Marvel Civil War: Whose Side Are You On?

Civil War: A Marvel Comics Event
by Mark Miller, Steve McNiven, Dexter Vines, and Morry Hollowell

Why did I read it?

So that same brother that told me about The New 52 Justice League? He also loves him some Avengers, Captain America and Iron Man, so he's been chatting about Marvel Civil War for a while. Once again, I couldn't help but add it to our Teen section.

What happened?

Everybody and their mother has their own reality TV show, so why shouldn't super heroes? Young heroes do battle with villains and capture petty criminals for the thrill of the TV watching populace. But, when a chance at higher ratings winds up destroying an entire city block, people aren't amused anymore.

This flagrant disregard for a citizen's safety brings up the age-old question of super hero registration. Iron Man, SHIELD, and the United States Government are tired of heroes running around without any accountability or training. Heroes are therefore required to register with SHIELD, or hang up the tights.

Obviously, this doesn't sit well with some heroes. Secret identities help protect their already shaky personal lives. Captain America is asked to hunt down heroes who won't comply, but instead, he agrees with them and starts a resistance movement for freedom. Soon teams are torn apart, alliances are broken, and families are split right down the center. Whose side are you on?

What did I like or not like?

The idea of heroes fighting heroes isn't new. There have been plenty of crossover comics. But, the idea that the entire Marvel universe is in a state of Civil War is way too cool to pass up. Whoever your favorite hero is, they most likely wind up on one side or the other, and you'll probably get to see them fighting against another hero.

But underneath the action are the ideas of responsibility, loyalty, freedom, and who heroes are actually fighting for.

DC Versus Marvel Comics

DC Versus Marvel Comics by Ron Marz & Peter David (and a lot of illustrators, editors, and letterers from DC and Marvel Comics)

Why did I read it?

A couple patrons mentioned that I don't have enough comic books in the Young Adult section. So, I grabbed a couple comic encyclopedias and this one. Once it arrived I brought it home for a couple of my brothers to read, and then I got the chance to read it. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was still good.

What happened?

Comic book heroes are starting to disappear. But, not disappear completely. No. They are starting to show up in their rival comic book universe. Spider-Man runs into Joker, Juggernaut meets Superman, Robin runs into Jubilee...Whether its heroes, villains, or citizens, everyone is affected.

Once both universes are severely confused and mixed-up, the announcement comes. Each hero will be pitted against another hero from their rival universe. Whichever universe has the most victors will remain. The other will be obliterated.

So Superman fights The Hulk, Captain America does battle with Batman, Spider-Man contends with Superboy, and countless other battles are waged across two universes to decide the fate of all.

What did I like or not like?

While I really enjoyed the imagination behind the battles and the overall story that brought the characters together, I don't think the battles were long enough. When the heroes faced off, the longest one was like eight frames. Lame!

Now I understand that their has to be a story behind the battles, comic books really aren't very long, and ultimately we like it when heroes are fighting side by side not face to face. But, there was and is a little bit of hype around this showdown, and the battles themselves were a little disappointing.

Overall though, the art was really cool, the thought of creators from both of the biggest comic book companies collaborating is pretty sweet, and the way they got the characters to fight but also team up was pretty imaginative.

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

The Avengers: The Ultimate Guide to Earth's Mightiest Heroes by Scott Beatty, Alan Cowsill and Alastair Dougall

Why did I read it?

Because I am so super excited to watch Marvel's The Avengers this weekend! I know that the movie has been out since May 4th, but I was waiting for my Dad to get back from a trip to watch it. But, in the meantime, this book came up on one of the lists that I watch, and I couldn't resist getting it for the library.

What happened?

This book happens to be non-fiction, so it doesn't exactly have a story line. But it does contain a ton of summaries of Avengers' comics story lines :) It brings you through the first Avengers comic in 1963, all the way through the modern story lines of the Civil War and the start of the Heroic Age.

In-between, it has hero profiles, details on super villains, the agencies that The Avengers run into, and a look at The Avengers through each decade since their inception.

Another cool feature is the Key Issues. These are the really groundbreaking comics that made The Avengers what they are today.

What did I like or not like?

While I thought the book was awesome, I read it more as a reference work instead of reading it cover to cover. Sometimes I read the text and background, and other times I just looked at the pictures lol. The pages are visually interesting, filled with comic panels and pictures of the heroes, and the authors are very knowledgeable about their source material.

I've read a couple other hero encyclopedias and guides from Scott Beatty. They were interesting and very informational, and this one is no different :)