Captain America #2 Review

Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Art by: Jesús Saiz
Colors by: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Jesús Saiz (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: October 25, 2023

Captain America #2 tracks Steve Rogers’s fight in his youth against nazi sympathizers, his time in the present to make time for friends, neighbors, and loved ones, and Travis Lane’s developing plan to recruit villains for Asmoday’s secret plan.

Is Captain America #2 Good?

Captain America #2 is an odd follow-up issue for J. Michael Straczynski’s stellar beginning last month. The story feels like it’s going places, but the number of plots and sub-plots gets a little too complicated.

When last we left Steve Rogers, he bought his mother’s apartment building and saved the tenants from eviction (courtesy of Tony Stark’s financial assistance). The kind-hearted but weary Steve endeavored to fix the old place while struggling to make time for himself. Meanwhile, Steve recalled his time in the same neighborhood just after his mother’s death and how his determination to work hard and find his way eventually led him to cross paths with the flourishing American branch of Hitler’s Nazis.

Now, the story breaks into three sections. First, young Steve continues to cross and conflict with the Nazi party who look for ways to gain support on American soil. Second, present-day Steve finds himself drained by his inability to say no to friends in need. Third, Travis Lane continues his nefarious recruiting drive on behalf of the demon Asmoday to create an assassination program designed to eliminate sources of hope before they take hold.

Each plot thread has its merits, but the struggle with this issue is twofold. First, the three threads are given equal page space, which makes for a very busy comic. Second, Steve’s exploit thread in the present is the least interesting of the three. Even when Spider-Man shows up (per the cover), he’s only in the comic long enough to act as a plot device that further drains Steve’s time and energy. When the main character is the least interesting thing about his comic, that’s a yellow flag.

What’s great about Captain America #2? Regardless of the busyness and structural faults, Straczynski “gets” Steve Rogers. With or without a shield, Steve represents the quintessential, aspirational hero, and it’s good to see him do something other than mope and moan over his disillusionment about America’s problems for a change.

What’s not so great about Captain America #2? Steve’s present-day thread is, to be blunt, dull. We get it. He’s appreciated but overworked. That’s not much to hang on to in terms of capturing reader interest, so it would help if present-day Cap had something more to do than tile a shower or go on a stakeout that turns into a dud.

How’s the art? It’s fine. Jesús Saiz has a lot to do in this issue, but admittedly, most of the diversity in scenes and characters involves characters standing around and talking. That said, the art is solid for a dialog-heavy issue.

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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Bits and Pieces

Captain America #2 covers a lot of ground in three plots to weave Steve’s actions in the past (before he was Captain America) with a growing evil in the present. That said, the overall reading experience is a little overstuffed, and the one plot concerning Steve in the present is the least interesting aspect of this comic.