Artistic comics are all well and good, but sometimes comic fans need to turn to the two major mainstream publishers, Marvel and DC, to remind them what drew them to comics in the first place. However, thanks to frequent shake-ups, today's comics, even established titles like "The Amazing Spider-Man", may be nearly unrecognizable to fans who read them in their youth.
Like a soap opera, the serialzed plot lines for comic books frequently experience shake-ups, which means that every so often, Marvel and DC decide that it's time restructure their respective universes, and embark on plotlines designed to change the fundamental circumstances of their worlds. These plotlines are introduced every few years and usually involve, or "tie-in," most of the popular characters of the DC and Marvel universes (respectively, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Captain America, may he rest in peace).
Both Marvel and DC recently wrapped up their latest series' of hard-hitting tie-ins. Marvel called theirs "Civil War," which is essentially what it sounds like: a full-on conflict between all of the superheroes in the Marvel Universe, who are neatly divided down ideological lines. This week, DC ends "52," a complex and more outlandish series that deals with the still-lingering after-effects of "Infinite Crisis," the last shake-up that DC published.
Both companies recognize the need for the occasional tap of the "reset button." They use the same characters, forever ageless, over and over again, and after a while, viable plot lines become scarce. By changing the rules of the game, the writers of these books are given new opportunities for plots that would never have otherwise existed. The shake-ups themselves also provide an opportunity to bring some of the best writers in the industry on board. Mark Millar, writer of "The Ultimates" for Marvel, wrote the plot of the main "Civil War" special, and Grant Morrison of "The Invisibles" fame was heavily involved with writing "52."
In "Civil War," which ended its run in February and is being released in trade paperbacks this month, the heroes of the Marvel universe are divided over governmental legislation requiring "superhero registration" that forces all people fighting evil in costume to register with the government and become federal employees. During the storyline, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, flirts with facism and becomes the lead proponent for registration after a distinctly 9/11-like tragedy caused in part by untrained superheroes. Captain America refuses to hunt down heroes for the government, and so becomes an outlaw himself. The plot reveals more about the characters under the masks than ever before, and the artwork, drawn by Steve McNiven, is brutally beautiful and emotionally appropriate.
DC's "52" deals with less literal metaphors than governmental interference. In the aftermath of "Infinite Crisis," in which the "Multiverse" was supposedly destroyed save for our Earth, the Justice League must deal with the absence of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman, none of whom even show up in the miniseries for the first thirty issues. Densely plotted, with more regard for complicated sci-fi explanations of events than character development, "52" is a typical DC foray in to the art of the shake-up, but don't underestimate Morrison's power to make your jaw drop.
As in most tie-ins, there is always a major character, and a few minor ones, that end up biting the dust. The death of Captain America was the biggest of these, and made headlines across the country. The real country, that is.
The death of Captain America, a character who was meant to personify in so many ways the aspects of our ideal society, is a sly jab at the current political situation, as is much of "Civil War".
But don't get bogged down in the political subtext: "Civil War" is an awesome read, as are the subplots going on in the different comic lines in the Marvel Universe, and I'd recommend looking at it when the trade paperbacks are released this month. If you can find back issues of "52," I say go ahead, but you might want to wait until they're all collected before reading, simply so you can understand it.
