Captain America vs. Captain America
Ever wonder what it would be like to see Captain America go toe to toe with an evil Captain America? Well, Ultimate Captain America answers that question. Here we see World War II's Captain America fight Vietnam's Captain America in an epic graphic novel written by Jason Aaron and illustrated by Ron Garney. Ultimate Captain America tells a compelling story between two very interesting characters and it is coupled with amazing artwork.
Story
Ultimate Captain America begins with Captain America and SHIELD agents storming a North Korean facility. They are there to stop the sale of illegal samples of the Super Soldier Serum. When Captain America encounters another Super Soldier who just so happens to be American he begins to seek answers. Captain America goes rogue to find answers about a secret SHIELD kept from him. Captain America goes to Vietnam where he finds Nuke and his band of Viet Cong Super Soldiers. Captain America is captured and becomes Nuke's prisoner and learns about Vietnam's horrors and war crimes carried out by the United States over the years. That is until Captain America breaks free and fights Nuke to end his reign of terror. I really like how Nuke gives Cap a history lesson though about the horrific crimes carried out by the Johnson and Nixon administrations. I like how Nuke describes Vietnam and all it's horrors and calls Richard Millhouse Nixon as the evilest person ever for ordering operations that killed innocent civilians in Vietnam. Nuke should have included Henry Kissinger in that lesson.
Characters
Ultimate Captain America is centered around two characters Captain America and Nuke, both are well written and display two different sides of American soldiers. Captain America is more of a patriotic boy scout who tries to see the good in humanity. Even when he is held prisoner by Nuke and is tortured by Nuke and his minions he still doesn't break. Cap watches Nuke kill two SHIELD agents and that still doesn't bring Captain America to a breaking point. Captain America also informs Nuke that he knows about the war crimes that were committed by the US and acknowledges that they were wrong. However, he holds his belief that there are still good people within the American government and they can make bad calls. Captain America's rebellious side is also displayed as he goes rogue to figure out the truth about Nuke. Nuke is the other side of the same coin. He was once a soldier who loved his country so much that he enlisted to become the next Captain America. However, after discovering the horrific war crimes carried out in Vietnam he goes awol and becomes a terrorist who feels betrayed by his country. Nuke sees America as the bastion of evil he was fighting against, and therefore he wants to tear it apart and help its enemies. Not only was he horrified by the war crimes Nixon and Kissinger carried out in Vietnam, but he is also horrified by CIA operations that overthrew democratically elected leaders in countries like Chile, Iran, and Iraq (1963). He also informs Cap about the Reagan-Bush Iran-Contra affair where they backed death squads in Nicaragua. He also informs Captain America about the Bush-Cheney torture program. All of which he is right about. This depiction of Nuke is actually the polar opposite of the mainstream Marvel Universe's Nuke. In the main Marvel Universe, Nuke is a blind patriot who is easily convinced into carrying out villainous deads so long as it is the name of his country. The mainstream Nuke is very much like the archnemesis to DC's Captain Atom, Major Force. I must say this rendition of Nuke is actually more compelling than the original version. His motives are pure because they are driven in opposition to villainous deeds carried out by the US government. Nuke's actions are still wrong and he is guilty of the very conduct he opposed when the US government did it. He keeps Captain America prisoner to educate him into joining his cause, it doesn't end up happening, but that was his goal. This shows Jason Aaron's ability to create a unique and compelling version of an iconic villain. Hawkeye and Carol Danvers make brief appearances. Danvers advises Captain America to go rogue in order to find out about Nuke, and Hawkeye is Cap's close friend who they trade secrets with. Cap tells Hawkeye about his experiences in Vietnam while hunting down Nuke. The characters in Ultimate Captain America are very relatable and as a reader, I can understand their motives, even the villain's motives.
Artwork
A good graphic novel isn't complete without amazing art. Ron Garney does a masterful job with illustrating the characters in the narrative. Captain America costume looks amazing even down to the scales, and the more militaristic look the Ultimate Universe gave him makes him look all the cooler. Nuke looks great too. He dawns a standard combat uniform with the American flag tattooed on his face, pretty much the look of the standard Nuke. However, this looks suits a deranged soldier who felt betrayed by his nation more than it does a blind patriot who obeys all orders. The characters have never looked nicer.
With that being said Ultimate Captain America is one of the best Captain America stories I've read and you should definitely give it a look. Jason Aaron created a well-written story that centered on two compelling characters that made this a wonder to read. Pair that with Ron Garney's amazing artwork and you have a graphic novel that is a blast to read from cover to cover. Ultimately, this is a must-read for patriots and Captain America fans.
