Chip Zdarsky’s run on Captain America has been a masterclass in contrasting ideals, and Captain America #4, “Our Secret Wars Part Four,” is the explosive culmination of those competing stories. Written by Zdarsky, with art by Valerio Schiti, colors by Frank Martin, and letters by VC’s Joe Caramagna, it brilliantly splits its focus, delivering a fantastic, old-school superhero battle right alongside a brutal, modern-day political thriller.
The main conflict of the arc continues as Steve Rogers is in Latveria to rescue diplomatic hostages from Victor Von Doom. He finally confronts Doom and Latverian resistance leader Marius Wolf. Meanwhile, the modern Captain America, Dave Colton, is with the new Howling Commandos, on a separate mission to find the only potential survivors, a diplomat’s spouse and child.
The story’s power comes from its jarring, brilliant duality, a consistent theme in the series. Doom is about to execute Marius Wolf in public. Steve swoops in, stopping the death and immediately declaring that he stands in front of another power-mad despot. The ensuing battle is a clash of eras and ideologies, and it looks fantastic.
Doom argues that he provides everything for his people, calling “democracy” a sad illusion of control where “fools and philosophers have equal say.” Steve counters by calling Doom out for letting machines do his fighting for him and challenges him to be a man first to be a true symbol. Steve manages to depower Doom’s suit with Reed’s tech, exposing the man beneath the armor and making him seem less otherworldly to his people. This entire sequence is pure, classic Captain America: the beacon of hope standing tall against overt tyranny.
Colton’s story is the stark opposite: a raw look at modern, morally compromised warfare. His superior tells him that, despite the incident from the last issue, the government can’t afford to lose their expensive super-soldier, Colton, and offers to continue working. The discovery of the last remaining hostages reveals the mission’s true, gut-wrenching purpose. That Uncle Sam backed Doom’s overthrow of King Vladimir and helped him to power. The supposed “hostages” were embassy workers who knew about this U.S. collaboration, and the true mission was not a rescue, but to eliminate all witnesses to keep the secret.
This betrayal utterly breaks Colton. The issue ends with a chilling cliffhanger as Colton warns Steve he has to stay and kill them all to fix it, showing his complete moral unraveling.
The art team of Valerio Schiti and Frank Martin continues to deliver spectacular work, enhancing the story’s themes. Schiti’s art captures both the grand-scale superheroics and the gritty, intimate human trauma. The confrontation between Steve and Doom is visually epic, full of energy blasts and dynamic movement. In contrast, Colton’s scenes are darker and more grounded, reflecting the raw, emotional honesty of his trauma. Frank Martin’s colors play a key role in separating these two worlds, with the brighter, classic tones accompanying Steve’s battle against the fantastic Doctor Doom. Joe Caramagna’s lettering is excellent in conveying the intensity of the action and the foreign language translation used during Colton’s interrogation.
Captain America #4 is an explosive and poignant issue that delivers a gut-punch of political reality alongside a satisfying superhero showdown, weaving Steve’s classic idealism with Dave’s modern disillusionment. Zdarsky and the creative team have made a Captain America story that feels both mythic and painfully real. It’s an absolute pull that sets up a fascinating and likely tragic collision between the two Captains in the next issue.
‘Captain America’ #4 Review: Is the USA the Villain?
Captain America #4 is an explosive and poignant issue that delivers a gut-punch of political reality alongside a satisfying superhero showdown, weaving Steve’s classic idealism with Dave’s modern disillusionment. Zdarsky and the creative team have made a Captain America story that feels both mythic and painfully real. It’s an absolute pull that sets up a fascinating and likely tragic collision between the two Captains in the next issue.
