This is a new feature called "Nothing is Better." I have a feature called "Reason to Get Excited," where I spotlight aspects of current comic books that have particularly impressed me. I had recently expanded it to a 1991 Walter Simonson classic and I was going to do another one today on J.M. DeMatteis' Captain America, but it just didn't feel right. I really think "Reason to Get Excited" should be reserved for current comic books. Therefore, I'm introducing basically its equivalent column for older comic books, "Nothing is Better," where I spotlight aspects of classic comic books that have particularly impressed me (the Simonson column is now retroactively the first "Nothing is Better" edition).

Today, we look at J.M. DeMatteis and the way that he so wonderfully exhibited Captain America's great capacity for inspiring hope during DeMatteis' long association with the Star Spangled hero.

It's amusing to note that DeMatteis first began working on Captain America as part of a rather ridiculous comic book one-shot (presumably meant to be a Treasury Edition style comic book) to tie in with the then-current Captain America TV movie starring Reb Brown. Eventually, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter instead had DeMatteis rework that project into a three-issue arc of Captain America's regular series. DeMatteis did so and when he was finished, he was the regular writer on the book.

It would not take long before DeMatteis made his mark in the "hope" category. It started in Captain America #267 (art by the amazing Mike Zeck and John Beatty), when a new "silent majority" villain popped up calling himself the Everyman...

He challenges Cap to a duel, of sorts, at Liberty Island and Captain America shows up, to show the supporters of the Everyman, those people who have fallen for the idea that there is a class of people who are so willing to lash out instead of reach out to others.

After defeating the Everyman, Cap gives a rousing speech to the young people who were sucked in by the Everyman's views...

Captain America is so darned hopeful that he can even inspire monsters!

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Cap finds the humanity in anyone - even mutated blob-like people!']

In a brilliant bit, in Captain America #278 (by DeMatteis, Zeck and Beatty), Captain America and a friend of his are captured by Baron Zemo and attacked by these mutated horribly monstrous creatures. Cap's friend, though, realizes that they are just PEOPLE who were cruelly mutated by Zemo, so he implores Cap to appeal to their hearts and not just punch them. Cap gives them a speech and it WORKS!!

DeMatteis' Captain America was a truly compassionate, caring guy who believed in the good of others and would be willing to die to see it out. DeMatteis famously tried to actually have Cap become a pacifist, but Shooter ultimately rejected the idea (after Mark Gruenwald, editor on the series, approved the concept). DeMatteis quit the book.

However, he later continued his use of Captain America in other books, like a particularly great bit during, of all things, "Maximum Carnage," (which I will spotlight in the future in a different column).

The DeMatteis/Zeck/Beatty run on Captain America is one of the great runs of the 1980s from Marvel and so much if it is due to simply how DeMatteis captures Cap's pure goodness so well.

Okay, folks, this is a feature that is a BIT less conducive to suggestions (as it really is about stories that spoke to me, ya know?), but hey, feel free to still send suggestions in to brianc@cbr.com! Maybe you and I have the same take on things and I'll use your idea!