Pillow Talking’s Review of CAPTAIN AMERICA: STEVE ROGERS #3 Comic Book
Someday Productions LLC and Pillow Talking are pleased to present the following review of CAPTAIN AMERICA: STEVE ROGERS #3 comic book by Guest Blogger Brendan Hughes
by Brendan Hughes
Title: Captain America: Steve Rogers #3
Story By: Nick Spencer
Art By: Jesus Saiz and Rachelle Rosenberg
Captain America, the Star Spangled Man, defender of American values, answers to only one person – Red Skull! Yes, this is the third installment of the highly controversial Captain America: Steve Rogers series. Nick Spencer guides us down the path Captain America has taken as a Hydra sleeper agent because of a sentient Cosmic Cube called Kobik which altered his origin. In the last few chapters we saw him cast aside his former values as “Cap” and even throw one of his friends out of a moving plane (without a parachute)! So what can we expect from this issue? How about saving SHIELD, memories of Rogers’ childhood, and disappointing Red Skull.
Spencer starts off with a flashback as the members of Hydra’s Brooklyn Women’s group are chatting about how to improve the community as if it were a Jaycees meeting. Steve’s mother, Sarah, is introduced to the group after Elisa Sinclair, the group’s leader, witnesses a physical altercation between Sarah and her husband. Elisa offers her a chance to join and both Steve and she quickly become assimilated as they attend each weeks’ meetings. Hydra’s values are firmly instilled in Captain who becomes Red Skull’s lackey. Only one issue remains – Sarah’s husband, Joseph, continues to beat her and he forces her to cover the wounds in public. But don’t worry, Elisa takes justice into her own hands.
After stabbing his friends in the back in the previous issues, Captain comes to the aid of SHIELD this time around. When a covert operation turns into a search and rescue there is just one problem – the lawless Bagalia. Bagalia has one of the highest concentrations of supervillains in the world and it is a place without laws and where anarchy reigns supreme (with the exception of the sheriff, Taskmaster). When members of SHIELD are in danger, including Sharon Carter, Cap intervenes and shows off the power of his new “not very aerodynamic shield”! Just as Taskmaster is taken down, a state of martial law is issued and a mad frenzy of villains swarm SHIELD where things get messy until Rick Jones outsmarts them; afterward, SHIELD starts to implode as members argue. Later medics also are able to keep Rick Flag alive after Cap has thrown him out of a moving plane.
Red Skull is livid when Rogers reports back to him; however, the execution of Zemo and Selvig has tied up loose ends within Hydra which was the main objective. Throughout the issue it would appear that Rogers’ true allegiance may not be with Hydra as seen when he intentionally defies Red Skull’s orders to kill Selvig and use him for his research. In the upcoming issues it will become clearer where Rogers’ loyalty is and whether he is a triple agent after all.
The art in this issue is by Jesus Saiz and Rachelle Rosenberg. Together they lift the story from the pages with their vivid imagery which successfully conveys the varying emotions and atmospheres. Most of the time, broad outline isn’t my favorite comic art style; however, it is a decent choice here as it compliments Spencer’s writing style.
As compared to other series, this one is viewed as a slap in the face to Captain America by some readers; but if you look at the series by itself, it is a solid read and has people guessing not only what will happen next but what Captain America’s true intentions may be. Unfortunately, this series will be tied to the Civil War II storyline starting next issue. In case anyone was wondering where the Marvel reviews are, I will be holding off until Civil War II is completely as I find it extremely disappointing.
Rating: 8.1/10
Brendan Hughes is what you might call a professional nerd of sorts, a connoisseur of comic books ranging from the “Big 3” (Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse) to the more indie side of things. By night he is the co-host of East Meets West, Flame Hawk, a radio/podcast which breaks down the latest news of the Nerd and Otaku universe.
The comic spider first bit Brendan at the young age of five, establishing his love of comic lore and the comic realm. This love led him to become a part of the comic community and to doing comic reviews and news through East Meets West. Catch more of Brendan aka Flame Hawk when he’s not reviewing for Pillow Talking blog by visiting @MeetsWest on Twitter and on YouTube http://bit.ly/1pLxumG.
