Captain America #6- In The Shadow of Doom, Lies Salvation

Doom has fallen, and Latveria is in shambles. Factions fight for control of the country, and the United States and the United Nations each have their own ideas for moving forward. Enter Steve Rogers. Rogers still recovering from the memory of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Secret Empire arc, is weary of getting involved in global politics again. While the United Nations makes its own plan, Thunderbolt Ross (aka Red Hulk) is heading up the United States’ plan. What will Captain America do when the itch begins to grow?

Creative Team

Writer: Chip Zdarksy
Artists: Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar
Color Artist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artists: Valerio Schiti and Frank Martin

Writing

With Chip Zdarksy taking the reins of Marvel’s next big event Armageddon, I’ve been really intrigued to look for clues in titles like Captain America. Captain America #6 starts to give a hint at who some of the major players may be in the upcoming Armageddon event. While not an action-packed story in the traditional sense, Zdarsky does an amazing job crafting an issue that is part Captain America story, part espionage, and part geopolitical intrigue.

Between Captain America, Will of Doom, and Dungeons of Doom, Marvel and Zdarksky are carefully crafting the world post Doom and laying the foundation for what comes next. The scenes Zdarsky crafts between Steve Rogers and warhawk lobbyists are particularly poignant and show how even with Doom gone, his shadow still looms large not only over Latveria but the entire world.

Art

Diaz, Alpizar, Fajardo Jr., and Caramagna really do a great job with this issue. The issue is pretty narrative-heavy, but Caramagna works the word bubbles into the art in a way that allows your view to flow easily without interrupting the art. Diaz, Alpizar, and Fajardo Jr. collectively craft art that fits the scene Zdarksy’s words are establishing.

The dim lighting of a bar as Steve Rogers listens to idle chatter, the lights of the Lincoln Memorial, and even the Washington Monument are masterfully drawn, lined, and colored to enhance the issue’s overall ambiance. The various key players of a Doom-Free Latveria are drawn and colored in a way that makes the reader feel as if they, too, are observing the dossiers on a tv screen. Whether big, open scenes like the Washington Monument or panels featuring close-ups of characters, the artwork is clean and filled with detail.

Final Thoughts

Overall: 10/10

Zdarksy is really on to something with this Captain America run. This run of Captain America is setting the trajectory for the future of the Marvel Universe, and it couldn’t have a better creative team at the helm. Through Steve Rogers, Zdarsky shows us that even heroes have to dance with the darkness of past decisions creeping up. We’ve gotten some new and exciting characters, and I can’t wait to see how One World Under Doom is tied up and the stage set for Armageddon.

Did you miss out on Nerd Initiative’s review for Captain America #5? Check out Janelle’s review!

Until next time, may your pulls be magical, and your multiverse remain stable. If you enjoyed this review, check out my other reviews HERE!

Once you finish Captain America #6, come back here and let me know in the comments who you think is the biggest danger of the groups fighting for control of Latveria.