We know that death doesn't carry all that much weight in comic books anymore; we see characters die and return all the time. Yet, it still causes a mainstream media frenzy when the more long standing characters have a significant change in lifeline. That's why it is no surprise that earlier this week, all of the major news outlets, including CNN and the Daily News, caught wind that the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, was returning from the great beyond of the Marvel Universe as of next month, and plastered the story all over their home pages.

In a rare (but publicity inducing) move, Marvel released Captain America #600 this past Monday, as opposed to the traditional Wednesday release day for comics, in which a second shooter is revealed in the assassination of Captain America - all of it leading to set up the story that will see the real Cap be reborn.

Starting next month on July 1, the previously mysterious five issue mini-series titled Captain America Reborn will hit store shelves, from the creative forces of Ed Brubaker and Bryan Hitch with covers by John Cassaday and variants from none other than Alex Ross.
 
When he was gunned down back in 2007 in the aftermath of Civil War, a similar media blitz occurred, causing non-fans and scalpers looking for a quick buck to snatch up dozens of copies of Captain America #25 to peddle to the masses on eBay. The death of Cap was the most emotionally gripping thing that Marvel had done in ages, but the editorial team felt it was time to get Steve Rogers back in the game.

Cap editor Tom Breevort said "The tenor of the world now is when we're at a point where we want to believe in heroes. Someone who can lead the way. It just feels like the right time." Assuming he's discussing the world within the Marvel U, where Green Goblin extraordinaire Norman Osborne has essentially seized control of the government, then, admittedly, this seems like a story beat perfect for ushering the original Cap back in. Not to mention, we currently have Tony Stark on the run as an enemy of the state - a sort of role reversal from the dichotomy that Stark and Rogers had back in Civil War. What better way for these two icons to settle their differences and return to the status quo than by teaming up to face a universally reviled menace?

Though Reborn has generally received positive fan reaction, retailers were originally frustrated at the title's secrecy, as the original cutoff date for direct market orders was June 11 - previous to retailers having any information at all on which to base its order quantity. However, Marvel was kind enough to push that cutoff back until the 16th in order for the retailers to judge the reaction from its customers.

One thing that has not been addressed thus far is what will become of Bucky Barnes, the current Captain America that took over for Rogers in the Cap series. Though Steve Rogers is the classic Cap, fans have fully embraced Bucky as his successor, and will surely be hoping that the character will remain in some other capacity.

It may not have been promoted for months on end like other major storylines of the summer, but Marvel certainly made up for lost time with their blitzkrieg announcements that resulted in plenty of press that will surely bring the casual masses flocking to their local comic shops come July 1.