In Captain America #40, Bucky (the new Captain America) fights the Grand Director (a former, backup Captain America), Sharon Carter attempts to escape from the Red Skull’s hideout, and the Falcon proves his super-power (the ability to speak to birds) can actually be useful.

The Obligatory Warning: a gruesome abdominal stabbing. Not for kids.

Ed Brubaker’s best moments come when he isn’t writing. He’s in peak form when he plays to his strength: scripting impressive, gritty fight scenes with little dialogue. Captain America #40 has one of those fight scenes, but Brubaker cuts his beautiful beat-down’s effect with an overdose of internal monologue, courtesy of Bucky. The scuffle’s rhythm is thrown off by Bucky’s incessant self-doubts, only half of which were necessary to the story. Meanwhile, Sharon Carter encounters some trouble from Sin (the Red Skull’s daughter), and you know what that means…GIRL FIGHT!!!

It’s wonderful to see Steve Epting doing what he does best: draw guys kicking the crap out of each other. He knows how to draw action—well—and brings a cinematic approach to Captain America that gives the title much of its distinctive atmosphere. He also nails the Grand Director’s raw indignation and Sin’s haughty disdain; both facial expressions are completely convincing.  

Worth the money? Not this time.