CIVIL WAR #1 Review: Whose Side Are You On?
Writer: Charles Soule | Penciler: Leinil Francis Yu
Inker: Gerry Alanguilan | Colorist: Sunny Gho
Marvel's original Civil War event back in 2006 has seemingly gotten more devisive as time had passed. Secret Wars allows us to see how events could have unfolded if Captain America had not given himself up to the authorities (a cop out ending I never agreed with, but that discussion is for another time). As always, spoilers ahead:
The book kicks off during the climactic battle at Tony Stark and Reed Richard’s superhuman prison 42. Early on, the seeds are planted for what may very well be the only thing that can unite the heroes again. Someone activated that destruction sequence, and it wasn’t Cap or Tony. That isn’t the focus of the majority of the issue, however. Because of the aforementioned sequence, the prison explodes, and unfortunately the blast is not contained. Subsequently, our world is decimated yet again, but this time it's much worse than Stamford. Over 15 million people perish as a result, making the 600 lost at Stamford look like a drop in the bucket.
It wasn’t the story direction I expected, though I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Sure, it's semi-normal nowadays to have some sort of post-apocalyptic slant to your story, but as an ardent supporter of the original series, there is such a strong investment in what happens to these characters that it wasn’t something I minded. Stemming from the chaos and the ensuing battle between Steve and Tony, the United States is split into two territories. Tony Stark’s side is called The Iron, and still holds their Registration Act dear. Cap’s side is called The Blue, and people with powers are free to do what they please. As a scene with Stature implies, however, there is an Avengers force to keep things in check. If things go any further, then the punishers come in to clean things up. We don’t see either of these in action, but I’m excited to see what those look like.
The crux of the issue is the peace talks. Things have been this way for quite a while, and it is certainly ironic that Miriam Sharpe, a vocal supporter of the SHRA (Superhuman Registration Act) when it first began, is at the center of it all. Miriam’s son Damian was killed in the original tragedy at Stamford, and Miriam was always extremely vocal about reigning in those with superhuman powers. Both sides have been able to rebuild and maintain their societies despite the other, but the core aspects of the original disagreement haven’t worn down over time.
Having two people sit at a table for multiple pages probably doesn’t sound that interesting, but believe me it is. I loved the back and forth, and writer Charles Soule is able to present convincing arguments for both sides, not making either one into the evil villain caricature they easily could be. I won’t spoil the ending, but just like it was alluded to towards the beginning of the issue, something isn’t right, and someone is playing things out from afar.
Lenil Francis Yu’s pencils are perfect for the story being told. His characters always bring an intensity through their facial expressions, and it helps to convey the seriousness of what is at stake. I really didn’t think there was much more to tell with this story, but I was gladly mistaken.
Issue #2 releases on August 5th
