Issue(s): Captain America #284
Published Date: Aug 83
Title: "Diverging..."
Credits:
J.M. DeMatteis - Writer
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Kim DeMulder - Inker
Mike Carlin - Assistant Editor
Mark Gruenwald - Editor

Review/plot:
After the non-stop action from the Zemo/Primus, Scarecrow, and Viper stories, a low-key issue is a good change of pace, and that's what we've got here.

The main plot focuses on Cap and the new Nomad encountering a spouse and child abuse situation, and while Nomad, in Golden Age tradition, is all ready to beat the crap out of the guy and bring him to prison, Captain America goes with a softer 80s approach, listens to his troubles, listens to his wife's appeal to give him another chance, and lets the guy go. Later in the issue, the guy causes trouble again one wonders if Nomad's approach might have been better.

We also learn in what is practically an aside that Sam Wilson is losing his bid for Congress after the press learned of his history of mental illness. Really a disappointing end to what should have been a great plotline.

In an interlude, we see that the Golden Age superhero the Patriot, is dying of cancer.

So i said it was low-key. Not upbeat.

On somewhat happier notes, Dum Dum Dugan is recovering from his heart attack and Fury takes him off field duty by making him Deputy Director of SHIELD.

Then Fury tries to recruit Nomad for SHIELD, but Nomad declines. The irony that no one points out is that the new Nomad arc started off with SHIELD kicking Nomad out of a reintegration program due to lack of funds. If they had just hung on to him, he would have never went to Cap and they surely could have recruited him.

And Bernie and Steve's relationship is growing.

A little sappy at times.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• Sam Wilson's confessed his struggle with mental illness to the press in Captain America #278.

Cross-over: N/A

Continuity Implant? N

Reprinted In: N/A

I see almost no trace of Mike Zeck in that art. Heavy inks, maybe?

Art credits for this issue were totally wrong. I had last issue's credits listed. Thanks for being suspicious, Jay.