Tag Archives: civil war II

Review: Civil War II #2

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Civil_War_II_Vol_1_2_TextlessAs the Marvel Universe reels from the events of the first issue, Tony Stark decides to take matters (and the law) into his own hands and declares war on the Inhumans. But not everyone agrees with Tony’s perspective and they are willing to die trying to stop him.

My criticism of the first issue of Civil War II was writer Brian Michael Bendis‘ muddling of the interesting philosophical debate at the center of this new event with the death of a major character.

This issue doesn’t help with that as Tony Stark flies off the handle driven by his grief in what amounts to an act of war. While discussions of his actions being exactly that happen, much like the concept of stopping bad from happening based on visions, the debate concerning that aspect is thin. It’s an emotional fight at the core of what could be a very interesting statement and debate within a comic.

That’s not to say the issue isn’t interesting, but again my issue is it doesn’t commit that what really makes it interesting. Things might change as a new vision is presented that should get everyone to debate the use of precognition to fight crime. We’ll see if the third issue actually pay offs on the series’ promise.

David Marquez does solid work in the art department with some cool action sequences that especially takes advantage of Medussa’s hair. Marquez has to balance and cover a hell of a lot of characters in the issue and he pulls it off leaving readers to play spot the superhero at times.

Two issues in and the series is focused too much on emotion when it’d have been much better off putting that off to focus on the debate of how to stop crime that’s the core of the series. While it covers a lot, in the end, the second issue continues to leave the event series’ debate shallow at its core.

Story: Brian Michael Bendis Art: David Marquez
Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7 Recommendation: Read

Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Dakrk Knight A True Batman StoryWednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Alex

Top Pick: Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior #8 (Valiant) – It’s no secret that I’m a Valiant fan, and the Eternal Warrior has become on of my favourite comic book characters. While the first series he starred in is perhaps best forgotten, Wrath Of has been consistently very good (if not great) for the past seven issues, and this one is no exception – I’ve already finished the review copy, and now I’m looking forward to getting the physical version in my hands.

A&A: The Adventures Of Archer And Armstrong #4 (Valiant) – Quite possibly one of the most entertaining series around, and I’m looking forward to this issue.

Batman #1 (DC Comics) – Tom King kicks off a new (old?) era in the Dark Knight’s world… and with Rebirth being a surprise for me in how much I’m enjoying it, I’m beyond optimistic for the new era.

Dark Night: A True Batman Story (DC Comics) – I’ve been waiting for this for a year, and that wait will be over Wednesday. I’m a little excited.

Vote Loki #1 (Marvel) – I’ve somehow missed everything about this comic, but the idea of the God of Mischief running for president seems like something I frankly have to read.

 

Mr. H

Top Pick: Batman #1 (DC Comics) – No its not 1939 but we get an issue #1 from the Dark Knight for a trip time. David Finch is always on the pretty pencils but I’m very interested on where this story is going. Almost everything from Rebirth so far has the Midas touch. Let’s see if it wilts under the Gotham pressure.

Superman #1 (DC Comics) – Hell yes. A superhero with responsibility and progression? Oh not only that, THE superhero? Finally my Superman back in action with his new bound super son in tow. I’m stoked and the creative team knows how to handle family drama. High Metropolis sky scraper hopes for this one.

Justice League #51 (DC Comics) – The aftermath of the bombshell dropping death and “rebirth” (sorry had to) of Darkseid. Johns’ run has been masterful,  let’s see what he leaves in his wake. I am optimistic.

The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade #1 (DC Comics) – Finally we get the story in the Miller verse just what the eff happened to Robin. Is it justified into making Batman the cold stone he is? We shall certainly see. Call me curious but bring it on. I want to see it first hand.

Civil War II #2 (Marvel Comics) – So far I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this. A story with consequences, deaths, and outcomes. I want to know how Tony Stark handles this and what drives the knife. This is a definite must see.

 

Anthony

Top Pick: Descender #12 (Image Comics) – Descender is back! One of the more fresh sci-fi comics on the shelves from two of the most exciting creators. Jeff Lemire has crafted quite the world so far that feels like there is still quite a bit to be explored. Dustin Nguyen’s illustrations are a treat to have on an issue-by-issue basis. His watercolour painting gives off such a vibrancy to the world of Descender. Now that more of a focus is being drawn on the Robot Resistance, it will be very interesting to see what exactly is going to be planned and how the major characters will be involved.

I Hate Fairyland #6 (Image Comics) – Yet another Image series that is making a return. Skottie Young’s covers dial up the cuteness factor with his array of variants for Marvel but Gert and the world of fairyland only appear to be sunshine and lollipops on the surface. This is another great title that is always exciting to see where exactly Young is taking the viewers every issue. His innovation and ability to poke fun at fairy tale tropes are consistently spot on. Jean-Francois Beaulieu’s colours really make the world pop with a wide scattering of the colour spectrum. Oh, and this is definitely not for the wee kids. If Gert was mad about her situation before, one can only imagine what she will be like now that she is queen.

Black Widow #4 (Marvel) – Chris Samnee and Mark Waid have crafted yet another must read title for Marvel. Black Widow has been tense and exciting from the start, with some beautiful visual compositions from Samnee. Matt Wilson on colours is just another reason to grab this book purely for the illustrations alone. With Natasha back in Russia and amongst her childhood surroundings, this looks to be another personal story with visions of her past. The Weeping Lion, a very intriguing, mysterious villain, is pulling the strings as of right now with not much really known about them. There are a lot of unknown factors driving this series which makes it unexpected around every corner.

A&A: Adventures of Archer and Armstrong #4 (Valiant) – The end of the first arc is sure to feature some of the great hilarious, entertaining antics that this series has been littered with. Rafer Roberts has been a worthy writer to take on the writing baton from Fred Van Lente in the last Archer and Armstrong series. He has alongside him David Lafuente’s pencilling of the hectic surroundings within Armstrong’s satchel and some great laugh out loud moments. The dynamic duo, with the addition of Mary-Maria and her fellow sister assassins, are about to face the party god Bacchus in a final confrontation

The Spire #8 (BOOM! Studios) – The Spire has been a fantastic fantasy murder mystery that has really been building to the reveal of who exactly has been committing all of these murders. Simon Spurrier has written some real, three-dimensional characters to truly care about very early on so it will make this final issue all the more difficult to turn its final page. Jeff Stokley’s visuals are reminiscent of the lived-in, detailed, atmospheric illustrations of Frederik Peeters’s AAMA and are a wonder to look at. Andre May’s colours really create a rough, dirty sheen to the streets of the Spire and a tense, unaware veil to the outside with Stokley’s innovative designs to the environments and people. Though this is a fantastical series, its dilemmas and political intrigue amongst the various groups of people make The Spire a highly relatable series.

 

Paul

Top Pick: Civil War II #2 (Marvel) – The stage is set and the sides are being drawn. Iron Man has made the first move, and this is going to show us where the heroes stand when it comes to an Inhuman who can see the possible future.  The first issue was some exciting stuff, though I would like to see more of a debate on the topic. But I am really looking forward to seeing this unfold.

Civil War II: X-Men #1 (Marvel) – Magneto is not happy and I can’t wait to see his reaction to the news of the latest Inhuman.  Tensions are already high between the X-Men and the Inhumans and this is going to send things into the red zone.  The X-Men didn’t play a huge part in the first Civil War, but you can be sure their presence will be felt this time around.

Titans: Rebirth #1 (DC Comics) – The Teen Titans, then Titans have always been a favorite of mine.  Sure, DC comics are not a standard thing for me, but Rebirth has been a chance for me to check things out as it were and see if the titles are worth my time. I am excited to see these characters again and hopefully it’s a title I’ll want to keep up with.

Uncanny X-Men #8 (Marvel) – Psylocke comes face to face with Fantomex after a less then friendly parting some time ago. I will be ringside to check this one out!

 

Brett

Dark Knight: A True Batman Story (DC Comics) – The true story of Paul Dini and his dealing with being assaulted and mugged while he was working on Batman: The Animated Series. The graphic novel is a brutal and honest story not just focusing on Dini’s experience but the warts and all life he was experiencing. This is putting it out there on paper, and so far it’s one of the best reads I’ve had this year.

Black Eyed Kids #3 (Aftershock Comics) – This is seriously one of the creepiest comics out there right now. I think I know what’s going on, and I’m beyond weirded out while reading it. A horror/suspense comic done right.

Descender #12 (Image Comics) – Beautifully written with beautiful art. Descender is back after a short break and I can’t wait to dive in and catch up with the series. The sci-fi story is top notch bringing in all sorts of elements and philosophical debates, but the art is absolutely amazing. Easily one of the best comics out there right now.

Green Lanterns #1 (DC Comics) – Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz are the Green Lanterns of Earth and will have to work together. The concept is basic buddy cop, but the fact it’s focused on the “D team” of Lanterns who generally have not been embraced by fans is fantastic. Can’t wait to dive in and read this.

Superman #1 (DC Comics) – I think the Rebirth issue knocked it out of the park for this series and I’m hoping this first issue continues that. I haven’t been a fan of Superman for some time, but that transition issue in Rebirth really put the super and hope back into the character.

Marvel NOW! and Civil War II #3 Get Midnight Release

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In May, Marvel announced the return of Marvel NOW!, but this time as a free “previews magazine” that launches in comic shops July 13th. It’s the first look at the fallout of Civil War II and the landscape to come when the summer event wraps up.

Fans will be able to get their first look at 12:00 AM your local time on July 13th! To celebrate the dual release of the Marvel NOW! Previews Magazine and Civil War II #3 – Marvel is pleased to announce a midnight release for these two books! Participating retailers may open Tuesday night and may also sell all other 7/13 Marvel titles at the midnight release.

Who will fall? That’s the question on everyone’s lips, as one of the biggest heroes in the Marvel Universe meets their end. Who is it and how will divide fans for years to come. It all happens in Civil War II #3 – and you can be one of the first to find out! How can the heroes of the Marvel Universe survive after the unthinkable happens? As the war escalates to new heights, the table is set for Marvel NOW!

Plus – fans in attendance will have a chance to get their hands on the Civil War II #3 Midnight Variant. Debuting at the midnight release and polybagged to conceal the identity of the fallen hero, this variant cover features artwork by none other than Marvel CCO Joe Quesada!

Then, after the shocking events of Civil War II #3, its new ongoing series, new status quos and new characters! Packed cover-to-cover with huge reveals, new titles, creator interviews and more – pick up the free Marvel NOW! Previews Magazine! Exclusive to comic shops, this is your very first look at the hottest upcoming titles of the fall! Following the cataclysmic fallout of Civil War II, get a snapshot of into the Marvel Universe of tomorrow!

Around the Tubes

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b002_-_batman_rebirth_bmreb_cv1It was a pretty jam packed new comic book day yesterday! What’d folks get? What’d you enjoy? What’d you dislike? Sound off in the comments below!

While you decide on that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

Around the Tubes

Gawker – The Best Worst Batman Fanfic Features Donald Trump and an ATV “Batmobile” – Wow. Just. Wow.

Women Write About Comics – This Song Was Written By a Committee: What Devin Faraci Gets Wrong About Audience, Ownership and Power  – An interesting read.

 

Around the Tubes Reviews

Newsarama – Amazing Spider-Man #13

Comic Vine – Batman: Rebirth #1

Newsarama – Batman: Rebirth #1

CBR – Batman: Rebirth #1

Comic Vine – Civil War II #1

Newsarama – Civil War II #1

Comics Beat – Civil War II #1

CBR – Civil War II #1

Comic Vine – Green Arrow: Rebirth #1

Newsarama – Green Arrow: Rebirth #1

Comic Vine – Green Lanterns: Rebirth #1

Newsarama – Green Lanterns: Rebirth #1

Talking Comics – Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink #1

Comic Vine – Superman: Rebirth #1

Newsarama – Superman: Rebirth #1

Review: Civil War II #1

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Civil_War_II_1_CoverThis is it! War comes to the Marvel Universe as lines are drawn and sides are formed.

Ulysses – a young Inhuman with the power to profile the future has emerged. His new abilities send shockwaves through the superhuman community. Divided amongst themselves, will they use Ulysses to prevent danger before it happens? Or should they allow the future to unfold unaltered? As his new powers send shockwaves rippling across the Marvel Universe – battle lines will be drawn. Do you stand with Iron Man? Or will you side with Captain Marvel?

Will the heroes of the Marvel Universe wield the power of “predictive justice” to change the future or battle to protect tomorrow?

Civil War II #1 kicks off with an interesting premise and a muddled execution. There’s a lots that’s good, lets start with that. The first issue does an excellent job of setting up the situation and catching readers up as to where things stand. It can be helpful to read the Free Comic Book Day Civil War II #0 to get more details, but this issue has everything you need, especially setting up the characters and their varied personalities.

While the story uses this idea of predictive justice as one of its driving factors, writer Brian Michael Bendis really focuses on those personalities. The story might take inspiration from Philip K. Dick’s Minority Report, but it’s the fallout from the predictive justice that’s at issue here. In other words, this first issue puts aside the actual debate topic and focuses on emotion. We saw that in the first Civil War and Captain America: Civil War. You don’t want to dive too deep.

Civil_War_II_1_Preview_3We get a sense of what could have been with some excellent pages where the actual debate begins as to whether wielding this knowledge/power is right and what it could lead to. To me, that was interesting and what’s said had me going around figuring out if these would be characters’ stances and the impact of it all.

It’s not so much the use of visions of the future to stop bad guys (seriously, hasn’t the Avengers and X-Men done that before?) that seems to be driving this event series though. It’s the death of two individuals that’s really the divide. And there muddies what could have been an interesting debate and topic. Now I wonder if characters are acting out of logic or emotion and it diminishes their stances a bit. The comic would have been stronger without those deaths or to have handled them in a different way. Are the sides split because predictive justice is wrong? Or are sides split because people died due to it? We won’t know.

The art by David Marquez is great and his art is some of the best things about the comic. Each character is solid and distinct with their signature looks. There’s some fantastic details put in each panel, especially with Spider-Man, and the shear amount of characters he puts in is impressive. You’ll have fun going through the comic and calling out all of the characters present.

Like most of Marvel’s event comics, the first issue definitely hooks you and has me interested to see what comes next. Hopefully it’ll focus more on the actual political debate within and not water it down with actions based on emotions.

Story: Brian Michael Bendis Art: David Marquez
Story: 7 Art: 8.4 Overall: Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Civil_War_II_1_CoverWednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Paul

Top Pick: Civil War II #1 (Marvel) – Here it is!  The start of the next event that is going to split the hero community in half…again.  You would think they would have learned after the first throw down.  This time though, it isn’t registration that is looking to control the heroes and their actions; now we have an Inhuman who can see into the future…and there are those who think this can be used to prevent disastrous events.  Is the future written in stone?  Can you hold someone responsible for something they may do?  That’s what the Marvel Universe will be exploring and you can bet it’s going to get ugly.

A-Force #6 (Marvel) – It’s A-Force vs. Nico (under the control of the Countess).  Medusa has been skeptical about Nico’s powers from the start of this team…it’s going to be very interesting for her to find out first hand just what Sister Grimm can do.  I just hope A-Force survive the ordeal.  I’ve been a fan of this book since the start, and I am always excited when a new issue comes out.  It’s a great read with laughs, sass and action; who can ask for anything more?

Green Arrow: Rebirth #1 (DC) – Yeah yeah, here’s a DC title on my list.  I’ll be honest, I’m interested in this to see Black Canary and Green Arrow together again.  Yes, I know that is just the gimmick (as mentioned in previous articles) DC is using to get readers into this Rebirth.  Me, not being a regular to the DC universe, think this is a great time to jump in and see if it’s enough to make me consider making room for DC AND Marvel in my life.

Old Man Logan #7 (Marvel) – Logan is just looking to lay low and figure out his place in this new world he’s found himself in.  Too bad Lady Deathstrike and her Reavers have other plans.  I am really looking forward to seeing this showdown; this isn’t the Logan that Deathstrike is expecting to find…she may just get more then she bargained for.

 

Javier

Top Pick: Batman: Rebirth #1 (DC Comics) – It’s our first look with Tom King who is taking over writing duties from Scott Snyder.

Deadly Class #21 (Image Comics) – Summer finally is here, as freshmen finals end; but another freshman fails to make it to sophomore year.  Rick Remender’s depressive, but action filled, take on prep school assassination madness,continues to entertain.

The Goddamned #4 (Image Comics) – Another biblical inspired story. It focuses on a seemingly immortal and wandering Cain, after the fall; set in the period of the mythical Nephilim prior to the flood. Jason Aaron weaves yet another must-read grim proto-human story.

Saints #9 (Image Comics) – Another excellent maxi-series reaches its conclusion. The holy war (or unholy, depending on your opinion) ends, when the young and hipster Saints crew come face to face with the Archangel Michael and God.

Unfollow #8 (DC Vertigo) – This dark spin on social media continues, with more of the 140 dropping off, but a new follower enters the fray.

 

Anthony

Top Pick: Birth of Kitaro GN (Drawn & Quarterly) – Kitaro is one of the most beloved characters in Japan. Created by Shigeru Mizuki, the titular character encounters a wide variety of yokai (creatures from Japanese folklore) in stories that appeal to both those interested in Japanese folklore and mythology as well as funny, great, entertaining manga. Finally, the West gets the first of a planned series of volumes with a translation by Zack Davisson.

Civil War II #1 (Marvel) – Say what you will about events for Marvel, this one looks to be the first event to make an impact in the post Secret Wars universe. Issue #0 didn’t really set many things up but did show a not too pleasant looking future. It will be refreshing to hopefully continue to have the series’ perspective from the same characters from the introductory issue.

Moon Knight #3 (Marvel) – Jeff Lemire, Greg Smallwood and Jordie Bellaire have been hypnotizing the reader thus far with a mysterious, brooding tale of Marc Spector combatting both demons (or Gods) both in his mind and in the physical world. This series has picked up the reigns from the last run of ‘Moon Knight’ and continues to prove that the character is one of the most intriguing in the Marvel universe.

Paper Girls #6 (Image Comics) – The first five issues were a fun callback to the action/adventure movies of the 1980s. It will be interesting to see what is in store with this title as the time frame switches to 2016. Plus, it is pretty hard to pass on Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang’s gorgeous visuals and one of the best colourists in the game with Matt Wilson.

The Revisionist #1 (Aftershock Comics) – Frank J. Barbiere is back with another intriguing title that is sure to bring the wit and fun nature of past titles like ‘Five Ghosts’, alongside artist Garry Brown and colourist Lauren Affe. All it takes, beyond the creative team, to be sold on this book are three words: time-travelling assassin. Plus, Aftershock has been releasing some really fresh, outside the box kinds of titles.

 

Alex

Top Pick: 4001 A.D. #2 (Valiant) – I’m not going to lie – I’ve already read this. It’s my top pick because I can’t wait to see the artwork in printed form. So excited.

The Goddamned #4 (Image Comics) – It feels like an age since the third issue came out, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed reading Jason Aaron’s take on the time before Noah needed his Arc. Brutal, bloody, and probably offensive. I love it.

Moon Knight #3 (Marvel) – To be honest, this isn’t the best Moon Knight series I’ve ever read, but it’s far from the worst. With each issue getting a little better, I’m hopeful for the rest of the series.

Old Man Logan #7 (Marvel) – After the anticlimactic first arc, the old man’s second story arc is, so far at least, feeling a hell of a lot better. What’s more classic Wolvie feeling than having him face off against the Reavers?

Will Eisner’s The Spirit #11 (Dynamite Entertainment) – Speaking of things I love… this is arguably the best series being published right now featuring an urban based vigilante.

 

Brett

Top Pick: The Red Virgin & the Vision of Utopia (Dark Horse) – A portrait of revolutionary feminist Louise Michel, who took up arms against a French regime that executed thousands. Deported to a penal colony, Michel joined the cause of the indigenous population against colonial oppression. Is there a more “me” graphic novel? Been reading it, and it’s really interesting.

Chum #2 (Comixtribe) – The first issue was a great mix of surfing and noir. Take Jaws, minus the giant shark, and add a crime story to it, and you have this comic. So good and looking forward to seeing where it all goes.

Hellboy in Hell #10 (Dark Horse) – This is it. Hellboy transforms into what he was always meant to be as Mike Mignola wraps up this series.

Rough Riders #3 (Aftershock Comics) – FDR and his gang of historical figures are heading to Cuba. There’s something really fun about this alternate history comic that dives deep into real history to get things right. It’s entertaining and will get you to do some research too.

Superman: Rebirth #1 (DC Comics) – I loved the Superman: Lois and Clark miniseries and to see where and how this Superman fits into the Rebirth universe is going to be very interesting. That miniseries was filled with action, but also a lot of positivity. This issue serves as a fantastic end cap to that bridging the cap between that and what’s to come.

The X-Men Enter the Fray – Your First Look at Civil War II: X-Men #1!

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As the heroes of the Marvel Universe stand against one another, the Mutants will face their own war. Marvel has released a first look inside Civil War II: X-Men #1 – a new Civil War II series from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Andrea Broccardo!

Terrigen Mists encircle the globe, igniting the Inhuman race while simultaneously crippling mutantkind. As conflict between the two nations simmers below the surface, a new Inhuman with the ability to profile the future has emerged. As heroes of the Marvel Universe battle over whether to use this Inhuman’s ability or not – one mutant will take matters into his own hands. Fearing this untapped power may tip the scales in the Inhumans’ favor – Magneto is willing to wage war with the Inhumans and even his own kind to prevent that from coming to pass!

No longer sitting on the sidelines, Magneto will use his terrifying and awesome power to take mutantkind’s fate into his own hands! Though he may be surprised who stands with him…and who stands against him! The battle lines are drawn this June!

CIVIL WAR II: X-MEN #1 (of 4) (APR160871)
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art by ANDREA BROCCARDO
Cover by DAVID YARDIN
Variant Cover by GREG LAND (APR160875)
Character Variant by PHIL NOTO (APR160874)
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (APR160873)
Young Variant by SKOTTIE YOUNG (APR160872)
FOC – 05/23/16, On-Sale – 06/15/16

Civil_War_II_X-Men_1_Cover

Around the Tubes

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Civil_War_II_0_CoverThe weekend is almost here! Who’s going to see Captain America: Civil War in its third week? What other geeky things are you all doing? Sound off in the comments!

While you decide on what you’re doing, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.

Around the Tubes

10 Rules for Drawing Comics – Benjamin Marra’s 10 Rules – Solid rules to follow.

Kotaku – Doom‘s Got A Reference To A Comic Book Meme From 1996 – Well ok then.

The Guardian – Why the Punisher’s Netflix series will need more than big guns  – Yes. It. Will.

Japan Today Insight – What is the Origin of Comic Books in Japan? – No idea if this is right, but interesting info.

Montgomery News – Comics In The Classroom: How one Wissahickon teacher uses comic books to connect with his students – Awesome to see this!

 

Around the Tubes Reviews

Comic Attack – Black Panther #2

The Beat – Civil War II #0

CBR – Civil War II #0

Newsarama – Best Shots Rapid-Fire Reviews: Spider-Man #4, Future Quest #1, Archangel #1, More

Review: Civil War II #0

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Civil_War_II_0_CoverAfter months of build up, the “first” (I put that in quotes because of the Free Comic Book Day story) chapter of Marvel‘s big event for 2016 Civil War II. The table is set for the storyline that will send the Marvel comic universe in its next direction.

Written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Olivier Coipel, the first issue sets the stage for this event that focuses on judging and capturing criminals before the crime is committed. That’s mostly focused on an interesting set-up involving She-Hulk and the Jester who she’s defending from talking about committing a crime. Should he go to jail for talking? Should he go to jail over the possibility he commits a crime in the future?

The concept is very Minority Report to me, and from what we’ve seen between this and the Free Comic Book Day issue, the event riffs directly from that 1956 sci-fi story by Philip K. Dick. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and an interesting concept to explore.

While I enjoyed She-Hulk‘s focus and how her point of view is introduced, to me it seems at odds with her stance during the first Civil War, where she sided with the government and Iron Man to restrict freedom in the superhero community. While I hope this is addressed, the disconnect felt weird (then again I recently reread the first event, so it was fresh in my mind). If anything, her stance here as a defense attorney is much more in line with what I’d expect in her viewpoint.

Civil_War_II_0_Preview_1The second focus of the comic is on Captain Marvel who has a chat with the resident superhero psychologist Doc Samson. It’s all character development where we as readers are told where her mind set is and what issues she’s facing in her role, and the big issue is her role itself. With her involvement with Alpha Flight, the Ultimates, and A-Force, Captain Marvel is stretched a bit thin and leaves little time for a personal life. She’s lost in her title. And her personal life also comes up in a way with a scene involving James Rhodes aka War Machine, and an interesting offer presented to him.

Finally, it wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of the Inhumans where we’re introduced to two new ones. Has one resulted in another Stamford incident or is this the future we’re seeing? This is the mystery the issue ends on and all of these plots have me interested, and somewhat excited, to see what happens next. That’s the job of this issue and it succeeds.

The art by Coipel is as beautiful as I’d expect with such detail in the surroundings and looks for the characters that I dig. There’s detail there that often gets lost by others. An example would be the size difference between She-Hulk and a character like Maria Hill. Here I can feel She-Hulk’s size difference as she towers over Hill. The issue is relatively action free, but Coipel’s style still brings a sense of excitement to it all.

When getting to the end, there’s a lot here that has me looking forward to the next issue and where this series goes. There’s a lot of potential here, but to me the biggest task will be if it can be more than Minority Report with Marvel characters (that story actually had mutants ironically). The second biggest task is whether the series focuses more on the central debate between characters, which is something its predecessor failed at. The third is keeping up the quality and avoiding delays, something Marvel’s big events have had issues with for quite some time.

But, this review is about this one issue, and it succeeds in everything it sets out to do, and does so while asking a very intriguing philosophical question.

Story: Brian Michael Bendis Art: Olivier Coipel
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.8 Overall: 8.45 Recommendation: Buy

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