Civil War II is doing exactly what it set out to do, offering a point of conflict that makes the reader question even his favourite character’s point of view. Brian Michael Bendis further complicates matters with a detailed analysis of Ulysses’ abilities, muddying the waters either more.
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“I am so lost. I need your help.”
Tony Stark is at his most earnest here and has seemingly come to terms with the status quo of a post-Rhodey and Banner world. Gone is the outright aggression of issue #2 and the rashness of issue #3, and in its place, we are left with a Stark mired in frustration that no one else see’s the situation like he does.
“I wanted to be wrong so I can go back to my life and take a nap”
It is here that he makes the strongest case for not following the visions of Ulysses as if they were carved in stone. It’s a reasoned argument, and though the means through which he discovered that information are a bit unethical, he does openly admit that his previous actions had a Doctor Doomish quality, so at least he isn’t in denial.
Bendis doesn’t exactly hide who Stark is talking to, but the reveal is worth it nonetheless. It’s a great callback to the original event, but the bigger surprise is that Carol has been there the entire time.
“I knew the probability of her doing that”
Let’s take a second to recognize just how gorgeous David Marquez and Justin Ponsor’s art on this series has been thus far. Marquez’s Captain Marvel has a steady confidence and a constant swagger in every panel and he convey’s these character’s emotions through their expressions and mannerisms rather skilfully. The art team is just knocking it out of the park.
It can be argued that Carol is going against her better judgement now, especially after she gets confirmation from Hank McCoy that Stark’s judgements of Ulysses abilities are indeed accurate. At this point, conflict is unavoidable, with the actual solution residing somewhere between both hero’s arguments.
The surprise entrance on the last page guarantees that next issue should be a blast.
Rating 4 out of 5 Stars
Written By: Brian Michael Bendis
Art By: David Marquez
Colors By: Justin Ponsor
Lettered By: VC’s Clayton Cowles
