Steve's loyalties are sorely tested.
The main takeaway from the first three issues of this series is that writer Nick Spencer is playing the long game. Issue #1 introduced the controversial twist about Cap supposedly being a Hydra double agent. Rather than immediately rush into the fallout of that twist and what it means for the Marvel Universe, subsequent issues have taken a step back. How did this startling turn of events come to be? What actually happened to Steve Rogers when his body was restored by Kobik? What is the real connection between Cap and the resurgent Hydra? This issue delves even deeper into those questions. That might disappoint readers hoping for a faster paced story, but the character work in these issues is so strong it's tough to be upset at the methodical pace.
Issue #3 does explore the immediate aftermath of Steve's betrayal of Jack Flag. The result is basically the Marvel Universe version of Black Hawk Down, as Steve and his allies fend off a mob of supervillains in the streets of Bagalia. While that standoff is enjoyable enough on its own (especially once a certain recurring Cap villain enters the stage), it benefits from the added dramatic tension of Steve trying to maintain his cover. Can he afford to protect the comatose Jack Flag if it means his sidekick will wake up and implicate him?
That's just one thread in multilayered script from Spencer. This issue also flashes forward to explore the new dynamic between Red Skull and his prize Hydra mole. Those scenes have their own brand of tension as the reader strains to determine whether Steve has truly fallen to the dark side or if a fighting spark remains. Spencer seems to delight in torturing his readers in that regard. But it's all for the greater good. This issue delivers several more compelling twists to an already unpredictable narrative. Rarely has a comic made me so eager to find out what happens next.
There are also more flashbacks to Steve's early childhood and induction into Hydra. It's a bit strange to see these flashbacks still in play after the reveal that they were fabricated by Kobik. Do they still serve a purpose now? Time will tell, but as purposeful as every aspect of Spencer's writing is, it's hard to imagine they won't pay off in one way or another.
Even if the new Hydra Cap status quo gets your blood boiling, there's no denying that this is one visually bedazzling comic. Jesus Saiz continues to offer some of the strongest work in his already impressive career. His action scenes are impeccably rendered. His figures are brimming with emotion, whether it's the pained plight of Steve Rogers, the arrogant bravado of Red Skull or the weary responsibility borne by Sharon Carter. Saiz's colors are every bit as striking as his pencils and inks. The colors aptly highlight the drama and danger of the Bagalia battle and the cold interaction between Cap and a hologram of Red Skull. But nowhere do the colors stand out more than in the flashback sequences, which blend a washed-out, sepia-toned approach with bold dashes of red.
The Verdict
This new Cap series is taking the slow burn approach, and so far it's paying off handsomely. Cap's current status quo only grows more intriguing in this issue as new twists emerge and our hero finds himself torn between his friends and his new Hydra allies. It certainly doesn't hurt that artist Jesus Saiz is crafting one of marvel's most gorgeous comics every month.
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