Throughout Captain America #8, I couldn’t help but think of a sentence from the original Civil War miniseries: “Whose side are you on?” In the same way that Civil War featured shifting alliances within Marvel’s superhero community, with Steve Rogers leading one side and Iron Man another, Captain America #8 forces the Sentinel of Liberty to reconsider his allegiances in the conflict in Latveria. This is due to his encounters with Alina Von Doom, who leads the pacifist Homeland Party.
Unlike her infamous cousin, Alina truly wants peace for Latveria, which clashes with the more violent methods used by the Latverian Liberators and the True Latveria organization. Factor in Steve’s alliance with the newly formed S.H.I.E.L.D. and the looming threat of Thaddeus Ross – aka the Red Hulk – and you have a pressure cooker of a situation. Chip Zdarsky does a great job of juggling all the separate factions, showcasing why certain characters take the actions they do or switch sides. Steve, in particular, is starting to learn more about Latveria – and a shocking revelation toward the end leads him to make a choice that could have dire consequences.
I also love that Zdarsky is laying the groundwork for Avengers: Armageddon in a natural way by spending time in Latveria and showcasing how it has changed in Doctor Doom’s absence. This means there will be real stakes, especially with Steve, who has a personal attachment to the conflict because of his connection to True Latveria’s leader, Salvation. The various factions also mirror Steve in certain ways; he often rebels against the law to do what’s right, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to bring their vision of Latveria to life. Rather than traffic in black and white, Zdarsky’s script handles things with nuance.
Marvel
Captain America #8 does feature a shift in art styles, as Jan Bazaldua takes over for Frank Alpizar and Delio Diaz. Bazaldua’s approach is a bit of a mixed bag; there are moments, particularly in the conversation between Steve and Alina, that carry plenty of emotional weight. On the other hand, some of the panels feel slightly rough and unfinished. It’s a far cry from her more detailed (and gory) work on Marvel Zombies: Red Band, but I hope that if Bazaldua is illustrating more issues of Captain America that she gets to bring that level of detail to the Sentinel of Liberty.
Bazaldua does get a big moment to shine, and it’s connected to a rather horrifying discovery Steve makes that cements his stance on the Latverian struggle. It’s also a reminder that an angry Captain America is not someone you want to face; an entire page is dedicated to Steve hurling his shield and his fists into a group of True Latveria soldiers. To really hammer home how pissed off Steve is, Romulo Fajardo Jr. drenches the page in an unsettling red hue.
Captain America #8 takes the time to explore how alliances shift or dissolve, and takes the battle for Latveria to a whole new level. With the next big story arc set to bring Doctor Doom back into the forefront, it’ll be interesting to see how everything shakes out.
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