Review: "Captain America: Steve Rogers" #5

If Captain America:Steve Rogers #5 is one thing, then it's brilliantly written and narrated. Writer Nick Spencer does a masterful job of developing the comic's various characters while slowly untangling Steve Rogers' alternate history caused by the Cosmic Cube Kobik and tying all plot threads in the "Civil War" II story.

The one big problem though is that none of that is particularly much fun. Captain America doesn't work as well as an (anti-)hero, leaving readers mostly disconnected from what's going on. All this is enhanced by the cold precision of Pina's and Rosenberg's art that is dominated by blue and gray. Masterful execution eats soul, sadly. 

6/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Deadpool v Gambit" #4 / "Han Solo" #3 / "Captain America: Steve Rogers" #4

"Deadpool v Gambit" #4: Only picked that up again because both Marvel and DC hardly released anything that week. And yes, the moment Deadpool and Gambit do not even really appear in their own comic, we suddenly have a half-decent story at our hand, treating the inevitability of fate through the Scramblers backstory here. 

7/10

"Han Solo" #3: Fast, fun, entertaining and with a take on Han Solo that feels fresher than in any other of Marvel's "Star Wars" series.

8/10

"Captain America: Steve Rogers" #4: What does it have to do with "Civil War II" again? Never mind. It's solid, compelling and thoroughly narrated, but definitely has lost some of its magic from earlier issues.

7/10