- Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
- Art by: Jesús Saiz
- Colors by: Matt Hollingsworth
- Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
- Cover art by: Taurin Clarke
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: July 24, 2024
Captain America #11, by Marvel Comics on 7/24/24, sends Cap to Chicago to find the last mutant change agent for the Front Doo Cabaret before Death makes his final move to destroy life on Earth.
Is Captain America #11 Good?
How can a comic book about the world’s greatest super soldier be interesting and boring at the same time? I don’t know, but J. Michael Straczynski makes it look easy in Captain America #11. Action? Excitement? Adventure? Nah, this ain’t that kind of superhero comic.
When last we left Steve Rogers in Captain America #10, he found the second change agent in London in the form of Becca, a Seer who can see all things at once and determine the probability of the next outcome. At first, Becca was reluctant to go with Steve and Carlos, but a raid by a mercenary group changed her mind. Secretly, the attack was a ruse to gain Steve’s trust since Becca is working for Death.
In Captain America #11, Steve, Carlos, and Becca head to Chicago to find the final change agent, Malik. Straczynski interweaves the present plot with a conversation in the recent past between Steve and Lyra as they discuss what’s to come and Steve’s place in the world after the conflict is resolved. Lyra explains the identity and exact location of the next change agent are blocked from her view, but Steve will know him when he sees him.
More information is a good thing, but Lyra (again) takes the vague approach by giving Steve a general purpose and direction but none of the details to make his quest easier. Here is where Stracznski’s plot runs into trouble as the pace is slow and methodical, without a hint of urgency or energy. Everyone appears mired in heavy, deep, meaningful conversations that grab you with all the vigor of a leisurely stroll in the park.
In his Chicago hotel room, Steve receives an out-of-the-blue (or is it?) call with a time and location to meet. Steve, Carlos, and Becca head to the address, which turns out to be a large sewer drainage pip in the woods that leads to a large, multi-room cave. They’re surprised to find dozens of people lined up to meet their host.
This fantasy tale keeps getting weirder and weirder. Why would a powerful change agent be setting up shop in a large cave system with a sewer drain pipe for an entrance? How do dozens of everyday people know where the change agent is and what he can do for him? Straczynski keeps pushing the envelope of weird to establish a surreal scenario, which works, but it comes off as surreal for its own sake rather than in service to furthering the story.
Steve and his cohorts are escorted to an antechamber where they’re greeted by an angelic warrior-like figure who calls herself the Guardian. Malik simply refers to her as “B.” The Guardian reminds Steve and his cohorts to mind their manners, or they’ll all die horrible deaths. Malik tells B, in effect, to chill out. He then proceeds to read Steve and his friends to tell them what has happened, what will happen, and what to do next. He’s a seer but a different kind than Becca since his powers can also result in healing.
Malik is an odd fellow. If you’re into aliens, Malik would probably be described as a star child. He tells each member of the team what they need to hear, very much like the Oracle in the Matrix films. The truth of what he says is less important than the message the hearer needs to hear for them to move forward on their path. It’s a lot of woo-woo mumbo jumbo, but it’s at least consistent with Straczynski’s story.
The issue ends with Death assuming human form for the first time in over two thousand years.
What’s great about Captain America #11? Straczynski is playing with so many themes that you could chew on the ideas for days. You have everything from Biblical evil, concepts of Life and Death, examples of predestination versus predetermination, and more.
What’s not so great about Captain America #11? The listless pace and lack of action make the reading experience a challenge to get through. That’s not to say Captain America can’t do more than punch bad guys, but the story Straczynski is telling here doesn’t suit the visual medium of comics. People standing around and talking for thirty pages does not make a good comic.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Final Thoughts
Captain America #11 is chock full of interesting concepts and ideas about fate, prophecies, and destiny. That said, characters standing around and talking for thirty pages makes for a boring comic. The art is decent enough, and good ideas are present, but the listless pace and lack of action or urgency are killing this series.
5.8/10
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