Civil War Journal – Week Nineteen
By Matt Conner
Civil War II only touches three titles this week, and two of them are absurdly unrelated. But the other is Bendis’s best Iron Man issue ever.
Welcome back to Civil War Journal, Bam Smack Pow’s weekly recap column of all things Civil War II. The story is just over halfway finished, but the post-event books are coming out this week, and this week’s issues are three titles finishing up their tie-in arcs. Luckily, the Invincible Iron Man chapter makes a whole war worth it.
What happened? The image Ulysses saw? Captain America crucified? The one that inspired Spider-Man 2099 to follow her into the future? That’s Jameson’s mock-up art for a front page story about her execution. But the heroes of 2099 defeat the Skrulls holding the Captain, so the image never really happens.
Was it good? For a 2099 fan, yes, blending nostalgia for Marvel’s sci-fi family of books with new characters and paranoia. For Civil War II fans? Nope. Ulysses gets one mention, his vision is of a lousy mock-up photo, and even that’s wrong. I guess the heroes fighting Skrull versions of other heroes is a Civil War approximation, but it has nothing to do with the themes of this year’s story.
Recommendation: Let this one fade to memory.
What happened? Warrior Woman tries to resurrect Namor to fulfill Ulysses’s prophecy but fails to secure a good time machine. Hyperion and Doctor Spectrum accidentally travel back to the battle that killed Namor but don’t know what to do next. Nighthawk has one page of Ulysses showing him the future, “and I do not like what I see.” But we don’t get to see it.
Was it good? Again, Squadron Supreme has been a much better book than the opening arc would suggest, but it’s barely a Civil War II tie-in, and this was a weak issue for this arc.
Recommendation: Nope, not if you have a crossover budget to watch.
What happened? The stress of the War with Captain Marvel sends Iron Man to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. She ends up going to the same one, and they have a deep conversation about their respect for each other, their faith in their side of the argument, and how close they had come to dating back in the day. In the epilogue, Tony’s mother comes to visit, and she learns there’s been “a development” during the not-yet-published chapters of Civil War II that will keep her from seeing him.
Was it good? Amazing. The talk between the leaders was honest and brutal and wonderful. This is the scene that needs to happen in a tie-in, something to enrich the overall battle but in a way that doesn’t slow down the action of the main book.
Recommendation: You don’t need all of the Invincible Iron Man issues. But you do need this one.
Three books ended their tie-in arcs. Two of them showed how disconnected the overall project has been, but one example proved what a shared universe adds to a big story.
Tie-In Round-Up:
Recommended: The main series, of course, with preludes from the zero issue and the Free Comic Book Day pages. Also The Accused, All-New Wolverine, Captain America: Sam Wilson, Captain America: Steve Rogers, Captain Marvel, Civil War II: Ulysses, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Invincible Iron Man #14, Ms. Marvel, and Uncanny Inhumans.
Good but not top tier: A-Force, All-New All-Different Avengers, Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man, Civil War II: Choosing Sides (but only the Damage Control story and the Whitley/Sauvage eulogy for War Machine), Civil War II: Gods Of War, Civil War II: X-Men, Deadpool until issue 15, The Fallen, International Iron Man, Invincible Iron Man until #13, Mockingbird, Nova, New Avengers, Patsy Walker AKA: Hellcat, Power Man And Iron Fist, Rocket Raccoon And Groot, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Woman, Squadron Supreme, Totally Awesome Hulk, The Ultimates, Thunderbolts, Uncanny Avengers, Venom
Not good: Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., the bulk of Civil War II: Choosing Sides, Civil War II: Kingpin, Deadpool after issue 15
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