The Daughters of Liberty stage a jailbreak in Captain America No. 11

Is This Just Your Father’s Jailbreak Plot?

There are many things to like here. Steve’s not entirely wrong about war making strange bedfellows, even if his context is off. The idea of the “Daughters of Liberty” is great. Seeing Sharon Carter lead a secret squad of the greatest heroines of the Marvel Universe is awesome; it’s merely a shame she’s less subtle about it than Thor would have been. Coates has even attempted to get some nuance across for Thunderball and Wrecker, and they’ve rarely been more than one note brutes for decades.

Image by Marvel Comics

However, the whole doesn’t quite add up to the sum of its parts like it should. The story imagines itself as distinctly unique but, beyond some flourishes or good lines, it has so far been a fairly typical “framed hero” plot. The political landscape and timeliness help, but can’t cover all of the flaws in the plot itself. The teaser for the next issue literally vows, “it’s time for Cap to try something truly new!” If this arc can actually live up to this promise, the finale may make up for some of the muddle of the middle.