The Road to Civil War: review

[selenak]

Friends get friends to write them stuff like this: honorh wrote me a Dr. Who/Torchwood crossover which I adore, Smith and Harper.

In unrelated news, the trade collection The Road to Civil War arrived. I have read bits and pieces of the Marvelverse-spawning Civil War saga, individual issues and scans, but I thought I'd give the collected prelude a shot

Comments

[skywaterblue]

I'm one of the few people out there who think that, while they have their flaws, House of M and Civil War did raise interesting points in both characterization and plot. But this was the problem with Civil War: too many hands in the stew and none of them agreed on the political position, so Civil War became fictioanlly muddled.

[selenak]

Yes. In Mr. Parker goes to Washington, there's an in-joke about it, with the editor's notes arguing with each other, but that is sort of the problem...

Agreed on House of M and Civil War in general.

[likeadeuce]

One of the puzzling things within this trade is that Tony's manipulations in the Spiderman arc are actually calculated (as I recall) to get Peter to make his point, so that the act will fail. The only way I can directly square this with Illuminati is that Tony is (rather vainly) hoping that he can get more heroes on his side before the inevitable passage of the act

[selenak]

Your icon never fails to amuse.*g* Especially since the cover for Mr. Parker goes to Washington actually shows Peter setting between the two daddies, on the couch...

The only way I can directly square this with Illuminati is that Tony is (rather vainly) hoping that he can get more heroes on his side before the inevitable passage of the act.

That was my interpretation, that he's playing for time. After all, at this point the only one who committed himself knowingly was Reed Richards, and Peter unknowingly.

Though I think it's interesting that Peter DOES ask Tony whether he manipulated the situation; so it occurs to him. What doesn't, apparently, occur to him is that Tony would bold-facedly lie about it

Well, as opposed to Steve, he didn't know Tony when Tony was an alcoholic and thus really good with lying to his nearest and dearest to get what he wants... But yes, he's aware it might have been a set up, so he's not presented as completely naive.

[selenak]

Oh, and the funniest bit clearly was:

Peter: ...and the Avengers would all die for you!
Mary Jane: Except for Logan.

Because you know it's true!

[noshootingstars]

Actually, Casualties of War was *not* written by Bendis but by Christios Gage. I remember being surprised that none of the "big" writers penned that issue because it seemed so key to me, and most of all it was the only issue created for Civil War that, to me, powerfully expressed the sorrow and complications that the entire series was meant to display

[selenak]

Actually, Casualties of War was *not* written by Bendis but by Christios Gage.

*checks* Argh, you're right, so it was. Sorry for the mistake!

I remember being surprised that none of the "big" writers penned that issue because it seemed so key to me, and most of all it was the only issue created for Civil War that, to me, powerfully expressed the sorrow and complications that the entire series was meant to display.

It was the issue that got me fascinated - before, I had heard what was going on, but hadn't actually read anything - when likeadeuce gave it to me. And yes, it has a real sense of tragedy and complications rather than a right and a wrong side.

But I can see that coming across after all the events that took place between Ezekiel and this. Taking into account that losing his apartment and May losing her home from a personal attack prompted Peter to become a live-in Avenger *and* his long-standing insecurity amongst the famed and beloved superheroes he's never been connected with for any long period of time *and* his cyclical