Captain America #5 Review


Cap has been stuck in Dimension Z for 12 years. Along with Ian he has found a way to escape, but what will they do when Zola comes for them along with Ian’s psychotic sister, Jet Black?

Here is the summary from Marvel:

THE ODD WAR OF DIMENSION Z BEGINS! Zola’s terrible experiments on the indigenous creatures give birth to a terrible new foe! No flesh escapes The Patchwork! Captain America vs Jet Black, with the fate of Ian in the balance. A young Steve Rogers must help his family to survive their worst year of the Great Depression, but how far will he go?

Things are getting hairy for everyone’s favorite Sentinel of Liberty. He & his “son” Ian have found a way back to Earth but are sidetracked when Zola and his forces attack the Phrok (the creatures that Rogers & Ian were living with). A huge battle ensues between the Phrok & Zola’s mutants. Steve & Ian enter the fray, but Steve is nowhere near capable of fighting to his full potential (largely due to Zola’s virus spreading through his body), things get worse however as Zola’s daughter (and Ian’s sister) Jet Black goes after Cap for “killing” her brother.

Rick Remender packs on the action in this issue. The chaotic nature of the battle takes over almost the entire book, this isn’t a bad thing however as it showcases just how weak Cap has become in Dimension Z, as he is barely able to fend off the attacking forces; especially Jet Black who proceeds to hand him his star-spangled ass. Jet Black is a ruthless fighter and is very effective as she takes out Cap effortlessly without him landing a single blow, his only saving grace is Ian coming to his rescue which allows him to get the jump on Jet. Zola is as sadistic as always in this issue as we get to hear him from 2 fronts; we get the real Zola, and the one inside Cap. Both of them spouting their usual “we will kill you Heir Captain” nonsense.

Veteran John Romita Jr.’s art is a bit lack luster this time around. While he is usually know for drawing dynamic action scenes, he seems a bit overwhelmed by the number of combatants in this battle. This leads to details being missing and awkward poses that don’t flow to well with the rest of the action. However the fight between Jet Black & Cap is drawn very well.

While Captain America #5 is not as good as it’s predecessors, it is still and enjoyable read that marks Cap’s return by the end of it as the “All American Bad Ass” (Sorry Undertaker).

3.5/5

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