May 16, 2007
Comics: Marvel's Civil War Recap
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I finally got my hands on the ENTIRE run of the Civil War Marvel Event and read it all at once. And the verdict is.... it was overall a pretty good run. Granted, there were some spots that didn't make sense; some character actions that weren't that believable (as far as a comic can be believable). But it was a brave storyline to tackle. And to be honest, i don't think they could'a pulled it off. Not without really damaging some of their major titles.
SYNOPSIS [from Marvel.com]
What began with a flash of naiveté, ended with the deaths of hundreds. In the quiet suburban town of Stamford, Connecticut, reality TV stars and young heroes the New Warriors staged an attack on a group of villains they believed they could easily defeat. But with the battle almost won for the heroes, the villainous Nitro unleashed a massive explosion, killing hundreds of innocent men, women and children, along with nearly everyone engaged in the melee.
With that incident as the igniting spark, everything in the U.S. changed. Superhero regulation and Registration swept through the government and sides were quickly drawn.
Iron Man acts as the figurehead for the government, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Registration. Hoping to persuade wayward heroes and misguided villains into joining the cause, Iron Man has been branded a fascist and traitor by some. But he believes that he is working for the greater good, attempting to prevent another Stamford incident and to hopefully make the world a safer place.
Unfortunately for Iron Man, Captain America doesn't see it that way. Viewing Registration as a crushing blow to civil liberties, the fighting, flag-wearing symbol of America leads a smaller, underground resistance movement. Cap's anti-Registration forces may fight an uphill battle against the collective forces of an army of superheroes, the government and S.H.I.E.L.D., but it’s a war they truly believe in, and these freedom fighters are ready to fight to their dying breath.
More than just a battle of ideals, the superhero Civil War has seen the death of some heroes and the apparent return of others. There have been earth-shattering revelations and costly changes of heart. There have been unorthodox recruitments and bold maneuvers. And while Civil War has already vastly affected the status quo, the road ahead looks to forever change the landscape of the Marvel U.
"Coolest Thing About Civil War"
Somehow.. They made CAPTAIN AMERICA not only relevent, but cool as hell. That first scene in Civil War #1 where he tells S.H.I.E.L.D. to go to hell and fights his way through soilders what hot! AND THEN he jumps out the window, lands on a jet fighter and SURFS on it to safety.. AND EVEN finds the time to tell the pilot, who exclaims a loud "JESUS" to "watch the potty mouth"? Cap became the man to me.
"Coolest Storyline"
The Spiderman/Tony Stark dynamic. It was cool to see how loyal and trusting Spider-man was with Tony Stark, almost looking up to him like a father. And then seeing that degrade and Spider-man switching sides. I like that they made Peter Parker vulnerable AND they made Stark the bad guy but not the villain. I felt everything he was doing was wrong, but i understood what he was doing. Thats pretty difficult to accomplish.
"Coolest Aftermath"
The new direction of the Thunderbolts! Villians working for the goverment? Headed by crazy-ass Norman Osbourne? That's just crazy. AND it's a great read. Plus the vigilante C-grade superheroes that they're tracking down are turning out to be pretty cool. I hope Jack Flagg gets more exposure. Maybe as the new Captain America? Also, I'm intrigued with The Punisher. Seems he has a man-crush on Captain America. Can't wait to see what he does after Cap dies.
"Suckiest Aftermath"
The REAL Death of Captain America. Not a bad sucky. But more of a tragic happening. I was hoping to get some in court time with Cap first, but they did the right thing.
"Jump The Shark Ending"
This is probably one of the most anti-climatic endings of all time. You spend months and month and months of excellent build up. Impossible situations and exciting match ups only to have Captain Aemerica just... give up? What the f---!? I understand what they did and why they did it. It was to make a statement that the war went from a fight for civil liberties to a bunch of superpowered beings fighting each other, and neglecting the fact that they were hurting the very people they were fighting to protect. I get that. It was a way fo proving Iron Man right to a point, but at the same time showing that Cap's main motivation was the protection of the American people, even if that meant doing what he thought was wrong. But they could've done it SO MUCH better!
"My Alternative Ending?"
Well, I would have had the fight continue as planned. Both sides sprawl out into the streets in a battle royale. But as time goes on, I'd have everyone kinda take notice of this epic final batter between Iron Man and Captain America. I mean a REAL DRAG OUT battle. I'd have Iron Man pulling out all the stops, all his gadgets and technology being thrown at Cap. But in the end, Caps will, determination and superior skills overcome all that. Be ends of putting on the greatest attack sequence any of the heroes had ever seen. He uses his shields in incredible ways to totally dismantle Tony Stark. In the end, Iron Man would be lying in a heap... his armor totally dismantled and he curled up like an infant, and an extremely battered Captain America standing over him. At that moment he'd throw his shield down and give incredible speech to everyone about why he did was he did and why it was neccessary. Afterwards, he'd tell Luke Cage to leave with the resistance. And then he'd give hisself up, saying that he still believes in the the Justice System and that he wanted his day in court.
Oveall Grade for the Marvel Event: 7.75/10
Posted by toddkelley at May 16, 2007 09:18 AM
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