.5 out of 5 stars overall. The concept behind this series ("What if there wasn't only one?") has legs, but the stories have yet to really do justice to the hook... Read Full Review