There are a lot of powerful, moving images in this book. A lot of story moments that are meant to make people think, "Wow, Captain America is really pretty cool." What there isn't is much of a story, as the creators are a little bit busy building up that feeling of awe and respect. Which is fine for now, but if the style doesn't shift to more of a sequential storytelling mode soon, I'm afraid that the book won't be much to look at. This issue, like last issue, is mostly a demonstration of the physical prowess and mental determination that defines Captain America's character, set against a villain who is only scarcely defined. It's gorgeous to look at and often quite moving, but there are also times when it feels a bit like empty speech-making.
Ney Rieber and Cassaday clearly have plenty to say about terrorism in the post-9-11 world, and what they have to say is fairly interesting. The visuals of a woman being taken from her home and forced to read propaganda right in her own streets is terrifying, bringing back the feelings of vulnerability many Americans had when they realized that we had been attacked on our own soil. The images of terrorists unleashing mines and guns in the middle of a small-town church will probably strike at the heart of even those who aren't religious. And seeing Captain America easily handle two fanatical gunmen on the rooftop, all the while resisting his own rage, is as impressive as super-heroes get.
However, the story itself is a bit lacking. We're not really given much visual reference to get a feel for where Captain America is in relation to the hostages, or what he gains by these impressive acrobatics over the land mines. And even though it's clearly a flashback, it's a little jarring to see Captain America receiving his briefing and hitting the ground again this issue when that was the finale of the last issue. In addition, the terrorists right now are a little too faceless, which takes away from the complexity of issues that drives modern terrorism and makes it such an unsolvable problem.
As a Captain America fan, however, I enjoyed this issue quite a bit. Captain America is portrayed as angrier, more driven, than we have seen him in some time, but he still has that heroic streak that defines the character. His unwillingness to let a terrorist fall onto his own mines, meeting a fate he no doubt deserved, is a vivid example of that heroic nature. And the defiant words of the reporter when she realizes that Captain America has come for them sent a chill down my spine. In addition, to the surprise of no one, every single panel of this book is gorgeous, with John Cassaday turning in one of his most impressive art performances in a career that is full of them.
Time will tell whether the popularity of this book will be a quick burst or a long sustained thing. While having Captain America address terrorism is very topical, I do worry that we will lose all the personal aspects of Captain America, seeing only the icon, if this style continues, and while that's fine for a short stint, it isn't the recipe for success for a new ongoing title.
