Captain America

• Title: Captain America #5
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Ed Brubaker
• Artists: Steve McNiven, Giuseppe Camuncoli

It might have taken an extra month (and an extra artist) but the latest volume of Captain America finally ends its first arc. As Captain American is trapped in the dream reality battling Codename: Bravo, Sharon Carter pleads with the only man alive who can save him – Jimmy Jupiter.

Although Steve McNiven and Giuseppe Camuncoli’s art don’t compliment each other as much as I’d like, issue #5 proves to be a good finale for the first arc by introducing psychological warfare as the best weapon to use against Steve Rogers.

Sharon Carter gets a couple of nice moments here as well including being the one responsible for bringing Cap back to reality, and kicking the shit out of Codename: Bravo.

As to Queen Hydra‘s plan to use Cap’s patriotism against him, I’m intrigued to see where writer Ed Brubaker will take us next. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

• Title: Captain America #3
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Ed Brubaker
• Artist: Steve McNiven

The story picks up right where the last issue left off: Captain America is battling the Ameridroid (a giant robot with the brain of a crazy scientist, made to look like Captain America) while Sharon Carter has her own hands full with Baron Zemo.

Meanwhile, Codename: Bravo and his mysterious lady friend continue to work behind the scenes using the comatose Jimmy Jupiter to play havoc with reality and pull a certain patriotic super-soldier into the dream world.

Writer Ed Brubaker does a good job explaining the Ameridroid without pausing the action. And even if the character is insanely goofy, it works well as a real threat to Cap. The fight between Agent 13 and Zemo isn’t quite as exciting but it does allow Sharon to get a couple zingers at Zemo’s expense. (I also liked Sharon’s attempt to throw Cap his sheild, which, of course, doesn’t go exactly as planned).

With Cap locked in the dreamworld for the next issue I’m assuming the craziness seen here is only the beginning. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

• Title: Captain America #2
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Ed Brubaker
• Artist: Steve McNiven

Almost 70 years ago a team of special team of Allied Forces and the Hydra agents they were lost in a dream world when Captain America‘s team was infiltrated by spy. The young boy, Jimmy Jupiter, who had the power to open rifts into this dreamspace and transport people across worlds was knocked into a coma from which he has only now, decades later, finally awoken.

With the second issue of the newly rebooted series writer Ed Brubaker gives us a little more insight into the mission that went wrong as well as give us glimpses how the dreams of both Cap and Sharon Carter are being affected by Codename: Bravo and others lost in the dreamspace.

The issue is solid, and includes Cap beating down several Hydra soldiers, but only reveals part of the puzzle (and if I have a complaint it’s that the revelations feel more drawn out than necessary).

The final panel shows us things aren’t going to get easier for Cap anytime soon with the return of the Ameridroid and Bravo playing Casanova in Sharon’s dreams. Creepy! Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]