Antebellum Marvel: Civil War: Front Line #1
Previously in The Amazing Spider-Man #532
I’m traveling the road to Civil War with Marvel so I can be caught up by the time this storyline hits the big screen. Please do not comment with spoilers if you’re familiar with this particular story arc, but you are welcome to provide non-spoiler answers to any questions I may ask in the review. If you are interested in following along, here’s the reading order I’ll be following.
- Issue: Civil War: Front Line #1
- Collaborators: Paul Jenkins, Ramon Bachs, Steve Leiber, Kei Kobayashi
Who’s In It:
Tony Stark (Iron Man), Peter Parker (Spider-Man), Speedball,
What Happens:
One of the most compelling aspects of this comic book event is how it looks at the Stamford tragedy, and the pros and cons of the Superhuman Registration Act, from many angles. Here, we get a behind-the-scenes look at how it’s being reported in the news.
Let us not forget that the journalism industry lost one of their own - the cameraman working on the reality show - in Stamford. The Daily Bugle, led by J. Jonah Jameson, is taking a conservative stance on this and decide to play up the story as an attack on America’s defenses.
Journalist Sally Floyd isn’t particularly happy with the coverage so when she receives a late-night visit from Spider-Man, she’s willing to listen. He asks her to think about how the SRA will affect the families of the “masked freaks.” He gives her a tip she’ll want to attend Tony Stark’s upcoming press conference. Then there’s an awkward moment where she tries to sleep with him and he’s all, “I’m married.”
Turns out Peter’s tip was a good one because Sally is there when Tony Stark finally reveals he’s Iron Man… again… but this time for realsies with no take-backs. This kicks off the ‘Embedded’ storyline.
Meanwhile, in upstate New York, ‘The Accused’ storyline begins when two men find Speedball in a ditch. He’s taken to a hospital where he wakes up to find a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent waiting to talk to him. Through the agent, Speedball learns about all the deaths, the SRA, and that he’s under arrest. Oh, and as a result of the explosion, he’s powerless.
Overall Thoughts:
- I was ready for some progression and we got some here. Speedball being in custody is interesting because now there is someone who can be accountable for what happened in Stamford.
- I feel like there’s some misdirection going on concerning Peter Parker coming out as Spider-Man. Will he really do it? This is almost as nerve-wracking as waiting to find out who’ll play Spider-Man in the MCU.
