Civil War: Whose side are you on?
Millar & McNiven’s Civil War
Last night I was browsing Netflix and found Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and booted up season two. Episode one? Maria Hill is trying to recruit the Avengers! I sat up and started drooling like some sort of Pavlovian experiment gone wrong. Is this the start of Avengers Disassembled? Are we finally walking towards one of my favorite comic cross overs ever – Civil War??
If you haven’t read Civil War (a masterpiece by Millar and McNiven), do yourself a favor and pick it up here. While it helps if you have been reading this universe for some time to understand who everyone is and some backstory – it is totally readable without it as well. Millar wrote an incredibly well written book that is a fast read and engaging bite your nails furrowed brow worry, because this book changes the landscape for Marvel moving forward.
Superhero registration. This line has been tried before many times in comics – especially in mutant lines like the X-Men, but never before have we seen major crossovers come together to battle this controversial topic out. A good starting point is this – Iron Man supports the registration act (after fighting against it and SHIELD for so long), and Captain America is fighting against the registration act because it compromises secret identities, and violates the civil rights of every Superhero.
You get the political subtext right? This book just screams commentary on the Patriot Act, gun control, and any other given controversial political action in recent history. While I chuckle at it, it’s something that you can easily move right along from because it doesn’t beat you over the head. You’re too busy dealing with staggering revelations and changes ahead!
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
Along side Tony Stark is Spiderman, who in a show of support, pulls off his mask and reveals his secret identity (not that we didn’t all know who he was, but this was the first time that he held a press conference about it). Tony, SHIELD and Mr. Fantastic built a prison to hold any Superhero (this includes villains and untrained mutants) in the negative zone indefinitely if they chose not to register and fight against the act. Uhm, what??
The opposition side is often shown as a ragtag group, that regularly has to fight among themselves as to what they stand for and what they should – or should not – do next. (My favorite part here, Punisher seeing two villains walking in to the base of the resistance, shoots them dead – no pomp and circumstance, just dead. Killers and thieves, and Punisher did what Punisher does – kill bad guys).
There are so many big names and series tied in here – Fantastic Four, She-Hulk, Deadpool! I’m constantly amazed at the controversial work created and all the names and personalities that were combined to make this book awesome. And, while this this book is already knee deep in asking the question of is it right to make people register with the government against their will, there is just a few inches deeper – when Taskmaster and Hercules crush the skull of the clone of Thor – do we mourn the loss of the clone, or of the man he represents? Oy. My brain can’t take all of this.
So what happens? I’m trying not to spoil EVERYTHING, but Spiderman changes sides once he understands about the indefinite prison sentence for the rebels, and there is an all out brawl that takes place in the middle of New York – and shockingly, there is a LOT of collateral damage. Seeing what damage they have all caused and listening to Tony about how this sort of battle is what the registration act is supposed to prevent…. Cap stands down. The battle ends.
This is been out for a while now, but again – spoilers.
Two weeks later….
When taken to the court house… Captain America, is shot on the courthouse steps.
Marvel Comics – Death of Captain America
Take this all in, and then go buy the book. You won’t regret it.
Tastes really do vary. Civil War made me stop reading Marvel (Countdown to Final Crisis made me stop reading DC, btw.)
It’s true, not all of the big combo superhero crossovers are for everyone. What do you read now that you’re out of the Marvel and DC game?
I think I’m also kind of annoyed with the MASSIVE WORLD SHATTERING CROSSOVER ALWAYS marketing plan that seems to have gone on for the last several years.
Also, I have specfic reasons for not liking Civil War, but I’m not going to get into that here.
I don’t read comics like I used to. Part of it is not liking the stuff I used to and part of it is getting married over a year ago. It’s spousal disapproval of the medium, but spousal disapproval of having way to many books to begin with.
OK, I did pick up DC’s Demon Knights trade, but I don’t think I’ll be sticking around until their next BIG CONTINUITY EVENT OF THE DECADE. And I think I’m getting back into Marvel. FF was cool and I sort of liked Secret Avengers. Some of the Marvel NOW stuff sound interesting but I haven’t read anything yet. I could see myself grabbing a few trades when they come out.
What do you think about the sweeping arcs within one comic that would change that series in a significant way, but not necessarily the whole universe? I’m thinking things like Batman’s Death in the Family as an example?
I understand the having too many books, but I have recently turned into a digital comics convert. Instant gratification when downloading my titles, and very easy to store.
Please don’t think I’m against big sweeping arcs through an entire universe. I’m just against doing it every one or two years. Change is necessary, both on a title to title basis and throughout a setting. But constant change, crossovers, and events seem to be this era’s version of gimmick covers.
I have a nice sized tablet and have downloaded a comic book reader, but I’m not convinced yet. Warren Ellis made a good point once that the size is wrong for a typical comic book format, but rather than abandoning new distribution and consumption models, the industry needs to change the physical layouts to suit.
I do agree with Warren Ellis there, and the digital format isn’t a catch all. Older books just look wretched. I can’t read Frank Miller’s books digitally, which are amazing pieces of story telling and art, but the digital sizing and formats make it painful to read 30 years post publication.I won’t be getting rid of many of those trades any time soon.
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