Riding a wave of elite-targeting anger and general populism to an unprecedented level of power in order to break down the establishment and give the people security and order is beginning to become en vogue. Last week, we had the inauguration of Donald Trump. This week, we have Steve Rogers with echoes of the same.
Mere days before 2016 comes to a close, Marvel's "winter" event series Civil War II has released its last issue. But Civil War II wasn't going to go down without at least adding a few more twists to the future of the Marvel Universe... and oh boy, did it add some.
There might be Team Tony and Team Carol, and there might even have been distractions like Hawkeye vs Bruce Banner, but we've known from the get go that Civil War II would all boil down to one almighty clash: Iron Man vs Captain Marvel. That major scrap might already be over though, if the latest issue is anything to go by.
Tony Stark's future in the Marvel Universe has been thrown into doubt ever since the start of Civil War II -- and made even more doubtful when we learned that he would be replaced as Iron Man by not one, but two different characters. One of those Iron Men debuted today in Infamous Iron Man, giving us a major hint about Tony's fate.
Marvel's Champions are back, with a brand-new series from writer Mark Waid and artist Humberto Ramos. It's a challenging position for Waid, who has to forge a new path for his young heroes while also acknowledging their past -- not to mention the paths taken by other well-known Marvel characters. We spoke to him about what's next.
It's only been about a year since we were ramping up to the arrival of Marvel's big comic shakeup in "All-New, All-Different" -- but here we are, days from the beginning of its next one: "Marvel Now" (not to be confused with the first "Marvel Now" that preceded "All-New, All-Different", mind you!). Not sure what's going on? Neither are we but, we'll try to help.
Marvel Comics loves throwing its superheroes against each other in flashy crossovers that shake up its fiction. But its latest tentpole event -- this year's Civil War II -- is struggling to keep us entertained or interested.
Civil War II has already torn the Marvel universe into two conflicting sides, and claimed the life of the Hulk himself. But its latest portent of doom promises to be its biggest and most polarising yet.
Marvel's winter comics event also just became it's de facto spring and summer event as well. Following the recent news that the series was being bumped up to eight issues (as well as receiving a month's delay), now Diamond Comics Distributors has seemingly confirmed another wait for the end of Civil War II.
Whose side is Justin Trudeau on in Civil War II? Is the Prime Minister of Canada, making his comic book debut today in Civil War II: Choosing Sides #5, Team Tony or Team Carol? Turns out, he's neither. He's Team Justin Trudeau Doesn't Give a Shit About Your Superhero Infighting Nonsense.
Wilson Fisk has been laying low for a while, weakened by a decisive victory for Daredevil that seemingly ended their decades-long blood feud. But the Kingpin of Crime is creeping back into power in a most unusual way.
Everything that has happened before will happen again. Last year, Marvel's big winter event Secret Wars had its main series bumped up an extra issue and delayed so it would actually finish after the roster reboot it was supposed to kick off began. Now, pretty much the exact same thing is happening to Civil War II.
Suffice to say, if you're a member of the gamma-radiated family in Marvel's comics at the moment, now isn't exactly a happy time.
Civil War II has already been about making some pretty bad choices. But when it comes to a close, the leaders of either side of the conflict are going to make an even worse choice than the ones that lead to Civil War II in the first place: Trusting the not-so-trustworthy-at-the-moment Steve Rogers.
Marvel's latest crossover has heroes fighting heroes again. When Luke Cage and Danny Rand talk through which side they will align with, the Heroes for Hire have the most sensible reaction I've read so far.
Seriously, it's a big one.
Dr Doom cockily holding Iron Man's helmet. Captain Marvel looking off into the distance. Uh-oh, where's Tony?
Earlier last week we posted part of Evan's chat with Brian Michael Bendis, a five-time Eisner award winner and a long-standing writer for Marvel Comics. In the full interview, Bendis talks about his early career, the difference between the Powers TV show and the comics, Jessica Jones, the second Civil War, story grenades and much, much more.
Marvel's Civil War II #1 comic event finally begins tomorrow, but are you prepared? Fear not, because we're here with the answers to all your questions, as well as everything else you should know about Civil War II.
When superheroes are too busy punching each other in the face to deal with their usual enemies, what's a villain to do? In Wilson Fisk's case, it's going to be making as much money as he can while the heroes of the Marvel Universe are at each others throats, in a new Civil War II miniseries.
