Captain-America-3-cover-by-John-RomitaBOOM!

When the creative team of Rick Remender, John Romita, Klaus Janson, and Dean White set out to bring the insanity of Jack Kirby’s run on Captain America to the comic series’ Marvel NOW! rebirth, they did it in spades. Three issues in, and the star-spangled super soldier’s adventures in Arnim Zola’s Dimension Z have been fun and frenetic. There are no signs of slowing down for Steve Rogers as he finds a way home while protecting the son of Zola from the barbaric mutates that populate this new wasteland.

This series is balls-to-the-wall solid entertainment, a bizarro chemical marriage of Mad Max post-apocalyptic action and Lone Wolf and Cub honor and sentiment, all set to a visual soundtrack of Kirbyesque monster mayhem.

Here’s what works: Remender’s script. Since coming to Marvel, this guy has shown nothing but complete inventiveness and a total regard for the source material. The Marvel Universe truly has not been this exciting under a writer’s pen since the glory days of Chris Claremont, Bill Mantlo, and Roger Stern.

From the smart flashbacks that hit every beat of the present story being told to the last page cliffhanger that’s been subtley hinted at since the first issue, it all flows to perfection.

Here’s what else works: the art team. Romita has always been great at creating distinct, signature monsters, a talent that goes back to his days drawing Mephisto in the pages of Daredevil during the 1980s. He brings that same passion here, with the assist of Janson and White on inks and colors, respectively. The Phrox are mean and menacing and look as if they’re made of stone. The landscape is bleak and hard. Kirby fans rejoice, because it’s all here.

If Captain America hasn’t made it to those pull-lists yet, jump on it immediately.

Oh, and did I mention the ending? Guys. Seriously. The ending.

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