Civil War II #4

Previously in Civil War II #3

Civil War II #4 | Writer: Brian Michael Bendis | Artist: David Marquez | Color Artist: Justin Ponsor | Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles | Cover Artist: Marko Djurdjević

Hawkeye is a free man after being found not guilty of killing Bruce Banner, despite the fact he confessed to doing so at Banner’s behest. While everyone waits to see how the superhero community will react to his acquittal, most civilians agree with the verdict. The Hulk has caused his fair share of damage and people are relieved he’s no longer a factor.

One person not pleased is Jennifer Walters, She-Hulk and Banner’s cousin. She awakens from her coma and learns of his death and that his killer is free. That can’t end well for Hawkeye. Hopefully he’s found a good place to hide.

The best conflicts are those where each side has a valid point. That’s what made the first Civil War event so compelling. Both Steve and Tony made sense, and they each believed what they were doing was right. Here, though, I’m not sure we have the same balance. Tony figured out that Ulysses’ power is based on an algorithm and it’s basically guesswork. This is proven when Carol’s team apprehends a financial banker they suspect has ties to H.Y.D.R.A based on a vision from Ulysses, but once they have her in their custody it turns out she’s totally clean.

Carol justifies her actions, even when faced with Tony’s evidence, by saying it’s worth it if there’s even one chance Ulysses’ is right. She’s comfortable trampling over people’s civil liberties in the process. To Tony’s credit, he seems to have most of the heroes on Earth on his side, including Steve Rogers. When they “rescue” the banker from Carol’s team, we learn that Carol’s support isn’t limited to the planet.