Post by Shevy on May 17, 2006 11:17:27 GMT -5
Marvel Civil War #1
Writer: Mark Millar- Artist: Steve McNiven
Writer: Mark Millar- Artist: Steve McNiven
Marvel is probably the biggest reason why I stopped reading comic books as a kid. I mean, back when The Punisher was one of their biggest titles they really had a knack for telling a good story, but by the early 90's things had really gone downhill with them. Completely uninteresting character developments and the same old story again and again. Back then I read other stuff, too, but Marvel really spoiled the whole experience with me.
So oddly enough I happened to be in the mood for a comic book just the other day. I stopped by the local book store to see what they had, held my breath as I walked past a room full of over/underweight hygenically-challenged social outcasts playing some sort of game which involved a deck of cards, and saw this new Civil War comic by Marvel sitting on the New Release shelf. Eh...what the hell. Superheroes fighting superheroes. How bad can it be?
To my surprise, this is actually quite good. It kicks off with The New Avengers, who happen to have their own reality show featuring them fighting bad guys, picking a fight with...you guessed it...some bad guys. Nobody I recognize from my days of reading, but I guess they're a bunch of badasses that constantly tangle with the likes of Spider-Man and Hulk. And bad ass they are. Without giving anything away, the breif confrontation leads to mass destruction including a few hundred dead civilians. And who are to blame? The superheroes, of course. What kind of comic would this be if everybody settled their differences through lengthy discussion?
So the government wants to implement the "Super-Human Registration Act". As dumb as it sounds, they basically want all super-human crime fighters to register as if it were an actual job. Obviously, some of the superheroes dig the idea of holding each other accountable and getting paid, while others don't want to get caught up in the whole big brother thing. Hence, a little civil war among the superheroes. Freakin' neat-o.
Unlike a lot of shit Marvel likes to churn out, even though my experience has been limited for the past...oh...decade and a half or so, this turns out to be one hell of a page-turning read. In-depth characters, confrontation, and once the story starts rolling along, a little kickassitude and a surprise at the end as to who the unofficial leaders of each side are going to be. Well drawn, well written, and good lord Marvel could use a little something like this to completely revamp their shitty franchise.
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