Civil War

by Mark Millar

Other authorsSteve McNiven (Illustrator), Morry Hollowell (Colorist)
Paperback, 2007

Status

Checked out
Due 22-11-2023

Call number

741.5973

Publication

Panini Books (2007), Edition: UK Edition, 196 pages

Description

Whose side are you on? A conflict is brewing that threatens to pit friend against friend, brother against brother and all it will take is a single misstep to cost thousands their lives and ignite the fuse! As the war claims its first victims, no one is safe as teams, friendships and families begin to fall apart and the Marvel Universe super heroes go to war against each other.

User reviews

LibraryThing member jshillingford
Civil War opens with a horrific event. A team of teen heroes, working on a reality tv show, go after some villains way beyond their capability. A school full of children is destroyed when Nitro unleashes an enormous explosion. In the wake of the tragedy, the US government responds to public
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pressure by passing the Superhero Registration Act (SHRA) – all superpowered people must now register with, work for, and be accountable to, the Federal government. This Act divides the heroes for and against the law: Tony Stark’s Iron Man in support of it, and Captain America in opposition to it.

The creators of Civil War tried keep the story from being black and white. There’s supposed to be no “villain,” just two groups divided over opinion. However, I don't think they fully succeeded in doing so. Tony is not evil, but he is WRONG. Cap’s people are technically criminals, breaking the law. But, just because a law exists does not make it right or just. The government sanctioned internment camps for Japanese citizens during WWII, and Prohibition seemed like a good idea. But, people are trading freedom for security (something the Civil War writers specifically mention in the commentary). Though Cap is on the wrong side of the law, it is Tony’s pro-SHRA side that makes the morally questionable decisions – like cloning Thor and forcing/using supervillains to hunt down Cap and his colleagues. The writers tried to paint Tony as making a difficult choice because he believes in it. Instead, it was more like acting out of guilt and ego; losing the adulation of the public was as horrific for him as the innocent deaths. Tony, unlike many heroes, is shielded from the more severe consequences of the SHRA. He’s still rich; he’ll not be the hero on street that has to be licensed to break up a mugging. He (and Reed) will run things from inside the ivory tower; they will still exercise power. I don’t think Tony came off as a villain, but I do think he came across as weak and cowardly. He’s a futurist, but it is always a future he builds and controls. For Cap, popularity has never been a goal, or even a benefit. He fights for what is right, and it is wrong to force people to work for the government because of gifts/skills they possess. Should all expert marksmen have to join the military? Or geniuses forced to work in government labs? Taking away freedom may provide security, but then you have the House of M.

I do feel the writers stayed true to the characters. Cap and Tony’s thoughts and actions make sense, as do their allies (even to some side-switching). Further, the conclusion was the only one that could work. ***SPOILER*** Registration has to prevail, or the crossover would have been meaningless; the status quo would not have changed. Civil War is downright depressing at moments, seeing these heroes fight their friends, but it is also a superb piece of writing. I look forward to seeing how the chips fall in the Marvel Universe.

The first half of the Civil War hardcover collection is the main event. The second half of the collection has bonus materials which include: an interview with the creators, some fake newspaper articles and headlines covering the Registration act, as well as the full script of Civil War. The script section was especially enlightening as it includes commentary from the creators interspersed throughout. Readers learn why certain things unfolded as they did, why some panels were drawn the way they were, and more importantly, what the creators feel Cap and Tony were thinking during the story. Overall, this event was downright amazing and I look forward to reading the tie-ins. Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member craso
A group of reality tv show superheroes go up against a group of serious villains with tragic results. A school full of children is destroyed killing hundreds of people. The U.S. government is urged by an activist mother of one of the victims, Tony Stark, and S.H.I.E.L.D., to create a new law that
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would insure all superheroes register with the government and become employees of the government. S.H.I.E.L.D. would over see training and deployment of the super humans. Captain America sees this as a violation of the freedoms of the superheroes as well as a creation of a super human military body. Cap, along with his close allies, refuse to register and become outlaws. Tony Stark, a.k.a Ironman, leads the law abiding superheroes to try and capture the law breakers. A lot of unexpected alliances are made and some close relationships are torn apart.

This is an extremely intelligent storyline. It gives you a lot to think about. After so many school slayings and public shootings I can see people becoming scared and pushing the government into hasty actions. I am the type of person who believes rules are there for a reason so I lean towards Tony Starks side. Why not regulate superheroes? Make sure they are stable personalities and properly trained. The problem is I believe in Captain America and what he stands for and I know he is correct. Freedoms will be lost and that is wrong. Once freedoms are surrendered they are hard to get back.

The art work is beautiful and the writing is excellent. It you are a fan of Marvel comics and movies especially the Avengers this is a must read.
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LibraryThing member mattsya
Miller and McNiven put the familiar Marvel Superheroes into a very unfamiliar setting, pitting two groups in superheroes in an idealogical battle against each other. McNiven's art is almost photo-realistic and will appeal to most comic and manga fans. The story is filled with parallels to current
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politics and can generate great discussion. Both factions are convinced they are right, and readers can debate which side they agree with. A great story, and a great discussion tool.
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LibraryThing member BooksOn23rd
I LOVE Volume 1 of Marvel’s CIVIL WAR! Written by Mike Millar, penciled by Steve McNiven, inked by Dexter Vines, and colored by Morry Hollowell, this collection of Issues #1-7 is an amazing collaboration.
If you love Marvel (I’m a Marvel girl!) you have to get this now if you don’t already own
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it.
Some fans like to read each issue as it comes out. I myself prefer to wait for collections so that it reads more like a graphic novel. The printing and extras included in this first volume are beautiful. The coloring pops out at you and the lines are exquisite. This is one of the best collections I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to continue the series! Technically, I could have started with Civil War: Road to Civil War, but I didn’t think it was necessary.
As every comics fan knows, in 2007 Marvel had a ‘major event’ in pitting their superheroes against each other. After a tragic incident that killed many civilians, the government decides that all superheroes will be unmasked and registered. This divides our friends into the pro-register group led by Iron Man and the rebel group led by Captain America. There are some heavy-duty fisticuffs as they try to sort themselves out.
The story is really just getting revved up in this volume. We learn who is on which side and see some members being debated with as to where their loyalties should be.
It helps if you are already familiar with the Marvel universe, as there are so many characters in the story. The real strength of this book is the beauty of the art on these pages.
I am so happy to have this book in my collection! On to Civil War: Black Panther! I recommend CIVIL WAR Volume 1 to everyone.
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LibraryThing member BooksOn23rd
I LOVE Volume 1 of Marvel’s CIVIL WAR! Written by Mike Millar, penciled by Steve McNiven, inked by Dexter Vines, and colored by Morry Hollowell, this collection of Issues #1-7 is an amazing collaboration.
If you love Marvel (I’m a Marvel girl!) you have to get this now if you don’t already own
Show More
it.
Some fans like to read each issue as it comes out. I myself prefer to wait for collections so that it reads more like a graphic novel. The printing and extras included in this first volume are beautiful. The coloring pops out at you and the lines are exquisite. This is one of the best collections I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to continue the series! Technically, I could have started with Civil War: Road to Civil War, but I didn’t think it was necessary.
As every comics fan knows, in 2007 Marvel had a ‘major event’ in pitting their superheroes against each other. After a tragic incident that killed many civilians, the government decides that all superheroes will be unmasked and registered. This divides our friends into the pro-register group led by Iron Man and the rebel group led by Captain America. There are some heavy-duty fisticuffs as they try to sort themselves out.
The story is really just getting revved up in this volume. We learn who is on which side and see some members being debated with as to where their loyalties should be.
It helps if you are already familiar with the Marvel universe, as there are so many characters in the story. The real strength of this book is the beauty of the art on these pages.
I am so happy to have this book in my collection! On to Civil War: Black Panther! I recommend CIVIL WAR Volume 1 to everyone.
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LibraryThing member Pantalaimon01
Interesting idea, not as well executed as it could have been. My main problem was that in order to get the story working the way he wanted, the author has had some protagonists act completely out of character, especially Reed Richards and Iron Man. There were some rather predictable moments, and
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for me the main battle and the ending were a bit of a let down.
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LibraryThing member JonathanCrites
Well, this is the second major crossover to come through the Avenger's books under Bendis' reign but it was not written by Bendis. While I understand the criticism of the somewhat abrupt ending to this story, I still really enjoyed it as a whole. It is a high concept story with enough ambiguity to
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fuel a lot of great tie-ins and future story opportunities. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member Elliots89
I enjoyed the comic, it had some great artwork and a good storyline.
LibraryThing member ptdilloway
Much better than the video game.
LibraryThing member branimal
I don't know what I expected here.

This was a colossal letdown. To be truthful, I was pretty bored reading this. I read a few reviews from people on here that suggested reading a few of the other individual "Civil War" issues as they more or less, fill in some gaps.

I had this gut feeling that I
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wasn't really going to understand what was going on here. With all these other story lines running on the side in individual series', I wasn't sure where to start. Hey, it's not rocket science; I did manage to get the gist of it but I failed to see the point. I didn't quite understand why they needed to kick the crap out of each other! Especially considering the way it ends. I also hated Iron Man bringing in several super-villains to aid him in his arrest of Captain America and his rebel forces.

The idea was extremely interesting and I kept thinking how I would have written it or pulled it off. I had a few scenarios in my head but nothing seemed interesting. It's hard to really pin-point my problem with the series but I'm hoping someone can guide me in the right direction. Do I need to read the others? Is there something I'm missing?
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LibraryThing member aarow
The art was nice and the story had great potential but it ended up being a huge let down.
LibraryThing member BFoote
To any of those who like (or in this case LOVE) Marvel Comics, this is the one stop shop for all you guys and girls. The story is really good and I think you will be surprised with a few of the scenarios and changes in the story a.k.a. unexpected turns. The whole thing is about Superhero and Super
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villain Registration and some agreeing and disagreeing, which leads to a civil war. For all you Spider Man lovers, Spidey finally gets the suit Tony Stark makes for him, THE CIVIL WAR SUIT! All in all this is a comic you must read.
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LibraryThing member JonathanGorman
Great artwork, but it would have been nice to explore some more themes. Maybe they did in individual series, but to be honest it doesn't have the depth of feeling that storylines like "Days of Future Past did.
LibraryThing member Warnerp
Amazing Marvel artwork blends with a modern, mature, post-911 storyline of paranoia, and there is a brilliant comparison between images of the 1800s Civil War and this modern one of superheroes on two sides.
LibraryThing member schatzi
I've been reading Marvel for about a year now, and I've been slowly back-tracking to catch up on major events. From the beginning, the Civil War event has always seemed intriguing to me - superhero against superhero! What could be more exciting than that? And some of the tie-ins have been
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interesting to me - X-Factor creating a safe have for those who don't wish to register, Captain America becoming a "criminal," Cable joining the resistance, etc - so I figured that the main event itself would be awesome.

Except it wasn't.

The story definitely had a lot of potential, but it didn't really seem to go anywhere. Tony Stark, whom I've never really cared for (especially after the "Mr. Parker Goes to Washington" arc in Amazing Spider-Man), is a downright unlikeable tool here. And for all of the talk, nothing much happened. Sure, there's a couple of "traps" sprung on those who refuse to register, which leads to a couple of fights, but none of these are particularly interesting. There's a couple of double agents, spies, and people crossing sides, but I didn't care much for that, either. Even Number 42, a super-secret prison for those superheroes who refuse to register with the government, was rather blah. The ending was just as bad. And in all of the fighting, only a couple of people died - Goliath and two supervillains whose names I can't remember.

I was expecting something really poignant that explored the effects that this could have on a family, on a superhero team, on friendships. Instead, all I got was a couple of flashy battle scenes. This could have been so much better than it was.
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LibraryThing member Suva
Although this may be the beginning of a marvel 'event' not too much seems to happen over the seven issues in this collection. The idea of superheroes being legislated is an old one and has been done much better before. Instead of a slow considered conversation about registration we are given a
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simplified cause for the change and then are thrown into a tiresome 'who's side are you on' affair with underwhelming infighting and betrayal. I was left with the impression that civil war was both too laboured and too shallow at the same time. The writing is predictable and the artwork uninspired.
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LibraryThing member -Eva-
The U.S. government passes a Superhero Registration Act and Iron Man and Captain America end up on opposite sides of the law. I picked this up because I watched a couple of the trailers for the upcoming film and was thoroughly confused about the portrayed allegiances. This one cleared it up for me
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and I am looking forward to seeing how it all plays out in the movie. Some of the characters are a little "off" for me, but that might be because I am not following the comics in any sort of orderly fashion. Quite entertaining storyline, some very interesting twists, and a couple of kick-ass battles.
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LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
Mark Millar brings his political and cultural awareness to Civil War, Marvel's version of the USA PATRIOT Act in which a disaster involving superheroes results in the creation of the Superhuman Registration Act. Captain America and his followers represent the ideas of individual liberty while Iron
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Man and his camp fight for the perceived general good. Spider-Man serves as the everyman, at first wanting to protect the public before realizing that Iron Man's program compromises everything that he's fought for over the years.
Chock-full of superhero cameos, Civil War was THE Marvel event of the year when it debuted, with aftershocks felt throughout the publisher's titles for years to come. The ending may feel a bit forced, but it makes sense given Captain America's character while Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic's arrogance is now typical of their characters. Most importantly, both this story and Millar's run on The Ultimates influenced the tone and characterization of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which launched the following year. Now, Marvel Studios plans to base their thirteenth film, Captain America: Civil War on this series while Marvel Comics will release a follow-up to this comic, Civil War II, in 2016.
Those looking to enjoy large-scale superhero battles unlike those the movie's character limitations can provide or who want to enjoy the story itself before Marvel rehashes it should pick this up.
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LibraryThing member Al-G
Great artwork and a wonderfully complex topic with a great story line. The central issue of whether superheroes, those who have always been generally considered good guys, should be registered, trained and regulated by the government. Some of the Avengers (and eventually pretty much the whole
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Marvel universe) agree that this is a reasonable request while others call it fascism and a restriction of civil liberty. Interestingly this was published in 2007 but it with a few small changes the story line could fit into today's headlines. Iron Man sees the need to register superbeings while Captain America opposes it. I enjoyed everything about this book with the exception of one important point: I didn't like the ending. I felt like it was a bit abrupt and it left too much unresolved.
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LibraryThing member ms_rowse
My friend lent these to me, after I read an article that suggested the next several years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is gearing up for a storyline similar to that found in these comics. I finished them last month and kept forgetting to write a review...

I loved them--and I'm not a hard-core
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comic book fan. There were a few things that were a bit lost on me, just because of my own comic book ignorance, but I didn't think it was that far beyond me grasp overall.

If you're into the Marvel movies, this is a must read.
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LibraryThing member ennuiprayer
It never fails to amaze me how great Mark Millar's writing can be. And the art work? Beautiful.
LibraryThing member KurtWombat
The crux of this story intrigued me. The Marvel world of super heroes face government certification—a process that requires surrendering their “secret” identities. Some are willing, some are not. The ensuing clash is told with great energy and vibrant vivid art work. The framing of the scenes
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involving multiple heroes balanced the colors to great effect. Quite fun to look at with 200 pages of rippling muscles, arched backs and elegant elongated athletic limbs all in distinct colorful costumes but the ending seemed more like a teaser for a grander project than this supposedly self contained 7 issue collection. A reasonable case is made for each side of this conflict with the crisis of conscience of Captain America being the highlight for me. While I don’t require stories to be wrapped up with a nice little bow, so much weight was given the impending final conflict that to have an ambiguous ending was a bit of a jaw dropper. Still a nice ride even though I didn’t care for the destination.
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LibraryThing member Daumari
Pretty straightforward, though I'm now going to have to read the 10 or so other volumes to get the full picture... it's fascinating how this predates Sandy Hook and yet... life imitates art. Sort of. Except we didn't register guns after children died, so, no.
LibraryThing member MickyFine
n the wake of a superhero battle that ends in the deaths of dozens of children, there is a large outcry in America for superheroes to be registered. Leading the charge in favour of this movement is Tony Stark and opposing him with an increasing number of supporters is Captain America. When the
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entire superhero community is divided and fighting itself, who really wins?

Sooo much better than the film. This is obviously a huge comic book event with characters from all over the Marvel universe making appearances and playing a role, whether large or small. The artwork in this collection is fantastic with extraordinarily rich details. Also, this one has an ending I was not expecting and I'll definitely be tracking down plot resolutions for that one at some point as obviously the comics and films are divergent.
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LibraryThing member ssimon2000
So there was a civil war, and that's that. The story started out somewhat plausible, but along the way, it got lost in the shuffle. Battle. Whatever.

I'm not a big fan of Marvel comics, but this one was on sale at Amazon so, why not? The artwork was good, and aside from not knowing all of the
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characters, I was able to follow along pretty well. The moral and ethical questions developed seemed to be left on the sidelines, and that disappointed me. Maybe these questions were covered more in-depth in the carry-overs across the Marvel spectrum. If I ever see those on sale, perhaps I'll pick them up to try and gain some more of the background. Perhaps.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2007-04-09

Physical description

196 p.; 6.81 inches

ISBN

1905239602 / 9781905239603

Barcode

2248
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