Book Review: Civil War: A Marvel Comics Event

I've known for a long time how big a deal Civil War is within the Marvel franchise. It was a major comic book event which shifted the course of the storylines for all characters within that universe. I knew it presented Captain America and Iron Man as unfortunate enemies,, taking their stances on a major issue of Super-Human Registration to an extreme level which would force them to come to blows along with their allies. This storyline was such a big shift in the face of comic book stories at the time and even now the legacy it left behind is still touted today when you see the inspiration it leads to with the MCU's own adaption and Civil War 2. After taking some time to sit down and read it for myself finally I figured I'd elaborate my own thoughts on the storyline and it's other respective components. The 7-issue comic is written in it's entirety by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven.

The story of Civil War unfolds after a devastating explosion in Stanford, Connecticut which comes at the result of an encounter between a young group of superheroes attempting to take down a group of villains to help boost ratings on their TV show. This explosion destroys a nearby school, killing a number of children and in turn puts into question the unchecked capabilities of super human individuals to the American people. Devasted by the incident and taking personal blame after a confrontation with one of the children's mothers, Tony Stark makes it his sole focus on helping the government in keeping heroes accountable by signing the Super-Human Registration Act. Captain America however takes issue with the concessions registering would require with regards to sacrificing your secret identity and being under the stipulation of the U.S government. As the tensions escalate between both individuals, they both recruit other heroes to their cause and a Civil War erupts between both forces over the divide the Super-Human Registration Act causes. 

There's a lot of thematic layers applied to the course of this plot as it unfolds. It's interesting to see a narrative set piece which feels grounded on some kind of reality. While super heroes in themselves are clearly fictional, the idea of a society far more focused on security and accountability than they are freedom and ideals matches a tone very common-place in today's world. The divide between Cap and Tony and their respective allies had real weight to it because you feel the credible arguments from both sides. When either side is doing what they feel is right, it asks the reader to really consider who they are more aligned to. The scope of this dilemma is projected really well throughout the multiple issues as allegiances shift and new plans are unveiled. While I like the core premise and how it's deployed I do take some issues with how under-utilized some of the cast end up being here. This is a story with a clear scale yet a lot of characters often end up feeling more like background dressing then they do credible components of the story. I'm also not too keen on the way this narrative ends because it feels far more one-sided which slightly ruins the grey balance the story did handle so well up to that point.

On the illustrative/art end I have a lot of appreciation for the style that this comic went for. It's not an overly bright comic but neither is it dark or grungy. It  keeps the tone and coloring stable and in line with the hard-balanced tone of the narrative. Characters are really expressive and you get a clear picture of their powers and abilities within the panels of the comic book. One thing that really stood out to me was just how detailed and expressive a lot of the larger set-pieces ended up being. Again it does lose it's magic a tad when there's so many heroes tucked away in the background, but I can at least acknowledge how the illustrators clearly tried to utilize everyone within the panels. There's some really stellar moments which work in tandem with the narrative to help the reader set a clear understanding of the tragic divide between these forces who once called one another friends.

On an overall level, I really enjoyed my time with Civil War. it's not a perfect comic book by any means, as the cracks begin to open up in light of how large a story Mark Millar was out to tell here. What he does get right though helps this comic book story deliver on the intent it set out with. Civil War was a big deal, it shifted the course of not just the Marvel universe but the entire comic book industry. It reflected the importance of cross-over events and how key they could be in covering very real concepts. I know not everyone will appreciate the political undertones of this comic book amid comparisons to real life but I do appreciate it quite a lot and would recommend this to any avid super hero fan.