Written by: Chip Zdarsky
Art by: Carlos Magno, Butch Guice, Alex Guimaraes, and VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 27, 2019

I’ll be honest, the first issue of this series blew me away! I simply loved it and it immediately went to the top of my pull…and I’m not just talking the Marvel stack. I love Cap and this became my Cap book. I love Bucky and this became my Bucky book. I love Namor…I think you get my drift by now. So, I couldn’t wait for this issue to come out and get another chance to be wowed. So, did Zdarsky knock my socks off again? Let’s find out…

(By the way, I don’t wear socks, much to my wife’s chagrin!)

The issue opens with Nay Paterson saying goodbye to Jim Hammond and after the end of the last issue, it’s no surprise that once he is gone, she gets down to some secret spy stuff. I’m talking waving at fish type of black ops and since she is getting ahold of Namor, it’s crazy, cool and clever.

That’s one of the things that strikes me most about this issue and series in general so far. Chip Zdarsky has a cool action-packed book with awesome characters but doesn’t just rely on that and mail it in. He matches his roster with such a clever story with so many nice little touches.

We continue the mystery of Machan this issue and it takes a dark swing and then the story goes back in time to show more World War Two awesomeness with Cap, Bucky and eventually Namor. Not only does it show the friendship of Namor and Steve that is getting severely tested in the present, but foreshadows Cap and Bucky’s timeless gameplan, but sets up the idea that the Nazi’s were the perfect villain because…well, they were Nazis! However, in the present, it’s a little harder to paint that black and white hero/villain picture even if Namor is trying to convince himself otherwise.

We do pick up from the last issue with Cap heading to Atlantis and while he is detained, Bucky heads off for a little intel gathering. The later becomes huge by the end, but while Cap is behind bars we get a big clue as to how Namor has suddenly gotten a new powerset. That gets pushed aside quickly, though, as Steve and Namor battle for a bit and while Cap pleads with his old friend, Namor seems to have gotten past their WWII days. The issue then ends with Bucky revealing what he found out in Atlantis (it’s big) and Namor and Machan (?) heading to Maine…with a few days to kill!

I loved this issue! While I wish we got a little more reveals about the Xavier-Namor connection, I can wait when everything is this good. The art is fantastic, the story feels big and the character moments are superb. I mentioned on the podcast that this book feels like an event and put up against some of the events I’ve read lately, this feels bigger. I really can’t recommend these first two issues enough.

Final Thoughts:

I love this book and can’t wait to read the next issue already. Chip Zdarsky brings the action, the character moments and the clever twists without making you wait for six issues to get them. Outrageous! The story and art combine to make this book feel so important and I give this my full recommendation.

9.5/10