Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Art: Jesús Saiz, Matt Hollingsworth, and VC’s Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: January 3rd, 2024
New information about Captain America’s recent attacker — a mysterious figure known only as the Emissary – has Steve Rogers, Misty Knight and Sharon Carter scrambling to protect a peace rally from being this new foe’s next target. But how can masters of physical and mental might defend against the supernatural prowess of an ancient evil? Let’s dive into Captain America #5 by J. Michael Straczynski and find out!
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THE DISPATCH
Captain America #5 is a bit wordy but it has a sense of classic moxie that represents the character of Steve Rogers well. Straczynski focuses mainly on a young Steve Rogers in this issue and shows fans where the true Captain America comes from. What’s been spectacular about his run so far is that the focus on Steve as a kid centers mostly on Steve’s biggest superpower which just so happens to be his determination, his heart, and his character. Giving a man superpowers doesn’t make him super. Take Superman as another example. The way he was raised by the Kents and the foundation they laid with him was the true superpower. We’ve all seen “What If’s” involving Superman. And without the foundational background, he’d be a monster or even worse. Now, sliding back into Straczynski’s story, fans get the same foundation from Steve.
Additionally, the key word that jumps out at me throughout Captain America #5 is moxie. Steve is a runt… a gnat. He’s bothersome and simply won’t go away. Even before he had superpowers, he always knew how to fight for the little guy, and what makes it even more interesting is that he’s always been tangled up with Nazis even before he was a symbol for America. So from this perspective, I found this issue to be quite compelling. Nevertheless, Captain America #5 did have a few wrinkles.
You see, this installment was not only a bit wordy but it lacked action, and suspense, and really didn’t move the story forward. We didn’t gain too much (if any) new information. And when no new info is shared in a story, the issue feels almost skippable. If we could summarize the events in a sentence, then it makes the issue feel almost pointless. Sure, this issue builds character for the Captain but it showcases the character we already knew was there. We just didn’t know it happened so young. But, was that important to THIS story? Honestly, I don’t know. It was cool to see but I don’t know how important it actually was.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Captain America #5 showcases a thorough display of a young Steve Rogers and his moxie. There is no doubt that Cap has heart and that he is one of the strongest characters in the Marvel Universe. However, most fans didn’t know how deep his roots went towards fighting Nazis. So, this run by Straczynski has been quite interesting as it sheds some light into a young Steve Rogers life that hasn’t really been shed before. However, the lack of action superimposed with the wordy nature of the issue weighed down the narrative at times making the issue hard to read. Moreover, the illustrations were a bit lackluster this week as well. The small panels and design made the linework appear small and blurry at times providing less detail than normal. It was almost like he crammed too many words and illustrations into each panel. Overall, Captain America #5 wasn’t bad. Yet, Straczynski’s run has had more impressive moments thus far. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!