A-Force #9 Review: Not Even Civil War II Can Slow Them Down

If there is any comic which has been cut to the core by Civil War II, it is A-Force. Can the amazing ladies of the team even remain together to save Colorado from demon bugs?

A-Force #9

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Artist: Paulo Siqueira

Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg

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At Marvel Comics, crossovers have become as common as a change in wind direction. Considering the first of this new era was 2005’s House of M, modern Marvel has relied on them longer than in the 90s. Even the best writers and ongoing series can struggle to avoid being more than pawns in the editorial shenanigans. Thankfully, A-Force as steered by Kelly Thompson has rode the waves of this storm magnificently. The crossover has enhanced what could’ve been a basic adventure.

Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) received a vision from the Inhuman Ulysses that her teammate Nico Minoru would murder a girl named Alice. Angered at the idea of being arrested for something which “could” happen, Nico fled to Ouray, Colorado. She wound up in the middle of a demon bug mystery with famed monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone. Now the rest of A-Force have shown up to either defend or detain her, as well as save the locals from all being transformed.

The previous issue was a blast, and this one gets even better. Medusa’s escalation of the situation soon gets the entire team in a shouting match. Considering king Black Bolt’s role in causing the recent “M-Pox” illness for mutants, Dazzler’s resentment comes full bore. Thankfully, the child like Singularity is there to ensure that all of the ladies calm down and don’t waste time fighting. Such a shame that she can’t do that for the rest of the superheroes and spare readers 8 months of this!

This Comic Handles Civil War II Better Than Civil War II!

Even better is a debate about Civil War II between Carol and Nico. Both express their points civilly (pun intended), and Nico seems to deconstruct things quite well. Dazzler and Medusa also clear the air regarding the tensions between mutants and Inhumans lately. Yet Elsa, who may be She-Hulk’s impromptu replacement, may end up stealing the issue with her endless energy. From being eager for sandwiches or shotguns, to her infinite profanity, Elsa’s the heroine we deserve.

The bug mystery also deepens. Alice, who Elsa was originally hired to find, is apparently the queen of the demon bugs. Yet she’s also the only one able to keep her wits and has isolated herself in a mine. Only able to telepathically communicate with Nico, Alice sees suicide as the only option and Nico as her only executioner. The bug-girl also gets a chance to show a lot of personality despite only turning up for a few pages. Maybe she can join A-Force too!

Once again, Paulo Siquiera and Rachelle Rosenberg have draw and colored an amazing issue. The cast all look terrific without looking like they’re posing, and the bugs look fearsome. Yet when Alice is introduced, her emotions are clear even though she’s in bug form. It really is all in the eyes. The homage to old school horror comics like Tales of the Crypt for the cover is also a nice touch. And as always, Thompson’s script is full of a lot of imagination, smart dialogue, action, and character arcs.

Raid Won’t Stop These Bugs!

In fact the only blemish to the issue surrounds that cover. Covers are often drawn months in advance, usually before a script is complete. Sadly, one pet peeve of mine are comics which build up to a big surprise which the cover has made obvious going in. Elsa Bloodstone turns into a bug herself. That’s not a spoiler. The cover shows it outright. Yet the climax relies on this being a shock. The issue almost pulls it off, and it is executed well enough. It’s a trope I’d rather not see, is all.

Pet peeves about finales aside, this is another terrific issue of one of Marvel’s best team books. It has turned what could have been an editorially mandated nightmare into motivation for its entire cast. The debate about security versus liberty never feels forced and Thompson depicts each character as being reasonable from their particular point of view. Such a skill shouldn’t be so rare in mainstream comic book writers, but it is and deserves appreciation. The art is fantastic, too.

Next: Check out our review for #8

A-Force #10 promises to reveal the cause of this bug bonanza, and that looks to be a terrific adventure as well. It will also be great to see She-Hulk return and perhaps see Thompson handle a well known Marvel villain sometime. But whatever the future holds for A-Force, it will be one full of great heroines, a lot of sass and plenty of originality. And all the cussing a letterer can bleep out!