I didn't much care for the first issue of this series, but I was all set to give the creators the benefit of the doubt, that the first issue was simply a rocky start. And then, as I made my way past the first page of this second issue, they lost me again with a preposterous coincidence that robs the story of any credibility. It's too bad, because if not for that, the story of a super-hero trying to lure a femme fatale home to safer surroundings was actually surprisingly engaging for a moment or two.
Steve Rogers travels to Las Vegas in order to try and convince a sad young woman named Pasha that she doesn't need to stay with the vicious mobster who calls her his own. He catches her eye, but that could prove dangerous, as the mobster, Spano, doesn't allow any other man to even talk to her. Rogers also catches the eye of a woman who's much more willing to spend time with him. Meanwhile, as Captain America, Rogers heads out into the night to prevent Spano's thuggish attempted takeover of a Captain America-themed casino.
Again, Rude's Kirby-inspired artwork here just isn't suited to the darker plot elements. This is first and foremost a mob story, and the bright Silver Age linework and colors just aren't in keeping with such a tale. The action sequences are rather clumsy and vague; much of it is obscured for some reason, sapping the book of some excitement. I have to admit, though, that Rude captures the exotic and raw sexual nature of Pasha, the damsel in distress. By the end of the issue, I can understand why Spano and Cap are both drawn to this melancholy woman.
A Captain America-themed casino and hotel? That Cap knew about and even seems to approve of? Please. That goofy two-page spread that reveals the facility makes it difficult to get into the story from that point onward. The coincidence of it all is just too big a pill to swallow. It's there to supply Cap with some fisticuffs and secondary plot, but it stretches the credibility of an already strained plot way too far, as does the inclusion of another female playmate for the title character.
The creators seem to be trying to balance a dark, modern story with the brighter, more innocent tone of the title character from days gone by, and the effort just falls flat. There are interesting elements in the plot, and Rude's art is a pleasant reminder of Silver Age storytelling. Ultimately, though, they're like oil and water.
