Written by: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly
Art by: Carmen Carnero
Colors by: Nolan Woodard
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Carmen Carnero, Alejandro Sánchez
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: March 1, 2023

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #10 leans into the mind games as the newest incarnation of the Invaders battles against MODOC (yes, with a ‘C’) for control of their sanity while AIM retrieves its prize.

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Is It Good?

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #10 is boring. That’s it. I could end the review right here, and that’s all you’d ever need to know. But of course, you like a little heat with your chili, so here we go.

When last we left the newly-christened Invaders, they attacked the Outer Circle’s forces in NYC to prevent the villains from acquiring the neganite thingamabob. When it seemed like the Invaders had victory in hand, they discovered their efforts were stopped by a mind control attack from MODOC (yes, with a ‘C’ for Control). Now, MODOC traps each Invader in a memory loop of past hurts to keep them occupied while the Outer Circel’s excavation to retrieve the neganite whatzamajiggy continues.

Okay, that sounds like the making of a great conflict. Yet, it feels wholly lifeless and dull. Why? As the playful descriptors suggest, Kelly and Lanzing don’t put much effort into establishing stakes or motivation. People are fighting, but you only have a vague idea of why they’re fighting.

What is the neganite doohicky? Why does the Outer Circle want it so desperately? What happens if they get it? Why should the Invaders, the readers, or anyone else care? If you don’t know what the thing does or what it means for the world if it falls into the wrong hands, there’s no reason to care. If there’s no reason to care, the action is pointless and meaningless.

Well, MODOC is eventually overcome with the power of positive thinking (that’s not an exaggeration), forcing the Outer Circle to take more extreme measures to keep the Invaders occupied.

In fairness to Kelly and Lanzing, they take a bold step with a death scene on the last page, but it’s a half-step because the character is a throwaway side character who almost doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of the Marvel Universe. Kelly and Lanzing try to have their cake and eat it too by attempting a gut punch that only lands as a glancing blow.

Still, Carnero and Woodard’s art is strong in this issue. The line work is excellent, the coloring is outstanding, and the fantastical elements are visually engaging. It’s fair to say the art team is putting in more effort to get you to feel something about this story than the writers.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts:

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #10 looks great and has an exciting premise when you think about it, but the characters lack motivation, and the stakes are entirely absent. You’re not given a reason to care about what’s happening, so the result is a tedious, lifeless slugfest.

6/10