There’s two stories in each issue now. Regular readers of this site know that I dislike abbreviated stories because they tend to not really go anywhere.
Plus look at that art. Ugh ugh ugh. Welcome to the 1990s.
I’m not sure why anyone thought it was a good idea for Steve Rogers to lose his super soldier serum, but we’re in that era now. Yet he’s more muscular than ever.
In this issue, Cap and Quasar flirt. “You don’t have to make clever quips…I’d still like you.” “They sound that forced huh?…” They make a cute couple.
Then, they fight the first Moonstone, who gave up his powers to the new Moonstone but somehow figured out how to get Count Nefaria’s powers and so now he’s dressed like Nefaria. And calling himself Nefarius. So confusing.
He kidnaps Karla-the-new-Moonstone (and future Thunderbolts member).
She tries to get him to free her, but he won’t. So the heroes do it.
And Karla gets her licks in, too.
She ends up being treated as a criminal.
It’s odd–very victim blaming.
The second story has Diamondback kidnapped. Two kidnappings? Such a shortage of ideas here.
It is really just a prelude to the next issue. It didn’t need to be a full-on second story—it could have just been woven into the main book, but for the fact that it’s got a different artist (Mark Bagley).