Chopping Block Review: Captain America #1

With the slew of Marvel NOW releases, this one is one of the headliners, and for good reason. This is a relaunch of the flagship character of the Marvel Universe, the sentinel of liberty himself, Captain America. But, like many of the Marvel NOW books, this isn’t the first, or even third time the book has been relaunched at #1, so what makes this book stand out? Especially after coming off of the epic Ed Brubaker run, what more can be done and still keep readers interested?

Apparently, plenty.

Rick Remender, the writer behind Uncanny X-Force, Secret Avengers and one of my all time favorites, Strange Girl, helms this series and takes it in a new direction, right from the get go. In it, we see a glimpse of what made Steve Rogers the stand up guy he is at a very early age, and the lady that showed him to never back down. This seemingly small insight actually adds volumes to the Cap mythos, and is a perfect way to start the new arc. So what’s it about? I don’t really want to spoil anything, so I will just say that by the end of the book, we see Cap in a very different setting, and we see a familiar face from Cap’s past behind it all. An outstanding start to something new, something different, and something that looks like another classic in the making.

But what about the art? Have no fear, because Marvel got one of the best in the business to supply the visuals: John Romita, Jr. Maybe I’m biased, but I see the art this man creates each and every time as some of the best in the – world. When you hit the end of the issue, and you see where this story is headed, you can’t help but get excited to see what Romita conjures up. In the end, I was thoroughly impressed with this book, much as I have been impressed with all of Marvel NOW’s offerings. I think we are in for a wild and crazy ride, and I cannot wait to see where Remender and Romita take us. Highly recommended, I give Captain America #1 a perfect @@@@@ out of FIVE.