Things go from bad to worse for the stranded super-soldier...

(Panini Books)

Trapped in the otherworldly realm of Dimension Z for 12 years, Steve (Captain America) Rogers has forged a new life for himself as a surrogate father and freedom fighter, battling the oppressive regime of Nazi scientist Arnim Zola…

But now his exile is coming to an end, bringing Cap and his “son” Ian face to face with Zola and his ruthless daughter Jet Black as they strive to prevent a plot to infect the entire population of Earth with a Zola personality virus…

But before his manages to escape from Dimension Z and return home, Cap is going to suffer more than he has ever known, and the cost of his freedom may be more than he was ever prepared to pay.

This heavy dose of pulp sci-fi takes Cap out of his comfort zone and completely transforms the dynamics of the character, bringing him new responsibilities as a parent and no longer supported by his allies in SHIELD or the Avengers. The revelation that time passes at a different rate in Dimension Z, and that he actually isn’t showing the signs of aging thanks to the effects of the Super Soldier formula coursing through his veins, means he actually spends more time in Zola’s world than he theoretically has in the present day Marvel Universe.

He is now even more of a man out of time.

The opening arc of Rick Remender and John Romita Jr’s Captain America comics is a massive change in direction from the espionage-focused stories of previous writer Ed Brubaker, which is probably the only right way of following up on such a successful run.

The inherent strengths of Steve Rogers as a protagonist are not overlooked, however. Here is a man who will continue fighting for what he believes in, against apparently insurmountable odds, and in the face of terrible tragedy. Quite where Captain America will go following his exile in Dimension Z remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain, his experiences there will not be forgotten…