Captain America #14 – Of Course Doom Has Enemies In Hell

The souls of Victor Von Doom and Steve Rogers hang in the balance. As Captain America and Doctor Doom fight to control a sword powerful enough to destroy Mephisto himself, another contender for the weapon emerges. With the Antidivine at the center, Doom and Rogers must battle Doom’s first love for control of the sword, Hell, and their souls.

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Shawn!

Creative Team

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

Writing

Captain America #14 felt like a really awesome roller coaster ride. Chip Zdarsky comes out of the gate firing on this issue. Once you make it through the first couple of pages and the tension within, Zdarsky lets you rest for a few panels before it’s right back into the fray. As a huge fan of the character Doctor Doom, I love what Zdarsky did with him in this issue. Doom fans know there are only three women Doom has ever loved, and to see him face to face with one of them again was a powerful moment.

Speaking of power, Zdarsky continues to show us through this run that, despite the super serum and all of the other benefits Steve Rogers has, it is his heart and the purity of his intentions that make him a superhero. I’ve said before, one of the reasons that Zdarsky’s run on Captain America has become my favorite is that Zdarsky doesn’t treat Steve like a Boy Scout who runs around thinking everything is star-spangled awesome. This is a Steve Rogers who has lived. He’s suffered, he’s fallen, he’s watched the country he loves fail to live up to its promises, and yet, he persists. Zdarsky cleverly uses other characters for what amounts to a multi-panel treatise on Steve Rogers and why he’s so much more than a super soldier.

Art

Where do I even start with the art on this issue? Ton Lima and Romulo Fajardo Jr. absolutely stunned me with the art they created for this issue. Ton Lima jumps right out of the gate with some gorgeous design on Valeria’s hell armor as well as the design for the Antidivine sword. One of the highlights of this arc has been Doom’s hell-based costume with the hand-woven mask and ragged cape. The lines have the perfect weight for the situation, with readers feeling the power of Doom and the heart of Rogers through Lima’s art.

Romulo Fajardo Jr. captures the colors perfectly for this issue. Going back to the Doom outfit, not only is the design great, but Fajardo Jr. picks just the right colors. You clearly know it is Doom, but the colors help separate that this is a Doom that is a little bit different. The hues are a little darker, and the colors a little more matte. Fajardo Jr’s colors help you understand that you are still dealing with Doctor Doom, but this is a version of Victor that is not at his full power and finds himself further down the pecking order in Hell. The colors on the backgrounds of the panels, as well as characters like Bart and the Smith, jump off the panel, giving the comic life. Joe Caramagna expertly guides readers through the story, capturing predictable points and surprises with the same level of intensity, keeping readers on their toes.

Final Thoughts

This continues to be my favorite Captain America run. Captain America #14 is such a unique take on the dichotomy between Doom and Steve Rogers. It gives us a version of Steve Rogers that wears his heart on his sleeve, stands up for the little guy, and admits his own faults and shortcomings.

Overall Grade: 10 / 10

What did you think of this issue of Captain America? Let me know in the comments