Captain America: Hail Hydra #2

The second installment of this 2011 five-part limited series pits Captain America squarely against the forces of Hydra, with Adi Granov's cover painting a striking tableau of assembled Avengers — Thor gripping Mjolnir, Cap bearing his iconic shield, Iron Man in his gleaming armor, and a fourth hero standing alongside them — while a looming, shadowy figure dominates the background. Jonathan Maberry's script and Tom Scioli's interior art, colored by Bill Crabtree, promise the kind of pulpy, tension-filled storytelling the series title demands. A fine midpoint chapter for anyone following this clash between Marvel's greatest patriot and one of comics' most enduring villainous organizations.