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Civil WarReviewed by Lawrence Cicchetti
Marvel’s Civil War graphic novel is about the result of a superhuman registration act. It takes place right after Road to Civil War and collects Civil War #1-7. Civil War starts in Stamford, Connecticut, when the stars of the reality TV series that follows the super team, The New Warriors, come across a house full of 4 of the F.B.I’s most wanted supervillains: Cobalt Man, Coldheart, Nitro, and Speedfreak. The New Warriors take out all but one: Nitro. Namorita follows him and slams him against a school bus just before the school gets out. Nitro decides that he isn’t going to be taken so he explodes and kills everyone within a 10-mile radius. This is the spark for a superhuman registration bill that was already being considered. The president passes the bill and Captain America escapes from S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage, and Logistics Directorate) and goes underground. Every superhuman has to register themselves or suffer being a federal criminal. 23 superhumans meet, while the government is discussing the bill meet in the Baxter Building (home of the Fantastic Four) to discuss what they think they should do. It becomes obvious what each hero feels about the bill. With Captain America underground, S.H.E.I.L.D. tracks down every villain left for capture, and there are too many captures for it to just be Cap. The line has been drawn and sides are taken. On one side you have pro-registration led by Iron Man, and anti-registration is led by Captain America with the Secret Avengers. The sides seem so simple until the first large battle, when Goliath is killed when a cyborg made in the shape of Thor shows up and shoots lightning into his chest. People become confused and some switch sides. But, things become complicated for anti-registration, many are arrested in some prison in a parallel world full of antimatter. Plus pro-registration is recruiting known criminals like Venom, Jack-O-Lantern, and Bullseye in a special task force called the Thunderbolts. Captain America’s side begins to fade until Spider-Man switches teams with Punisher, who wants to help to help Cap. Meanwhile there is a spy helping Iron Man. The Punisher infiltrates Reed Richards’ (Mr. Fantastic) database to figure out a way to get into the “no.42 Prison” to get some allies back. Captain America and the Secret Avengers get into the prison only to find the Mighty Avengers and Iron Man ready to fight them. All seems gone until Captain America mentions his own spy and the prisoners appear to take out Iron Man’s army. The portal is about to close so everyone gets teleported by cloak to the middle of New York. The final battle ensues and it is down to Captain America fighting Iron Man. Cap is about to give the last blow when a group of civilians tackle him down and he realizes that he is winning everything except the argument and gives himself up for arrest. The book is full of great story, artwork, and action. One thing I didn’t like was the ending. It just doesn’t sit right; Captain America gets himself arrested as Steve Rogers. But, I love how many minor heroes have a big role in the series, like Hulkling takes the role of spy for Captain America. But I think they needed a better ending.
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Author: Mark Millar
This graphic novel shows a very important event in the Marvel Universe. It is one that comic fans will remember for a long time. It is also a good starting place for new comic fans. People will definitely look back at this series in the future.