Captain America #7 features multiple parties descending upon Latveria, each with their own agenda. Captain America leads the newly rebuilt S.H.I.E.L.D. on a mission to secure Doctor Doom’s weapons and break up the fighting. The “True Latverians”, led by the mysterious masked man known only as “Salvation”, see themselves as the way forward following Doom’s fall. The Homeland Party wants to transform Latveria into a democracy, and the Latverian Liberators are willing to take control by any means necessary. There’s also the elephant, or rather, the Red Hulk in the room with Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross attempting to secure Latveria under U.S. control.
All these different personalities in the same space is a powder keg waiting to explode, and Chip Zdarsky, Delio Diaz, and Frank Alpizar don’t waste any time setting it off. Cap battles Red Hulk and the True Latverians, but soon learns that Salvation is connected to his first mission in Latveria. Add in a team that’s more than willing to employ lethal means, and a Latverian people that are conflicted about the way forward, and you have some truly juicy storytelling.
A large part of that lies in how Zdarsky approaches Doom’s absence. While this isn’t the first time that Doom’s been gone from Latveria or someone has tried to take it over, the fallout of One World Under Doom carries its own weight. Doom conquered the entire world; what’s stopping someone worse from taking his place? Can Latveria actually transition out of a dictatorship? Zdarsky lets those answers linger in the air, especially when Steve Rogers goes incognito to visit a group of Latverians and get their opinion.
I also love that Zdarsky continues to have a handle on Cap’s inner voice. His sneaking into Latveria isn’t to gather Intel, or fitting into any of Nick Fury’s agendas, but to understand where the people are at. “I needed to be reminded every once in a while of why we were there: the people,” a caption reads. Cap’s compassion extends to his fighting; while most of his compatriots are willing to employ lethal means, he throws himself, shield first, in front of the innocent.
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Diaz and Alpizar make each and every fight scene sing, especially the opening with the Red Hulk. Ross towers over everyone in his path, yet is shrouded in shadow; Romulo Farjardo Jr.s color art highlights the red gamma energy crackling under his skin. When the Red Hulk throws a punch, his fist meets Captain America’s shield, sending shockwaves resounding throughout the entire page. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents all have their own ways of fighting, whether it’s Charles Castlemore going for the kill with his energy daggers or the Red Widow moving with the grace and lethality you’d expect from her namesake.
Captain America #7 ends with a massive surprise that could turn the tide of the Latverian conflict. Where that tide will go remains to be seen, especially with the mysterious Armageddon event on the horizon. But when all’s said and done, Captain America #7 is willing to dig deep into the conflict in Latveria, and show that ideologies can be just as powerful a weapon as shields or bullets.
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