C&C Comic Review - Marvel Comic's Civil War - It's Hero vs Hero in Marvel's Seven-Part Epic

C&C Comic Review - Marvel Comic's Civil War

It's Hero vs Hero in Marvel's Seven-Part Epic

By Steven Carter 

 

The countdown to Captain America: Civil War has begun! To help you get into the mood for this film, I’m going to be reviewing the comic series which bares the same name! Civil War was a Marvel crossover event which had repercussions that affected the entire Marvel Universe. At the time, it was the biggest event that the comic book world had ever seen. In my opinion, this is one of the best crossover storylines that there has been in recent years. We will be focusing on the main story published in 2006. Lasting 7 issues and created by my favourite pairing of Mark Millar (writing) and Steve McNiven (illustration).

Civil War was presented to the public with the slogan “Who’s side are you on?”. The idea being that each side had a legitimate argument leaving you, the reader to make your own decision. The series kicks off following a group of teenage heroes calling themselves the New Warriors who have decided to not only use their special gifts to fight injustice, but also get decent ratings for their reality TV show. They stumble across several super villains who are trying to lie low after recently breaking out of prison. Despite one producer warning that the Villains were highly dangerous, the leader of the Warriors, Speedball made the decision to take them down. Just as it looked like the New Warriors were going to win, things rapidly go south. The villain Nitro is cornered by Namorita (Namor’s Atlantean cousin) and creates a huge explosion that engulfs an entire suburban neighbourhood along with a junior school.

The fallout from this event is felt immediately with some heroes helping with the cleanup operation speculating that the public will come after them with torches and pitchforks. Recent events before this have not held superheroes and mutants in good light, Wolverine had been recorded saying that he was going to kill the President and the Hulk had gone on a rampage in Vegas. Tony Stark gets accosted by the mother of one of the child victims and Johnny Storm gets violently attacked outside a night club.

A solution is drawn up by Washington called the Superhuman Registration act. An act where masked crime fighters have to reveal their true identities to government officials in exchange for training and a wage. This splits the superhero community right down the middle. Captain America is opposed to the proposal. He couldn't face the idea that he may have to take down people who risk their lives to fight crime and the possibility of being told by the White House who the super villains are. Iron Man, along with Reed Richards and Hank Pym are pro registration. All three have public identities which made it somewhat easier to side with the act.

The plot starts off strongly with good arguments for both sides and it gets even more interesting when Spider-man gets involved. In the build up to Civil War, Spidey has been getting used to being an Avenger. He had his Wife, Mary Jane and Aunt May moved into the Avengers Tower and developed a close working relationship with Tony Stark. Tony uses this relationship to get Spider-man to sign up to the registration act. Tony decides to use Peter as an example to encourage other heroes to join the cause by getting Peter to publicly reveal his identity. This was a very bold move for Peter, who up until that point had kept his dual identity a closely guarded secret. It even seemed like some of his fellow avengers didn't know who he really was, often addressing him as “Spiderman”.

The plot starts to falter at this point, the neutrality of each sides argument starts to sway in favour of Cap’s side. The pro registration begins to look like the more sinister decision as Stark begins to employ villains in the form of the Thunderbolts; a team of villains who work for the government tasked with capturing rebelling heroes. Stark’s solution to imprisoning superheroes was also somewhat controversial. He and Reed Richards had built a super prison in the negative zone. A place outside of the rules and jurisdictions of Earth. Essentially a superhuman Guantanamo Bay. Lets also not forget the killer clone/android Thor that Stark created that blew a lightning bolt shaped hole right through poor old Goliath! All of these events alienate Stark’s cause and pretty much vilifies him.

It’s a series that ends with some intense fallout. The most notable was the assassination of Captain America. Other characters were left to deal with dire situations too. Spider-man had to adjust to coping with life now that his identity was public knowledge, the stories of which I would highly recommend reading. Reed Richards had a marriage to save. The Thunderbolts were left needing new leadership which they find in the maniac, Norman Osborne.

Civil War was a great series to jump in to the Marvel world of comics. When I purchased the graphic novel collection, I was a big Spider-man fan but didn’t know much about the rest of the comic book universe. Seeing all these new characters compelled me to start searching for other story arcs and get to know them a bit better. Dr Strange, Daredevil, Thor, the X-Men, each get a share of the spotlight in this series.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone else who is new to the Marvel Universe. It was the political nature that interested me most. The series questions the motives of every superhero. Why do they do it? What gives them the right to fight people, take the law into their own hands and potentially cause lots of collateral damage, all in the name of “justice”? I really hope that many of the features from this comic will transfer into the film. Ever since news broke that an Avengers film was being made, I had hopes of seeing Civil War on the big screen. The only thing is that I saw it more of an Avengers film as it impacts everyone. So seeing it as a Cap film confused me somewhat. Obviously since Marvel revealed their master plan to make Infinity War, it makes more sense. In Kevin Feige we trust!

The Civil War series gets

8/10