Author: Mark Millar, Steve McNiven
Approximate Run Time: 6 hours
Release Date: March 2013
ISBN: 978-1-59950-952-5
Genre: Comic book Action
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0
The epic story that blows the Marvel Universe apart!
Iron Man and Captain America: two core members of the Avengers, the world's greatest super hero team.
After a tragic battle in Stamford Connecticut, the U.S. government demands that all super heroes unmask and register their powers.
To Tony Stark—Iron Man—it's a regrettable but necessary step.
To Captain America, it's an unbearable assault on civil liberties.
So begins the Civil War.
© Marvel
Review:
This is set at a time when there are numerous super heroes and wanna be super heroes raging through America. A young team of hotshots are doing a type of super hero reality show. Their antics go wrong and a terrible tragedy occurs. Government sources, already wary of villainous super beings, demand registration and disclosure of all super heroes and their powers. Tony Stark as Iron Man decides that it would be best for the super hero community to be visible and open. He supports the legislation for registration and helps set up the outer space detention center to hold villains and non-compliant super heroes.
Tony brings Peter Parker, Spiderman, along side to mentor him and use his special skills. Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic, is also wrapped up in the arrangements for the registration process and, as he struggles with all of the mathematical and mechanical equations, he loses touch with his own wife, Sue Storm, Invisible Woman.
Not all the super heroes agree with registration and Captain America becomes the leader of a resistance movement. Tony pulls them into a trap and in the ensuing battle one of the great super heroes, a friend of both sides, is killed by a character whom everyone believes to be another great super hero but turns out to be a clone. Sue leaves Reed to side with the resistance and, after learning more horrible truths, Peter changes sides too.
Tony and the government Shield office have programs to spy out the “caped” heroes and even more invasions of privacy. Tony thinks he’s right to support this but Captain America feels that the new law violates his freedoms. Super heroes who were once friends and allies line up to battle it out. Can the heroes come to terms or, in an effort to “be right”, will they destroy the community they are trying to protect?
This story presents a dilemma of balancing public protection and the civil liberties of individuals. There are personal issues and betrayals that add to the intrigue. I found it interesting to have these real life problems framed in a comic book story, but that doesn’t make them any less potent... maybe more so.
Audio Notes: I do LOVE GraphicAudio! The performance wraps around you, just as it claims: “a movie in your mind!” You hear the crash, clang and flare of the battles; the radio transmitted messages; and the whispered cries and sobs of loss. I might not pick up the comic book but this full performance audio makes for great entertainment. The individual narrators do a really good job of portraying the voices and the unique characters.
I received this Audio from GraphicAudio through Audiobook Jukebox.
