This oncoming storm of Captain America titles is clearly a calculated move by Marvel given that the film will debut this summer, but already there feels like we’re at bursting point; sure, a lot of them have potential, but the release is still six months away and while building up the hype machine, they’re going to put off a lot of fans who were interested in the character through overexposure. Fortunately, this first issue of a mini-series surrounding the origins of Hydra is decent enough that it holds back scepticism with a combination of war-time banter and gripping action; the villainy of Hydra seems to have been diluted over time, while here it is maniacal to the extreme, capturing that glorious sense of nostalgia and the feel of old school comics. Jonathan Maberry has penned a competent, fun story that touches on everything that makes war-time Captain America stories great; it’s a wonderful mesh of superhero action and science fiction drama. The art by Sergio Cariello channels the oldest of Simon and Kirby comics; coming up with a style that feels looser and captures the majesty of the Golden Age stories. There are some lapses in the design, but the execution is almost impeccable; it feels like a 1940s comic book, and with a war-time Captain America story, that’s what really counts.