Captain America's demise draws attention of fans

by: Lufguy 1 year, 8 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, 22 hours, 32 minutes ago 2

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Ed Dunn talks about the price of “The Issue” in the Norwich Bulletin.

Sold out, and fast.

That’s the story of Captain America comic book No. 25 that hit newsstands Wednesday, the one in which the super hero is killed.

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Arkham Asylum on Boswell Avenue in Greeneville received 40 copies. They were gone before noon, owner John Sedgwick said Thursday.

The same thing happened at Wonderland Comics in Putnam and AJ’s Comics in Colchester.

"We sold out Captain America in an hour,” said David Sarty, a clerk at Wonderland Comics. “Thanks to the news coverage, a lot of people are still looking for it."

By noon Thursday, the $3.99 comic book was drawing bids of $200 on eBay, the online auction site.

"Marvel overprinted the issue, but not nearly enough,” said Sedgwick, who has been a comic retailer for 20 years and a collector for 30 years.

Captain America, superhero to generations, was created in March 1941 as the United States braced for a world war. Now, Captain America is dead at age 66.

Or is he?

According to Don Bastin of Moosup, Steve Rogers, Captain America’s alter ego, was shot and killed, but Captain America will endure, although a different character will portray him.

Bastin offered his opinion at Arkham Asylum, which sells posters, action figures and material for magic in addition to comic books. Bastin is convinced Frank Castle, superhero The Punisher, will don the garb of Steve Rogers and continue as Captain America.

"Captain America had lost his perspective of America,” Bastin said. “He never went on the Internet. He never watched ‘American Idol.’ He was stuck in a 1940s mentality.

"It’s like Santa Claus, somebody always plays the role,” Bastin said, adding, “I wish I knew they were planning this."

"They didn’t kill Captain America; they killed Steve Rogers, the man inside the suit. Writer Ed Brubaker has Captain America, the comic, written for the next two years,” said Sedgwick.

And those No. 25 comics going for $200 on eBay?

"This comic will be very valuable for about a year,” said Rich Fecteau, a clerk at AJ’s Comics in Colchester. “When the hype dies down, its value will decline, like Superman in the 1990s.

"When Superman was killed off, the comic book was worth $75 to $100. Now it’s worth about $5,” Fecteau said.

Right now, though, “Any toy or action figure of Steve Rogers is going through the roof,” said Sedgwick.