Captain America #12 – To Hell and Back

In the wake of Doom’s fall, Latveria was ripe for the taking. After a battle between several different groups, Captain America finds himself staring down the Red Hulk. Defending those who need defending, Captain America sustained what appears to be a mortal blow. As his friends deal with this new reality, Steve Rogers awakens in a new hellish dimension, greeted by none other than Victor Von Doom.

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Creative Team

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Valerio Schiti
Color Artist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Valerio Schiti
Cover Color Artist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Writing

Chip Zdarsky continues to craft a Captain America run for the ages. Not only was this first issue of the new arc stunning from a narrative standpoint, but Zdarsky also manages to bring some familiar faces back into the fold. Readers are provided a very satisfying explanation for how a man so noble as Steve Rogers himself could end up in hell. At its core, this entire run on Captain America has felt like exploring different avenues of what it means to be Captain America. This issue feels like an exploration of what it’s like to be Captain America when you’re forced to choose the lesser of two evils.

Zdarsky really seems to understand Captain America on a personal level. He seems to understand what makes him tick and what makes him a popular character. The concept or idea of someone as ideologically opposed as Captain America and Doctor Doom teaming up seems foreign but intriguing. The big reveal at the end of this issue was done in a satisfactory manner, even if it had been partially spoiled by future cover releases.

Art

Valerio Schiti, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Joe Caramagna continue to be an absolutely impressive team on the series. Schiti captures a world in hell that is terrifying and bleak. He truly makes you feel the emotions of those trapped there as you watch them suffer. The line work on both characters and the background is impeccable, blending clean, efficient usage of lines with gritty, jagged line work to establish the setting and tone of the story.

Romulo Fajardo Jr. contributes to the overall field of the story and the setting of the narrative through beautiful coloration. Rather than simply relying on red as one of the only colors for the setting, he instead utilizes a variety of colors that add richness and depth to a setting as ubiquitous as hell. Whether it is the color of someone suffering and bleeding in hell or the demons who distribute the punishment, the colors all feel perfect for this setting and the story.

Final Thoughts

This run continues to be everything you would want in a Captain America story. It’s gritty, powerful, unique, and yet familiar. Captain America continues to fully flesh out what being a hero and being Captain America in this world looks like, even if it means making a decision where both decisions are bad. Despite being in the world of comic books and still being a superhero, this series, and this issue in particular, provides us with perhaps the most emotionally realistic portrayal of what it means to be Captain America.

Overall Grade: 10/10

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