Review – Civil War II #1

It’s here, it’s here! Marvel’s big Summer event series has arrived. Time to find out if it lives up to the hype.

After the Avengers are able to preemptively stop a massive attack from happening due to some information from the Inhumans, Iron Man hosts a party in Stark Tower and invites all of the heroes who helped save the day. The heroes learn just how the Inhumans learned about the attack and the revelation immediately causes some skepticism and dissension among the costumed adventurers. The conflict is presented immediately, the battle lines are drawn, and the casualties begin to mount a lot quicker than you might expect.

As previously mentioned, writer Brian Michael Bendis wastes no time in getting right into the the conflict for this series, and honestly, I’m okay with that. We don’t really need grand introductions to these characters’ mentalities and reasons for why they feel their way is best. If you step back and look at each side, you ultimately have to admit that both make valid arguments. I also have to give proper kudos to Bendis for coming up with a genuine, morally thought-provoking conflict for the heroes to fight over. That couldn’t have been easy following the landmark Civil War series from the last decade. What I was very surprised by were how quickly the casualties arrive. I would not have expected that kind of action for at least another issue or two.

David Marquez’s artwork is very clean. There isn’t a lot of huge action in this issue, but the little bit that we do get is well drawn. However, I think Marquez’s true talent is in the up close and personal scenes, of which we do get quite a few here. He has a real talent for wringing emotion and drama out of character faces. For an issue where the last few pages are both emotional and dramatic, that talent came in quite handy.

Admittedly, I’ve been pretty critical of Bendis’ ability to write a solid event book in the past, but this one seems to be off to a pretty good start. Which is equally impressive considering the long shadow of the previous Civil War event series and this Summer’s blockbuster MCU movie as well. The interesting premise combined with Marquez’s solid artwork should hopefully make for a series that can live up to it’s name. I look forward to reading the next few issues.

The Verdict for Civil War II #1:
4 out of 5

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Until next time,
Stay nerdy, my friends.

Really Quick Review – Civil War #5 (Secret Wars Tie-In)

The alternate universe, Secret Wars version of Civil War came to an end last with with issue #5.  Unfortunately it seems to have ended more with a whimper than a bang.  The massive battle that the story has been leading up to since the first issue is at hand, but we don’t really see too much of it, and realistically it’s over before you know it.  I won’t say too much to avoid spoilers, but I will say that it’s not completely unsatisfying.  Soule’s story works.  Maybe not the way you would expect, or particularly even want it to, but it works nevertheless.  Yu’s artwork continues to have a sparse quality about it that also fits well with this story.  In short, this wasn’t the best Secret Wars tie-in series, but it was entertaining, provided some surprises, and had a fitting ending.

The Verdict for Civil War #5:
4 out of 5

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Until next time,
Stay nerdy, my friends.

Really Quick Review – Civil War #4 (Secret Wars Tie-In)

The war is here.  Civil War #4 kicks the action into high gear with a massive confrontation between the Blue and the Iron, but is either side really fighting for the right reasons?  In this issue, Charles Soule brings the anticipated war that we’ve been looking for since issue #1, and also brings to light something that he hinted at earlier in the series.  As Tony Stark noticed in issue #2, the history of the Warzone seems to be guided by someone, or something.  The writing in this issue builds as it goes, steamrolling the momentum into what should be one hell of a final issue.  Yu’s artwork is tight and simple, with a hint of a massive battle that we should see in issue #5.  I honestly can’t wait!

The Verdict for Civil War #4:
5/5 – Must Have Moar!!!

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Until next time,
Stay nerdy, my friends.

Upcoming reviews:
Secret Wars Journal #5
Captain America: White #1
RunLoveKill, Volume 1

Really Quick Review – Civil War #3 (Secret Wars Tie-In)

The conflict is beginning to heat up, as each side has sent an infiltration unit into enemy territory.  The Blue seems to be working on a plan that will de-power the heroes, while the Iron is launching its own private investigation into who killed mediator Miriam Sharpe.  I’m really liking this series so far.  The plot is very tight, with little room for extravagance as it shifts quickly back and forth between the two territories in the Warzone domain.  Also, the tension is palpable, with both sides finding themselves in sticky situations.  Yu’s artwork is somewhat sparse, but it helps set a very bleak tone for the series.  I still haven’t quite figured out where the plot is going with this one, but I honestly can’t wait for the next issue to be released so I can come that much closer to finding out.

The Verdict for Civil War #3:
4/5 – I can dig it.

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Until next time,
Stay nerdy, my friends.

Upcoming reviews:
X-Men ’92 #3 (Secret Wars Tie-In)
Hail Hydra #2 (Secret Wars Tie-In)
Thors #3 (Secret Wars Tie-In)
The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 1: The Faust Act