By: Mark MillarI've been largely put off super-hero comics since high school, but was intriuged by news of Marvel's Civil War as an allegory for the struggle to retain civil rights in a post 9/11 America. Civil War brings superheroes into the new Neocon America where they fight each other in a battle to defend their own rights in a somewhat surreal twist on 21st century politics. After a botched attack on some run-of-the-mill villains by a half-assed super-hero group (who are filming a reality TV show) ends up destroying a good couple blocks of Stamford, Connecticut, the paranoid eyes of the government turn on all heroes who hide behind masks in attempt to hold them accountable for their actions. The government finds an ally in Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) as a spokesman and leader for advancing their "Superhero Registration Act" - however, not all Superheroes are willing to put their identities on the line and thus put their families at risk. The first skirmish in the new war occurs when the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D try to take down good old Captain America himself- in a twist which pits the Capt against the country he's named to defend.
And so the superheroes of the Marvel Universe take sides against each other. Iron Man finds allies in the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man (which leads to his news-making public unmasking), while Captain America finds his own allies willing to go underground with him.
Overall, CW raises interesting points about privacy and terrorism through the lens of their alternate superhero-infested universe, but never really commits to a strong stance on the matter. It ends with a bit of ambiguity, although to be fair, it looks like they may be tying up loose ends in their Death of Captain America series- the title of which alone is loaded with meaning.
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