Captain America #13
"Hell's Angel" Part 2
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Ton Lima
Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Cover Artist: Valerio Schiti & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Steve Rogers's own little "Inferno" continues...
Men with a Cause
Steve Rogers still lay in a coma, with Sharon Carter by his side. Her current visitor from the hero community is the Amazing Spider-Man, who explains that the super-soldier serum that flows through Cap's veins makes him resistant to many medications—hence his current predicament.
In Hell, Mephisto tries to send the Red Skull after Steve Rogers and Victor Von Doom, but the Skull is more interested in building an army of other dead Nazi souls.
While Steven and Doom build a small army of followers, the two men try to gain control of a weapon called the Antidivine that should aid them in the fight against Mephisto—but Steve isn't the only one who finds a familiar face hunting him...
Sins Past
The "Cap in Hell" arc continues, and it's still an interesting use of the character. In the prior arc, Steve had been experiencing a little crisis of confidence based on the current hellish state of world events. Now he's in literal Hell, and things are much clearer for him. It's nice to see a more confident version of the character again.
Doom seems very helpful, and that makes me think that he's up to something. Of course he'd want Mephisto taken down so that his mother can be freed, but it's so strange to see him planning to place someone else on Hell's throne. I feel like there's a betrayal waiting in the wings there or something.
Speaking of betrayal, how about the Red Skull? Mephisto sends him after Cap because, of course, a dead Nazi would have gone to Hell. The Skull decides he'd rather sit back and let the mysterious woman hunt Mephisto's foes instead, while he goes and recruits more allies. Turns out there's a lot of Nazis in Hell—who'd have guessed?—and the Skull wants to build a little bit of an army.
Soon enough, everyone converges at the weaponsmith's, where the weapon called the Antidivine is held. Here Steve finds out just how powerful he is in Hell, and Doom is met with the last person he ever thought he'd see... I don't want to spoil who Doom finds here, but it's a great twist that makes perfect sense. For a man who's committed as many sins as Victor Von Doom has, this one would be one of his greatest, now staring him in the face.
I've been pleasantly surprised by how well this Hell arc has worked so far, given that it's a very different type of location and story to place Steve Rogers in. It's been a good way to remind us, and Steve, of how pure his heart is and how strong his convictions are. And the real-world scenes that show other heroes like Spider-Man checking in on Steve show just how much of an effect his absence is having on them during the events of something like Avengers: Armageddon.
Recruitment Drive
Chip Zdarsky continues to place Cap in different and interesting situations, while using those to focus on the core of Steve Rogers's character. This issue is fast-paced, with Red Skull gathering allies, Steve and Doom finding more individuals drawn to their cause, and Mephisto making moves of his own. Zdarsky balances the character work with action, and in the "real world" scenes he continues to write one of the best takes on Peter Parker, Spider-Man today.
Ton Lima's art is similar to regular artist Valerio Schiti's, just maybe a little less tight at points. His version of Hell seems a bit less barren than the one glimpsed last issue, but that might just be the portion they're passing through—I'm sure different areas have different looks, just like the real world. The characters are all recognizable or interesting-looking, with plenty of varied designs for the various demons and damned souls encountered. Action scenes are fluid, with several weird powers being thrown around, but it never gets too confusing-looking.
Colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr. helps to keep this issue looking consistent, using his strong palette to keep Hell's various shades of red from becoming too redundant. Steve himself still shines like a beacon of goodness, and Doom has his magic abilities to throw around, so there are plenty of different power effects at play here. The scenes in Steve's hospital room with Peter Parker are dimly lit and draped in shadows, illustrating Spider-Man's feelings of despair in Cap's absence from the events of Avengers: Armageddon.
Out of Your Element
Captain America #13 continues the Hell storyline, which is proving to be an interesting character study for both Steve Rogers and Victor Von Doom. The surprising face from Doom's past that appeared at the issue's end is certainly going to cause problems for the coming revolution, and the Red Skull's growing army will likely get involved at the worst possible time. The creative risk of placing Steve Rogers in literal Hell continues to pay off, as this has been an enjoyable story arc with a strong showcase for Steve's pure soul and indomitable will.