So, now, we've wrapped the second act of the Death of Captain America.  SHIELD is back in action, but only on a probationary level.  Bucky's severely injured Sin.  Crossbones is back in custody now.  Natasha still holds a candle for Bucky from their days as Soviet assassins.  Sharon discovers Steve's body (or at least a clone) in the Red Skull's base.  In some ways, not much happened and in others, a whole lot happened.  Though, not as great as last issue was in some regards to the great iconography set up, this issue was as action-packed and character-driven as any issue since the reign of the Bru.

Bucky once again proves himself to be a very different Cap than Rogers.  Even toughened up under Brubaker's pen, I can't imagine Steve shooting Sin or Crossbones in the shoulder or chest like that.  Likewise, the stabbing into Crossbones' leg once again gives credence to the idea that this isn't your daddy's Captain America.  It certainly makes for very interesting storytelling and I'm very much looking forward to how this all plays out.  It does seems appropiate: a tougher Cap for tougher times, and I'm glad Brubaker has stated he has no plans to rehash the "Cap run amuck" story we've seen many times before and acknowledges the necessity in not being soft on sociopaths like Crossbones and the Red Skull. 

On the flip side, Bucky shows here that the other side of the mantle, the role of the inspiring general that spurs on the people with great allusions to freedom and patriotism, isn't quite his forte.  He might have the fighting prowess, but it'll take a while before he's truly "Captain America."  However, the problem I have with this scene, which is the biggest I have for this issue as a whole, is the lack of impact that the arrival of a new Captain America should bring.  Frankly, Crossbones and the public should be a little more struck in awe before taking the can throwing and yelling.  It came across as so matter-of-factly (punctuated by the Red Skull's comment) that it seemed to almost take the wind out of any potentially stirring scene.  That might have been Brubaker's intent all along, to show the return of such an icon only to show nobody cares anymore, but it still took me out of the issue, if only for a moment.

The "plan" for the Senator mentioned last month appears to have been to fake a rescue from the Serpent Squad by Kane-Meyer (Lukin's security goons) to boost their own cred.  Naturally, the plan goes haywire, but the Skull manages to Photoshop what he wanted, anyway.  It's curious to see what's going to happen next on the Skull's end of this story.  So far, he's managed to cripple America like never before seen in the Marvel Universe.  It's interesting to see how Bucky and Company are going to stop him.

I'm also liking how Brubaker has neglected to fall into the trap of turning SHIELD and, particularly, Tony Stark into the big bad boogeyman that many other writers seem to blissfully jump into (JMS... I'm looking at you).  Brubaker's Tony is genuinely a good man trying to do the right thing, be it covertly helping Bucky or doing his hardest to stop the Red Skull from his end.  Likewise, Natasha is shaping up to be an interesting Sharon to Bucky's Cap, even if it IS the second time in as many months that she's indicated still being attracted to an old flame.  Though why Bucky would pick such an obvious place as Cap's old flat to set up shop is kind of odd... but that's really kind of minimal.

The art in this issue was pretty good, but seemed to fall short of the iconic images that seemed to be set up last time.  The dynamic of the fight, while still greatly impressive, seemed to lack some of the punch Guice had in the last issue.  However, there were still moments, like Bucky falling out the window or when he's stepping on Cobra's face in mid-air that are just too cool not to take notice of.  Likewise, Perkins' imagery of Bucky at the riot and his disillusioned retreat afterward served to make the points of the scene very vivid and key.

Lastly, we see the big "shocker" of the issue: Sharon uncovering "Steve" in the Red Skull's basement.  Whether this is the real Cap (doubtful) or simply a clone (probable, given the Red Skull is certainly wanting to leave Lukin's body), it didn't really hold much of a surprise to me.  Still, it will be intriguing to where that little thread is headed.  Perhaps the Red Skull wants a "Cap" under his control for his final plans which could make for interesting issues later.  Only time will time where Brubaker is heading with this.

All in all, this issue was pretty good.  There were a few distracting moments, but, frankly, they're only so obvious in that anything in this issue (and series as a whole) has been so rock-your-socks-off awesome.  Kudos to the Bru and Co for another issue of Captain America well done.