After the horror that "Axis" has been, I'll admit that I nervous about this issue. Remender has been so off his game that it was difficult to contemplate how terrible this issue could be despite my expectations for it. I'm glad to say that it seems like the real Remender came to play.
Remender begins this series almost exactly as he did the last one, with Sam pondering the impact that the messages of a parent (this time, his father) had on him. (He also takes a mysterious mode of transportation somewhere.) I found myself excited to learn more about Sam and his past, to meet his brother and sister, to learn if he has some sort of long-lost love out there somewhere. I've read Captain America for 30 years, but I really don't know much about Sam. Remender makes it clear that he's going to rectify that. It's obviously about time.
But, it's not all about Sam. Remender gives him a great supporting cast. First, we have Redwing. I loved the scene where he saved the shield from falling into the lava, in part because Immonen draws an amazing look on his face. You can practically hear him saying, "Do I have to do everything?" But, we also have Ian. First, I'd be very happy if Immonen drew Ian all the time because woof. But, Remender adds some tension to the series that I didn't see coming, but really works. Ian is annoyed that Steve didn't pick him to become Cap (leading to Sam uttering the best line of the issue, "Cronyism beats nepotism, I guess"). You can see this tension in their hilarious-but-still-pointed discussion about Sam's inability to throw the shield perfectly. (Also, I loved Sam constantly talking about how he can't believe he never previously had a shield. It's going to be interesting to watch how he learns to combine the wings with the shield, presumably setting up all new approaches that we haven't seen Captain America use before.) But, Remender also reminds us why Steve picked Sam. Ian throws Batroc into the lava to save Sam, reminding us how much he has to learn about Earth and the way that heroes do things here. Also, Steve and Sharon fishing while Steve tries to guide Sam through the mission? I could read a whole issue of that.
In terms of the story-telling, Remender and Immonen set an amazing tempo here. It's hard to explain, but the story rises and falls at all the right beats to maximize the impact of the emotions that the script wants you to feel. You also can't beat the playset, so to speak. Remender goes for broke, with Sam and Ian attacking an underground HYDRA base set on an island in a volcano surrounded by lava. Immonen lets the imagination of his 12-year-old self run wild, and you feel like you're watching a Bond film by the end of the issue.
All in all, it's a strong debut. The art is not only spectacular in its own right, but amplifies the story that Remender is telling. That story isn't just about Sam learning the ropes as Cap, but also dealing with a sidekick skeptical that Sam could learn them as well as he could. The villains seem also a secondary consideration, though, given that Sam stumbles upon pretty much all Cap's major villains in the last page, that might be a bit premature to conclude.
**** (four of five stars)
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