The House of M event comes to Captain America's corner of the Marvel Universe, and it offers Ed Brubaker the chance to delve into alternate histories. Ultimately, it explores Captain America as a regular guy, as a war hero but not a super-hero. The result is interesting, as we see an icon of heroism reduced to being an voice of idealism that's far too easily silenced. Unfortunately, the story really doesn't seem to say anything, to go anywhere. It just sort of peters out. The art is in keeping with the overall tone of the series, but Lee Weeks' slightly brighter style still stands out as unique when comared to that of regular series artists Steve Epting and Michael Lark.
In a world in which mutants eventually rise to prominence in the world, Captain America's life follows a radically different path, thanks in no small part to the fact that in this world, he and Bucky Barnes work together to prevent the disaster that claimed Bucky's life and plunged Cap into decades of suspended animation. Though he helped bring the war to an early close, Steve Rogers eventually becomes just another former soldier. He sees the world change in uncomfortable and dangerous ways, but after casting aside the uniform of Captain America, he no longer has the idealistic clout to effect change.
Weeks was an excellent choice as a fill-in artist on Captain America as his style fits with in the overall look of the series as established by Steve Epting. Weeks doesn't ape Epting's aproach; his style is just in keeping with the more stark tone that's been a part of this series. The story unfolds clearly when it comes to the art, and I like that there are few grand, dramatic super-hero moments to grab the reader's eye. This story is meant to be about a somewhat ordinary life rather than an extraordinary one, and the art gradually becomes less and less flashy as the issue progresses.
MY favorite aspect of the book is the examination of Steve's politics. Initially, he speaks out against anti-mutant sentiment, but when he sees a mutant tyrant emerge, he speaks out against him. Cap's political position doesn't change; he simply opposes the notion that mutants are either less or more than humankind. I also appreciated the fact that Cap's marriage ends during his time as an astronaut. We see a great achievement, but it's tempered by personal loss.
Though it was nice to see some of the details about House of M history and how it unfolded, this really contributes little to the crossover event story or to the character of Captain America. The story really just stops; it doesn't end. I found myself wondering what the point was of the exercise other than to offer a "What If?" story with no resolution. 6/10
