Captain America #12
"Hell's Angel" Part 1
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Valerio Schiti
Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
A comatose Steve Rogers finds himself in literal Hell thanks to some sort of magical tether to Victor Von Doom...
Bet that's a combination of words you never thought would describe a Captain America story.
Inferno
Thanks to a beating from the Red Hulk, Steven Rogers is in a coma. While Tony Stark and Sharon Carter discuss his condition with his doctors, Steven awakens face-to-face with Doctor Doom in Hell. Alongside Doom is a demon named Veratok, whom Victor plans to help put on the throne of Hell by supplanting Mephisto.
Steven soon learns that even in Hell it's necessary to stand up for "the little guy," and that his pure soul makes him stand out as a "beacon of light." He agrees to help Doom and Veratok in their quest to overthrow Mephisto, unaware that the demon has an old acquaintance ready to meet Steve...
A Man Out of Time and Space
Well, that's one way to keep Steve Rogers out of the Avengers Armageddon event. If you don't want the living legend—the beacon of hope, the man who always knows how to bring the various heroes together—to be part of your event, sending him to Hell is certainly a good way.
The connections that this run of Captain America has made between Steven Rogers and Victor Von Doom are a little odd to me. I understand that the initial story arc had Steve and David Colton infiltrating Latveria soon after Steven thawed in the modern day, and that it introduced the idea of Doom respecting and maybe even looking up to Captain America. But that was years ago in-universe Marvel time, so I don't understand why Steve of all people would be the one who Doom would tether his soul to. That's just hard for me to wrap my head around, and this whole story arc stems from that point.
I do like even in literal Hell, Steve Rogers still is who he is. At first he tells Doom to shove it, but before long he's helping a man who's being tortured by a large demon because he "doesn't like bullies." Even in a land where no one is good, Steve Rogers still finds a way to stand up for the little guy.
The idea of Steve being such a pure soul that he actually burns demons who touch him, and can shine like a beacon, is cheesy and yet makes perfect sense. Steve Rogers is Marvel's Superman, he's the man that everyone looks up to and wants to be like. If there is anyone in Marvel that could be considered truly good and pure, it would have to be Steve (and maybe Peter Parker would be a close second).
This issue largely sets up Steve's dilemma and establishes the stakes of Doom's mission, so there's not a lot of action. The idea of overthrowing Mephisto and placing a more sympathetic demon on the throne of Hell is a strong one, and a unique situation to place Captain America in.
Strange Bedfellows
Chip Zdarsky has a strong grasp on Steve Rogers' character—placing him in a variety of situations that are outside of his normal wheelhouse gives his heart and fighting spirit a chance to shine. I can't think of any other Cap stories quite as outlandish as "trapped in Hell with Victor Von Doom and planning to help depose Mephisto," and the man has been turned into a literal werewolf before... this issue is paced well, it's doing a lot of heavy lifting with establishing the setting and the stakes, but it never feels too slow or busy.
Valerio Schiti is back on art duties and brings his usual strong effort. Hell looks bizarre and alien, with a variety of designs for the various demons. Steve and Doom's rags of clothing resemble their classic looks closely enough that they'd be recognizable from a distance. The real world scenes of Steve's friends watching over his comatose form all effectively convey the love and concern that they feel for the man.
Romulo Fajardo Jr.'s colors help convey the bright and alien look of Hell. Mephisto stands out over everything, with his tone of red being particularly bright and powerful. Steve's blue rags stand out amongst the landscape as well, adding to his feeling of a beacon in the darkness. The real-world scenes are a bit darker and more sterile, fitting the somber hospital environment. Between the art and the colors, the unique setting shines through.
Hell's Angel
Captain America #12 kicks off the "Steve Rogers in Hell" story arc with a strong setup, even if I have a hard time buying the connection between Steve and Doom being as strong as Zdarsky tries to convince us here. The situation Cap finds himself in is a unique one for the character, and it should be interesting to see how he handles this new mission and his unlikely allies.