Captain America #5 Review

Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Art by: Lan Medina
Colors by: Espen Grundetjern
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Taurin Clarke
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: January 3, 2024

Captain America #5 brings the parallels of the past and the present closer together when young Steve Rogers uncovers a plot to bomb a rally and further the Nazi cause, while Cap moves to defend a peace rally from the Emissary.

Is Captain America #5 Good?

Captain America #5 brings the past and the present into alignment in J. Michael Straczynski’s latest entry in Captain America’s latest adventure. Straczynski builds a strong sense of momentum as the parallel timelines increase in urgency, but the connections between past and present appear to be more familiar than functional.

When last we left Captain America, he was attacked by the Emissary at night, barely escaping with his life. In the past, young Steve Rogers makes friends and enemies on both sides of the growing Nazi influence in America at the advent of WWII. Now, Captain America enlists the help of Doctor Strange, Agent Carter, and Misty Knight to set up a defense against the forthcoming Peace Rally the Emissary and Asmoday appear to be targeting. In the past, young Steve Rogers uncovers a plot by Baron’s Strucker and Zemo to blow up a Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden as a false flag event to galvanize American public opinion in the Nazis’ favor. The race is on to stop a mass murder in two timelines.

What does that mean that “the connections between past and present appear to be more familiar than functional?” The forthcoming assault on the peace rally feels, to Captain America, like a similar assault on the Nazi rally in the past. Other than an assault on two rallies, Asmoday doesn’t appear to be a factor in the past, nor do Barons Strucker and Zemo appear to be a factor in the present.

What’s great about Captain America #5? Straczynski expertly increases the urgency with a “ticking clock” in two timelines. Young Steve once again proves he’s a hero without the shield or the Super Soldier serum. As a bonus, Doctor Strange’s toy avatar returns to add some well-placed levity.

What’s not so great about Captain America #5? Unless Straczynski established a functional connection between the past and present, creating an event in the past that centers around a bombing turns out to be a waste of time and page space. As I noted in a previous review of this series, nobody who reads Captain America comics needs to be convinced that Steve Rogers has always had the heart of a hero or that Nazis are bad, so if there’s no connection between past and present, the flashback story isn’t needed.

How’s the art? Lan Medina’s art works well for this story. The period-specific costumes, sets, and vehicles are on point, which is a blessing in a dialog-heavy issue, and the brief bits of action are well done.

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 #5 increases the past/present parallels and the urgency when mass murder plots draw closer to execution. Straczynski gives new and seasoned readers plenty of reason to admire Cap as a true blue hero, and the art team does a respectable job in a dialog-heavy issue, but the lack of connection between past and present is starting to feel like a waste.