Captain America (2002 series) #10

Review: A new artist takes over—in the middle of a story arc—as Chuck Austen goes from co-writer to chief scripter and sanity goes out the window. It looks like Austen wanted to move the story in a different direction than Rieber planned: the story shifts from Native American rights to a conspiracy thriller, an Atlentean woman is brought in out of nowhere (actually to set up the next story arc), and the story’s initial focus on Cap as neighborhood hero is openly ridiculed. The Captain America who was focused amidst the chaos in the New Deal arc is here presented as even more confused and misguided than the nation he thinks he serves. At this point the character becomes hard to root for, as it seems the new writer is using him as a pawn in his own political agenda. Hope this gets better soon.

Comments: “The Extremists, Part 4 of 5.” Villains who appear in the vision include the Red Skull, Baron Zemo, Baron Blood, Baron Strucker, Madame Hydra (Viper), and MODOK. No explanation of why Hana has pink skin like Namor instead of blue like all other Atlanteans. First appearance of the Vengeance, SHIELD’s new sky-destroyer.