Time is running short for Captain America as he tries to rescue his son from the clutches of the evil Arnim Zola, but will he be able to stop him from warping the boy’s mind in time?
Written by Rick Remender
Illustrated by John Romita Jr.
• Zola’s master plan revealed!
• Ian’s fate decided!
• Captain Zola’s quest for lies and injustice!
Captain America has always been an interesting character to see what certain writers do with him. Much like Superman over at Marvel’s Distinguished Competition, the Captain tends to be seen as a symbol first and a man second. What that leads to in terms of superhero comics is a focus on the superhero identity, the mantle of responsibility, and less on the secret identity, the man underneath the mask. That seems like something Rick Remender and John Romita Jr. have tried to eschew here, though. By pitting Captain America against Arnim Zola over the safety of a boy they both think of as their son, this has given Remender and Romita Jr. the opportunity to explore the man underneath the mask. Not only that, but they’ve definitely gone at lengths to bring out the humanity of Steve Rogers in this issue.
This issue, despite the misleading cover, mostly covers Rogers’ search for Ian, the boy he thinks of as his son, within Zola’s stronghold inside the Negative Zone. A lot of emphasis has been placed by Remender on showing, despite being a super soldier, Rogers is still only human underneath it all. Going up against insurmountable odds here, he is exhausted and in pain and weak, but he keeps pressing on. He never once falters because he knows if he does he will fail and all will be lost. What Remender gets spot on here is that desperate sense of perseverance that Captain America always has. It’s what makes this issue so compelling, despite the fact that it seems to be running in place.
Which is the biggest problem with the issue. Even though we’re seven issues into a ten issue arc, the whole thing still feels like it’s stuck in set-up mode. It’s not egregiously slow and there is progress made in the issue with enough action so it doesn’t ever get boring, but it does feel that the story is progressing slower than it needs to. Even with subplot from Remender’s arc about Steve’s childhood cannibalised into the plot, which is largely absent here, ten issues feels on the long side for this arc. Obviously, on one hand, it gives the sense of time spent in ‘Dimension Z’ room enough that it doesn’t feel rushed, but on the hand it does feel slightly plodding.
The other major problem is largely inconsequential to the actual story, but it’s the cover. The cover not only spoils Remender’s last page reveal, but leads the reader to believe that crux of the issue should be Captain America VS. Captain Zola, right? Well, it’s really not. In fact, he shows up for maybe three pages maximum. It’s just kind of disappointing, really.
Remender is joined here by John Romita Jr., who has been probably one of the most divisive artists in the comics industry. Here, though, his art really works. His art is clear and concise in the action scenes without compromising the weight of it all, which gives even more weight to Rogers being ever more exhausted over the course of the issue. His designs for the Zola technology are great and really convey the otherworldly nature of the place, but what really makes the art spectacular are the colors by Dean White. The colors bring out the ominous nature of the world around Captain America, like everything around him is out to get him. It feels oppressive and, again, captures the idea presented by Remender that Rogers is a just a man trying to push through almost insurmountable odds.
That’s where the real heart of this issue comes from: Rogers’ inexplicable perseverance even when he should most likely keel over and give up. It’s his love for Ian and his determination not to leave him with Zola that drives the issue. Every time Rogers is knocked to the ground, Remender uses some expertly precisioned captions to echo the readers cries for him to get up and keep going. It makes the issue even more compelling to feel like the reader is on this journey with Roger to save his son from the clutches of the evil villain.
All in all, even though this issue didn’t present much in the way of progression to the conclusion of the story arc, it was still compelling to see Rogers, in all his determination, strive to save his son. Hopefully, this will lead to more a more satisfying build up to the climax of the arc that doesn’t feel just as slow paced. Remender clearly has a grasp of what makes Captain America an engaging character to read and being joined with Romita Jr. has brought his story to life. Let’s just hope he sticks the landing.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – If you’re not on board, this won’t convert you, but I’ve stuck with it this long then there’s no reason to jump off just yet.
