marvel's civil war

  

           When my son M was little, he loved being read to every night before sleeping.   I hoped that by reading to him, I would also be able to cultivate in him the love for reading.  He grew up reading about Clifford and Little Critter's adventures.  Eventually, he began to choose books on his own:  Geronimo Stilton, Pokemon and most recently, the Wimpy Kid series.  Despite having an avid reader for a mom, somehow,  books seemed to  have lost the battle to the Ipod, PSP, Playstation and the Internet.

            In an effort to get him to start reading again, I decided to introduce him to graphic fiction, a fancy word for the comic.  I brought out my most favorite and treasured Marvel Comic Collection featuring the Civil War  arc.

         The Civil War series began in New Avengers Illuminati where Iron Man, Dr. Strange,  Prince Namor, Black Bolt, Professor X and Mr. Fantastic secretly met to work out how they can collectively deal with forces that could effect Earth's destruction.  In this comic, Iron Man shows his comrades a draft for the Superhuman Registration Act, a bill that requires all costumed heroes and other people with paranormal abilities to register their identities and work for the government.

         There are those who join Iron Man in thinking that it is time heroes became legit and work for the government so that they could be accountable to the people for their actions.  This also means registering their real identities to the government.  There are those who join Captain America in believing that the Superhuman Registration Act curtails the freedom that the superheroes fight for.  Releasing the heroes' secret identities to the government could mean danger for their families.  When the Act is passed, all heroes who don't support it are branded fugitives.    It's superhero vs. superhero.  Which side are you on?

In Frontline # 1- 11, readers are given a glimpse of what's happening behind the scenes through the eyes of reporters Sally Floyd and Ben Urich.  

          Also included in the Civil War series is the New Avengers set  #21 - 25, featuring the points of view of Lucas Cage, Spider-woman, etc. on the crisis.  This set is quite lackluster, so unlike the first 20 issues of this well written comic line.

       

          Among the super heroes, Spider-Man is one who has most to lose.  For years, Peter Parker  has kept his real identity secret to protect his family from villains like Dr. Octopus, the Lizard, and many more.    Events in this set are a precursor to a major upheaval in Peter's life. (Amazing Spider-man # 532 - 538).

The Civil War series also came with various one shots to complement the story.

          I hate to be a spoiler but the war ends with the death of one of my most favorite heroes, Captain America.   What would Captain America's death mean for the rest of the Marvel world?

             Fallen Son: The Death of a Dream is a  5 comic set that depicts the points of view of Wolverine, The Avengers, Spider-man, and Iron Man in the wake of Captain America's death.   In Fallen Son: Captain America, a surprise character returns unexpectedly.

           Here are some of the beautiful art rendered in this comic arc:

    
           M did pick up the series, reading avidly in the beginning.  But he eventually lost interest.   Getting him to read again is a challenge I shall continue to face.