In a war you must choose a side, and in a civil war that often means you may be on the opposite side of your friends and family. Marvel’s Civil War II story has already claimed the lives of some big time heroes, RIP Bruce Banner, but the most tragic casualty of a civil war is the loss of friendship. Much like Civil War I when Captain America and Iron Man were at each other’s throats, in this new outbreak of hostilities, many heroes have had to deal with the loss of their friends based on the side they chose.
Civil War II: Choosing Sides Issue #5 is divided into three short books, “Alpha Flight”, “Colleen Wing”, and “Nick Fury”. With a comic like this in a long running series like Civil War II you get to see the outcome of choices people make based on the psychic information that the Inhuman Ulysses can provide based on his powers.
“Alpha Flight” the Canadian band of superheroes has arrested a young man three days before he would kill his father to harness his superpowers. Ulysses has seen the murder happen, and an innocent man is arrested for a crime he would commit. The idea of stopping something before it happens plays heavily in the timeline of Civil War II. Marvel had me won over with this comic because of “Alpha Flight”. No I didn’t really care much about the moral dilemma that the Alpha Flight team was facing, it was the inclusion of Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a character in the story. I am Canadian, and proud to be, and to see my Prime Minister as a character in a comic book, is AWESOME.
Why is this so great you might ask? Trudeau is the world leader who is current, has long range plans that will no doubt contribute to a better world, and he is likeable. I would not be able to accept any Prime Minister from the last forty years being a character in a Marvel comic, but Trudeau fits in. He asks the tough questions of Alpha Flight as they try to explain why they were on television arresting someone who didn’t commit a crime yet. Trudeau knows all about Ulysses, and he trusts Alpha Flight to make the right decisions because they have earned that trust. But he makes it clear that he doesn’t believe civil liberties should be trampled on.
But it’s not done yet, because Trudeau meets up with a broken and tired Iron Man to spar in a gym in Ottawa. The dialogue between the two, real Prime Minister and imaginary billionaire seems real, like it has happened, and that’s what makes this comic so appealing. I can suspend the disbelief of aliens and humans with meta powers because of the inclusion of reality. It all seems like it could happen.
“Colleen Wing” was a nice filler to “Nick Fury”. Friends on different sides battle each other and talk at the end. “Nick Fury” was a fun little adventure with Nick Fury battling a doppelganger Nick Fury of the 1960’s. Throughout the whole book the predictions of Ulysses has set in motion the action of the characters in Choosing Sides Issue #5. What do you do when the friends and family you have known forever choose a different side in a civil war? How far are you willing to go to defend what you believe? Would you fight or even kill a friend if forced to in a civil war? These are the issues that all Marvel characters have grappled with since this series began.
My Opinion:
I have read many comics in the Civil War II timeline, and it is hard to find one that I didn’t like. Seeing my Prime Minister in a comic book was exciting and at the same time it seemed normal. The real life Prime Minister Trudeau is a boxer, and when he knocks Tony Stark down in the sparring session, I believe Justin would be the winner in real life
“Colleen Wing” is a forgettable story that filled the gap in the book. The artwork was enjoyable and seeing Misty Knight and Colleen Wing talk at the end of their battle about what to do in a time like a civil war was nice, but it didn’t leave me wanting to know more about them or anyone else in this story line.
“Nick Fury” brings the admirable and compelling character front and center to his own story. Fury, the present day model of the character, battles a robot double of the 1960’s character. Ulysses predicted that Fury must go on this mission which would result in his death, thus saving S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick ends his own story with a cliff-hanger making you the reader buy the next issue.
This was an enjoyable book with big and smaller Marvel stars that continues the Civil War II journey without making you feel like it was needlessly stretched out. Plus, any Canadian who likes seeing their Prime Minister be a strong character that can take on Iron Man, will want to own this issue.