Civil War II #0

Tweet

Civil War #0 | Writer: Brian Michael Bendis | Artist: Olivier Coipel | Color Artist: Justin Posnor | Letterer & Production: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Fresh off the mega success of Captain America: Civil War, which was loosely based off the comic book event by the same name, Marvel Comics has kicked off yet another Civil War event: Civil War II.

This prologue issue set some interesting storylines in motion, and chief among them is a Minority Report-esque concept of stopping crimes before they occur.

Jennifer Walters a.k.a She-Hulk

Jennifer loses a case in which an ex-con is accused of conspiracy to commit crimes based on casual conversations he had with old criminal acquaintances. He thought he was reminiscing, but he did so in the company of an undercover federal agent. Jennifer takes the loss hard, and even more so after she later learns her client was killed in prison.

James “Rhodey” Rhodes a.k.a War Machine

Rhodey is offered the position of Secretary of Defense with the full intention of it eventually leading to becoming president of the United States. It may be hard for Rhodey to say no considering the offer came directly from the president himself.

Carol Danvers a.k.a Captain Marvel

Carol is paid a visit by Doc Samson, who presses for information on the Ultimates’ plan to track and stop crimes before they happen. Plagued by so many near misses where the world came thisclose to being obliterated, the idea of such a program brings Carol a feeling of being in control.

Ohio State University

Mild-mannered Ulysses is about to ask out his classmate and crush, Michelle, when a Terrigen cloud descends upon the campus. Ulysses and Michelle are cocooned, and he emerges as an Inhuman with a devastation vision of the future.

The concept of precognition and thought police isn’t new, but I’m still looking forward to learning how our Marvel characters fall on different sides of this debate. Already we see S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill isn’t nearly as bothered by Jennifer’s client’s re-incarceration and subsequent death, as she believes he would have eventually broken the law again - never mind that he was in jail for something he didn’t do and died for it.

The introduction and transformation of Ulysses promises The Inhumans will play a large role in this new event. Between this, their Secret Wars tie-ins, and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., they’re well on their way to becoming a household Marvel name, and not just familiar to the hardcore comic book fans.

The series is off to a great start visually; the panels are sleek with an eye for the details that might not immediately catch your attention. Coipel and Posnor get a special black woman head nod for depicting Michelle’s natural hair so beautifully and realistically.

In the next two days my Civil War II coverage will continue with reviews of Ms. Marvel #7 and Civil War II #1.