Although we’ve now reached the penultimate chapter of The Death of Captain America, Ed Brubaker’s intentions for the series are still something of a mystery. Elements from the writer’s entire run, even predating Steve Rogers’ shooting, are being called in, but an unexpected twist means that the conclusion of this epic may not be as definitive as many imagined.

The issue opens with Captain America and the Falcon on the trail of the broken Grand Director, when a tip-off from Dr Faustus puts them in a position to thwart the Red Skull’s plans with more precision than they expected. Like so many parts of this storyline, the mesmerist’s defection is a shock development that makes perfect sense when viewed in retrospect. Faustus’s errors have been slowly accumulating throughout the arc, and the physiatrist’s long-term health would not be guaranteed even if the Red Skull were to triumph. However, it’s unfortunate that this plot twist overshadows the issue. With Bucky and Sam already hot on A.I.M.’s trail, the information volunteered only slightly accelerates the plot, with the result that the writer is a little to obviously putting the moustachioed megalomaniac into storage for future use. Faustus could have slipped away unnoticed in the chaos that is undoubtedly in store next month, but presumably the page count for issue forty-two is already stretched to the limit…

Despite the hype behind events such as Secret Invasion and Final Crisis, the next issue of this book has been in the making for just as long, with the writer having to remind readers of old plot elements such as the Skull being present in the body of Lukin and the mysterious apparatus which he went to such pains to obtain from Dr Doom. However, the demands of the Marvel Universe, desperate to play with its literally shiny new toy, require a break in the narrative for Bucky to undertake a meet & greet exercise. In surrendering to the inevitable, Brubaker has set himself a very demanding test, as the entire four-year story now hinges on the revelation of the Skull’s actual plan and the purpose of the Doom-constructed device. It’s hard to see how it can unify all the elements we’ve been introduced to into a coherent agenda, but Brubaker’s plotting hasn’t disappointed so far. The writer’s rock-solid grip on the title has taken it into new territory, and it’s something of a relief to realise that the end of this particular saga won’t signal the end of his approach. Whether the slow progression of a multiple story strands is to your taste or not, it’s hard to think of another book like it.