Review — ‘Captain America’ #3 Reveals The Emissary In A Very Clever Way

Steve Rogers has often found himself facing his past, but usually threats come from after the time he was given the super-soldier serum. In Captain America #3, he finds himself face to face with a monster even older than World War II with the power to be his undoing.

J. Michael Straczynski, Jesus Saiz, Lan Medina, Matt Hollingsworth, and Joe Caramagna face Cap’s past together.

When Captain America is called to look at a horrendous crime scene, he’s reminded of an incident from his past. As he puts together where the threat come from, he learns that his past may not be so far away. The Emissary has come and he might be Steve Rogers’ undoing.

This issue was largely a set-up story. It was all about Steve learning about the threat to him while putting other characters in place for the first actual fight between Cap and the Emissary. Where Straczynski knocks it out of the park is in how he does it.

When Misty Knight calls Cap in the crime scene, suddenly we see two different scenes playing out in the same panels. The art and the letters both play a few different tricks with the scripts. While Cap and Misty investigate in the foregrounds, the Emissary does the exact thing they’re trying to piece together in the background.

It switches back and forth, with the coloring and the letters making it clear what is happening when. It’s an eight page sequence that’s the most clever use of the art form of comics I’ve seen in a long time. It’s a flashback and forward at the same time, and is a perfect synthesis of the entire creative team.

While the rest of the issue is solid storytelling with decent art from both Saiz and Medina, the combined sequence elevates the entire issue, and makes it one of my favorites that I’ve read in weeks.

Captain America #3 is available now from Marvel Comics.