Civil War II #6
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: David Marquez
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel
Reviewed by David Hildebrand
Civil War II is starting to become a long and drawn out tale. I have been patient with it. It has had shining moments, as well as dull moments. There are only two issues left for this event and I still feel like we are sitting here, spinning our wheels. Here is your warning, I will be going into spoilers from the previous book. If you are still waiting to read this, then you are going to want to skip my review.
Civil War II # 6 picks up where issue 5 left off. The big hero vs. hero battle has concluded for now. And in one of the more defining panels of the story, we are presented with a two page splash of the Inhuman Ulysses having a vision of Morales Spider-Man killing Captain America. It is such a beautifully crafted scene. I tip my hat to Marquez and Ponsor, who once again are the pair that save the issue. They have created a magnificent visual story from the start and their work held my attention throughout the issue. I wish I could say the same about the story. I don’t know if it is because of the delay in releasing the issues or if its the decision to add an extra issue to this story, but this issue goes back to dragging us along in the narrative.
Once again we are back to a setup issue and it almost serves as an introduction to the future of certain Marvel titles. The Guardians of the Galaxy are stranded on Earth now, which is setting up for their new arc. We also see RiRi Williams, who basically shows up out of nowhere. Also with her being the new kid on the block with no experience, it left me scratching my head, wondering why she is involved with this dire situation. Anyway, with all the setting up that has been going on throughout this story, I hope the payoff in the end blows me away.
I think at this point, I, as well as everyone else that has been reading, deserves an epic ending. There isn’t much progression in this issue. A bunch of dialogue between heroes with the ongoing debate about the visions. Carol and Tony are arguing over what to do with Morales after seeing the vision of Morales killing Captain America in Washington DC. Miles explains that he just wants to go home. The only strong character moment in the book is when Captain America comforts Miles, even after Cap has seen the vision of his demise along with all the other heroes. Captain Marvel has become such a polarizing character in this story. She has a moment where she almost shows regrets for her actions, only to revert right back to her stubborn beliefs in Ulysses’ visions. It has become a task to pull for anyone’s side in this battle now.
The Verdict
Flip a coin… is that a verdict? As I have said previously, if you are invested in this story, you aren’t going anywhere. Despite its slow pace, I am really hoping that Bendis pulls all of this together and kills it the next two issues. I am normally a fan of his writing, but this has become very hit and miss with me. Marquez’s artwork, along with Ponsor’s colors are consistent and have been brilliant to look at. They are the backbone to this book and are convincing me to see this to the end. If you aren’t reading this story by now, then just wait for the trade. I don’t see it worth picking up at this point. Just wait for it all to come in a nice neat package. And cross your fingers for an epic ending.
