All-New Captain America Vol. 1: Hydra Ascendant [2014-2015] by Rick Remender | Stuart Immonen

Sam Wilson debuts as the new Captain America teaming up with the new Nomad to take down Hydra in their underground base to rescue a kid. Both Captain America and Nomad deal with Batroc who falls over the edge. Now they focus on rescuing kid whose blood Hydra wants. They escape the Hydra troops however they now face the new Masters of Evil which includes Baron Zemo, Crossbones, and Sin. The second issue of Captain America opens with both Sam Wilson and Nomad taking on Hydra while protecting a boy. The boy is working with Hydra and betrays Captain America who then goes up against Crossbones. Misty Knight assists Sam with Crossbones. She reveals Hydra has infiltrated every team from the Avengers to the X-Men. Meanwhile Nomad is captured by Zemo who quickly disposes him and sends the pictures to Steve Rogers. 

Captain America deals with Sin and stops her from initiating Hydra’s plans to sterilizing the world in All-New Captain America #3. Majority of the issue doesn’t even make sense as Sam Wilson is in some type of dream sequence while Sin convinces him about his true origins. Half the issue is wasted in the dream sequence while the other half deals with the story arc. Overall the new Captain America series has been heading downhill since the first issue. It would have been great if the momentum continued consistently throughout the series instead of breaks in the overall main Hydra story.

Captain America #4 begins with Sam Wilson attempting to stop Hydra from sterilizing the majority of Earth’s population for their own endeavors. Captain America faces Armadillo and convinces him to join his side in exchange for curing him. Now Sam takes on Baron Zemo as well as stop Lucas from unleashing a cloud of fleas over Florida. However Zemo gains the upper hand as Lucas unleashes the fleas to sterilize Florida. This is a much better issue than the last one as it brings drama to the action.

Captain America #5 begins with Sam Wilson gaining the upper hand over Baron Zemo and telepathically unleashes a flock of birds against the swarm of fleas Lucas unleashed. However Zemo has a contingency plan in the form of Baron Blood who plans to self-detonate high in the atmosphere to sterilize the Earth. The issue ends with a casualty in the form of Red Wing. The events within this issue could have been included in the last issue and build the intensity towards the finale.

Captain America #6 is the conclusion of the first arc of Sam Wilson as Captain America. Sam Wilson stops Baron Blood from detonating in the atmosphere however he becomes sterile due to Blood infecting him. Captain America falls to Earth as Misty Knight saves him and cures him of his sterilization. Red Wing comes back from the dead as a vampire. The events that have been built up have been undone within the final issue. Sam Wilson is not sterilized and Red Wing is back from the dead. Seriously what was the point of reading this series in the first place if it doesn’t have any consequences?

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT – 3 OUT OF 5