Captain America #9

As Tony Stark tries to figure out a cure to turn skinny Steve Rogers back into Captain America and the Falcon searches for the villains behind the madbombs, Sharon Carter finds herself aboard the Hellacarrier in the fight for her life against Machinesmith.

Although Cap doesn't get in on the action there's plenty to go around. Agent 13's battle with Machinesmith, which includes the super-villain taking over all aspects of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellacarrier, is a lot of fun. How Sharon manages to force Machinesmith's cooperation not only fits into her character but opens possible new trouble for Cap and friends down the line. The Falcon's story isn't as compelling, but it gets the job done by moving the story arc forward.

If I have one big complaint about issue #9 it's that the art by Alan Davis isn't as consistent as I'd like. Although the closeups look good, many of the other panels look rushed - especially the faces of the characters in some of the action shots. Here's hoping this is just a one-time problem. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]