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COMIC BOOK REVIEW: Civil War #2

 
CivilWar2
CivilWar2
CivilWar2

 
Overview
 

Story by: Charles Seoule
 
Art by: Leinil Francis Yu & Gerry Alanguilan
 
Colors by: Sunny Gho
 
Publisher:
 
FG RATING
 
 
 
 
 
4.5/ 5


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Raves


Red Herrings galore; excellent art by Yu et al!; intriguing tale of strategy and espionage; consistent decent storytelling

Rants


Soule’s recent treatment on She-Hulk; some of Yu’s faceless art in far perspective; some in-gaps storytelling problems by Soule


To sum it all up..

Espionage How do you win a seeming endless war? This is what Charles Soule and Leinil Francis Yu attempt to answer in the Secret Wars tie-in mini-series Civil War #2. The Blue, led by Gen. Steve Rogers, and The Iron-led by Tony Stark, tries out to outwit and outthink with one another by their respective […]

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Posted August 21, 2015 by

 
FULL REVIEW
 
 

CivilWar2

Espionage

How do you win a seeming endless war? This is what Charles Soule and Leinil Francis Yu attempt to answer in the Secret Wars tie-in mini-series Civil War #2. The Blue, led by Gen. Steve Rogers, and The Iron-led by Tony Stark, tries out to outwit and outthink with one another by their respective strategies that may or may not tip the balance in their respective favors. Underlying the intense rivalry the leaders presented is the introduction of the characters and their corresponding alliances, most prominently Storm, Beast and Charles Xavier. The assassin in the first issue is yet to be found or identified by either party. Soule puts some a couple of red herrings to distract readers of deducing further the real assailant’s slightest persona or the overall motivational part that triggered the whole thing. In other words, this second chapter is more cerebral and character-driven that hopefully transit to the next chapter.

The structural narrative changes from Steve’s camp to another. Soule is aware of the balance of perspective in order to keep the readers’ thinking who’s the real culprit(s) or keeping the flow of the story as smoothly as possible as things are heating up for both sides are concerned. Additionally, what is a war without subterfuge? Or perhaps, Soule attempts to make readers guessing or making this limited series more of a spy-suspense thriller than a typical superhero smack down moment, save for the ultimate chapter.

As always, Leinil Yu’s illustrations are getting better in drawing intricate details, most especially the machineries used in The Blue, and the capitol city of The Iron. Moreover, Yu’s Achilles, women portrayal, are getting improved than the last time, particularly She-Hulk. His hyper-detailed and clean line executions during close-ups are noticeably remarkable, though the distance-far perspectives are now his only things he can improve as well. Since most of the scenes take place inside the structures and evenings, Gerry Alanguilan’s inks simply enhance Yu’s already moody and intense atmospheric settings further that the inker’s shadows presides the ominous developments in the following chapters to come. Colorist Sunny Gho balances almost perfectly Yu’s kinetic illustrations and Gerry’s trademark heavy inks that signify the colorist’s mastery on the tandem’s artistic dynamism to maximum effect.

On the downside, I feel uneasy how Soule portrays She-Hulk in this issue for that’s the exact opposite he interpreted then with Jennifer Walters in his critically-acclaimed She-Hulk run then: a very strong individual and not being easily being manipulated by anyone else, including Tony Stark (I am very aware that Stark did not sleep with her during the original, Mark Millar’s version, but I know that some writers did exploit She-Hulk’s sexuality to craft some rather uncomfortable moments). That’s my biggest beef in this consistently good mini-series. Another is the immediate demise of Elektra (hopefully not!) by the out-of-nowhere Sentinel attack. Sometimes, Soule has problems in sequential storytelling that leaves gaps in-between. However, Yu is the ever professional type and executed Soule’s scripts unto the pages.

Overall, Civil War #2 remains intriguing and engaging that can sustain the readers’ interest to the middle portion of the tale of the endless conflict. Some red herrings are in-placed to keep the readers off their feet a bit. But the art department shines more so for Yu et al displays some of their excellent artistic illustrations yet. Now, let’s see how things turn out in the next issue.

 

 


Paul Ramos

 


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