Winter Soldier, Vol. 4: The Electric Ghost (2014)

While this is the last volume of Winter Soldier, it isn’t exactly the conclusion to what came before it.  It does allude to the events of the previous volume, but it’s a new story – by a new writer, in fact.  As such, it doesn’t really satisfy anything I’d been hoping for after volume 3, but it’s still a good story with interesting characters and strong emotional content.

Bucky is reeling after the events of the last volume.  Nick Fury, trying to get him working again, tempts Bucky with the prospect of a new case with ties back to his old Winter Soldier days.  Sent to extract Linus Tarasova, a prickly long-time spy embedded in Hydra, Bucky soon discovers a mysterious connection between Linus and a nigh-unstoppable hacker known as the Electric Ghost.

Like I said, I’m still disappointed that the story from the first three volumes is mostly dropped.  No matter what, this volume would’ve been different, since the Novokov stuff definitely ended in volume 3, but I would’ve liked to see the characters dealing with the fallout more.  However, I don’t suppose the title knew it would be ending soon when it started this new arc, so everyone probably figured there’d be time to unpack it later.  As it is, we’re fortunate that the new arc introduced in this volume concludes in a good spot – I wouldn’t exactly call it decisively over, but it still ends at a reasonable point.

As for the new story, I like it.  Linus is an excellent character, a world-weary spy who’s become harder to manage in the years since his work cost him the ones who matter most to him.  Similarly, the Electric Ghost is a great semi-villain, someone who’s definitely at odds with “our” characters but who is still sympathetic and not entirely malevolent.  The issue in which we dig more into her background is really well done.

As with Novokov, the Electric Ghost taps into Bucky’s past, albeit in a different way.  It’s one of the things I like most about this title – it’s a chance to really explore the complexity inherent in the Winter Soldier.  Even though the things that Bucky did during his decades as a brainwashed Russian asset aren’t his fault – there was no way he could’ve stopped himself from following those orders – actions then continue to ripple through his life now.  And even though it would’ve been impossible for him to overcome his programming, that doesn’t stop him from feeling guilty about or responsible for what’s happened.

Also, the art is pretty great.  There’s a new artist to go along with the new author, and the artwork is evocative, stylish, and action-oriented.  It has kind of a cinematic feel to it at points, and certain parts of the story really lend themselves well to impressive visuals.