Nooo! Say it isn't so. That vile Machinesmith turned Steve Rogers back to a 98 lb. weakling. How can this be?
The Good
When I first started reading this, I was a little upset. I don't want to see "Captain America" turned back to a normal person. While I'm digging Bucky as the current Captain America, I still consider Steve as the Captain America. Silly me, I forgot that this was being written by Ed Brubaker. Ever since he started writing Captain America, he hasn't really let me down. Obviously I don't want to give anything away but Steve isn't just about the Super Soldier Serum. Part of Cap's awesomeness is the fact that he's such a great hand-to-hand fighter. He's had years of experience. He's the guy that trains the other Avengers, even the ones with super-powers. Bottom line, we get to see a 98 lb Steve Rogers kicking major butt against some other beefed up goons.
The Bad
While I am enjoying Steve's adventures, it does really have a "limited series" feel to it. There's one more issue to go after this so we can assume everything will be tied up nice and neatly. Also the idea of a descendant of the original Professor Erskine trying to manipulate the serum felt a little cliche. Too many people have tried messing with the formula.
The Verdict - 4.5/5
Ed Brubaker + Steve Rogers = a good time. I was worried when Steve returned and it was decided that Bucky would stay as Cap. I wanted more Rogers action written by Brubaker and we're getting it here (and in Secret Avengers). Because of my fondness for Steve and the fact that he's seen doing what he does best...even without the Super Soldier Serum makes this a great issue for me, even if I'm not completely crazy about the overall theme of the story. I'm curious to see how this ends and I hope it will have an impact on the character rather than simply fizzle out. Because it's Brubaker, I'm sure the chance of things fizzling aren't too great.
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