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Sally Floyd, Front Line #2
Frontline: Civil War
¿De que lado ... estás?
En Incrustados: en el corazón de cada guerra se oculta la verdad de su origen... y los periodistas Sally Floyd y Ben Urich serán quienes la descubran ¡En medio de la conflagración más grande del Universo Marvel! A consecuencia del desastre de Stamford, el publico clama el registro de los superheroes. ¿Los héroes disfrazados del Universo Marvel son guardianes o bombas de tiempo? Descubrelo aqui!
En Incrustados: en el corazón de cada guerra se oculta la verdad de su origen... y los periodistas Sally Floyd y Ben Urich serán quienes la descubran ¡En medio de la conflagración más grande del Universo Marvel! A consecuencia del desastre de Stamford, el publico clama el registro de los superheroes. ¿Los héroes disfrazados del Universo Marvel son guardianes o bombas de tiempo? Descubrelo aqui!
Paperback
First published August 1, 2006
About the author
Paul Jenkins
1,303 books158 followersPaul Jenkins is a British comic book writer. He has had much success crossing over into the American comic book market. Primarily working for Marvel Comics, he has had a big part shaping the characters of the company over the past decade.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
June 12, 2022
The Bugle reporters Sally Floyd and Ben Ulrich find themselves on the media frontline of the Marvel Civil War only to find out that there's something even more important going on in the background. The volume also covers a related(?) undercover mission by another interested party and also what happens next to Speedball.
In my big Bendis-era re-read I decided to read this Civil War companion because I remember it being quite good, but this is definitely one of those reads that is at its best on first reading. The innovation of looking at a Marvel event from the viewpoint of a non-superbeing is limited by the the same said superbeings being all over this volume still. Still recommended on first reading of this event as a must-read though as it provides some crucial background not given in the main book. 6 out of 12.
2022 read; 2011 read
In my big Bendis-era re-read I decided to read this Civil War companion because I remember it being quite good, but this is definitely one of those reads that is at its best on first reading. The innovation of looking at a Marvel event from the viewpoint of a non-superbeing is limited by the the same said superbeings being all over this volume still. Still recommended on first reading of this event as a must-read though as it provides some crucial background not given in the main book. 6 out of 12.
2022 read; 2011 read
June 16, 2014
Do you know what these Civil War: Front Line volumes are? They’re Marvel backing up the Info-dump truck and dropping off the plot line chatter that they can’t fit into the comic books with, you know, action. Graphic novels (Maus) and even super hero graphic novels (Kingdom Come, Watchmen) are capable of grand ideas and concepts, but when you have pages and pages of exposition it just becomes a tedious read.
You have Ben Urich and Sally Floyd (advice to Sally: never a good idea to wear revealing clothes when checking out scoops in a dive bar or the waterfront) digging into super secret Pro-registration stuff – asking lots of questions and getting lots of long-winded, panel-stretching, coma-inducing answers. Captain America gives Sally this response twice: “You’re simplifying things”. If only that were true, Cap, if only that were true.
Questions that get batted around are:
Who is making a windfall profit from the Civil War? Answer:
Who is trying to stir up trouble with Atlantis? Answer:
Who is setting up that loon, Norman Osborn? Answer:
Who reveals that there’s a traitor on team Pro-registration? Answer:
Who is the traitor in the Avengers midst? Answer:
The only part of this story that holds a modicum of interest is the Speedball stuff, but that’s only in comparison with the other “reading” you have to do.
Wearing the Penance suit would be better than having to read this stuff.
You have Ben Urich and Sally Floyd (advice to Sally: never a good idea to wear revealing clothes when checking out scoops in a dive bar or the waterfront) digging into super secret Pro-registration stuff – asking lots of questions and getting lots of long-winded, panel-stretching, coma-inducing answers. Captain America gives Sally this response twice: “You’re simplifying things”. If only that were true, Cap, if only that were true.
Questions that get batted around are:
Who is making a windfall profit from the Civil War? Answer:
Who is trying to stir up trouble with Atlantis? Answer:
Who is setting up that loon, Norman Osborn? Answer:
Who reveals that there’s a traitor on team Pro-registration? Answer:
Who is the traitor in the Avengers midst? Answer:
The only part of this story that holds a modicum of interest is the Speedball stuff, but that’s only in comparison with the other “reading” you have to do.
Wearing the Penance suit would be better than having to read this stuff.
March 31, 2021
Pues primer cruce del evento Marveliano Civil War que reseñare, aunque ya había leído hace años algunos cruces (que no releeré), como los de Los Nuevos Vengadores o el del Capitán América, había otros que nunca había llegado a leer enteros, como este Primera Línea. En esta historia tan extensa nos encontramos con cuatro arcos argumentales repartidos entre siete grapas (en mi caso) o en un tomo gordaco que ya estará recopilado en una edición deluxe.
El primero de ellos, y el más importante son los que nos cuentan el punto de vista de dos periodistas (Sally Floyd y Ben Urich) que están políticamente en lados opuestos de esta Guerra Civil Superheroica pero que no dejan de ser amigos y como este pequeño conflicto les va cambiando en su forma de pensar y les acaba uniendo mucho más que al principio. También nos cuenta de una forma original el punto de vista periodístico del Universo Marvel, como la prensa y los medios utilizaron este conflicto en su favor y como cada editorial fue jugando sus cartas para contarle al público ya sea su verdad o lo que convenía políticamente. Interesante es el punto de vista de Urich y del Daily Bugle donde veremos al cabezón de Jameson liándola a su manera y a Peter “Spiderman” de invitado ocasional junto a otros.
La otra historia es la de Robbie Baldwin alias Bola Veloz (o Speedball, depende del comic lo traduce o no…) quien es el principal causante del Incidente de Stamford al querer meterse en la refriega junto a sus amigos de Los Nuevos Guerreros para su estúpido programa de Reality Show. La cosa es que es el único superviviente de la explosión, supuestamente ha perdido los poderes en esta, y es declarado culpable del accidente y además añadiendo el hecho de que tiene que registrarse para la Ley de Registro de Superhumanos, todo esto nada más despertar del accidente.
Con esta historia conoceremos más el punto de vista carcelario del asunto, como la sociedad, los medios, y el gobierno usan a Robbie de chivo expiatorio y le hacen pasar putas, y como la vida de Robbie se transforma, como el mismo se transforma y pasa de ser un chaval inocente y algo estúpido en alguien no solo arrepentido de sus actos, si no en una persona mucho más dura, y quizás en un… antihéroe.
Muy buena historia, con Hulka como estrella invitada al ser su abogada para intentar convencerle de no caldear la situación y agachar la cabeza en medio de una guerra civil superheroica. No es muy sutil que la historia de Robbie se asemeja a la de algún iraquí o iraní en Guantánamo, porque esa es la idea básica del comic, trasladado al estilo Marvelita.
La tercera historia diría que es la más floja y casi que la leí con los ojos medio cerrados y leyendo por encima porque me daba un poco igual. Con esto ya digo uno de los aspectos negativos de este comics, demasiado largo, para lo que cuenta, demasiadas páginas, demasiados arcos argumentales, no era necesario. Aquí tenemos una supuesta célula Atlante durmiente que por culpa de la muerte de Namorita, una de las integrantes de Los Nuevos Guerreros, en el Incidente de Stamford, se crea un conflicto diplomático entre Atlantis y la Superficie y como Norman Osborn, también conocido como el Duende Verde juega un papel significativo en el asunto.
Al final las tres historias se entrecruzan, pero como digo, no era necesario y le hace bajar puntos, los dos primeros arcos ya eran lo suficientemente buenos, esta no era necesaria y es redundante porque lo único que hace es simplificar el asunto y poner a Tony Stark de “malo” de forma algo simplificada.
Y ya terminamos con el ultimo arco que no deja de ser historias cortas dibujadas por diferentes autores y que hacen similitudes entre guerras del pasado o situaciones de crisis y comparándolas con la Guerra Civil Superheroica. Bah, relleno.
En conclusión, un comic demasiado extenso, que si hubiera cortado los dos arcos de relleno que tiene, hubieran profundizado más en la idea que tenían de ver el mundo periodístico de Marvel en un evento así y hubieran ido más al grano, quizás podría tener cuatro estrellas. Igualmente como no es mal comic y la trama de Robbie Balwing está muy bien y tal, lo dejo en aprobado.
El primero de ellos, y el más importante son los que nos cuentan el punto de vista de dos periodistas (Sally Floyd y Ben Urich) que están políticamente en lados opuestos de esta Guerra Civil Superheroica pero que no dejan de ser amigos y como este pequeño conflicto les va cambiando en su forma de pensar y les acaba uniendo mucho más que al principio. También nos cuenta de una forma original el punto de vista periodístico del Universo Marvel, como la prensa y los medios utilizaron este conflicto en su favor y como cada editorial fue jugando sus cartas para contarle al público ya sea su verdad o lo que convenía políticamente. Interesante es el punto de vista de Urich y del Daily Bugle donde veremos al cabezón de Jameson liándola a su manera y a Peter “Spiderman” de invitado ocasional junto a otros.
La otra historia es la de Robbie Baldwin alias Bola Veloz (o Speedball, depende del comic lo traduce o no…) quien es el principal causante del Incidente de Stamford al querer meterse en la refriega junto a sus amigos de Los Nuevos Guerreros para su estúpido programa de Reality Show. La cosa es que es el único superviviente de la explosión, supuestamente ha perdido los poderes en esta, y es declarado culpable del accidente y además añadiendo el hecho de que tiene que registrarse para la Ley de Registro de Superhumanos, todo esto nada más despertar del accidente.
Con esta historia conoceremos más el punto de vista carcelario del asunto, como la sociedad, los medios, y el gobierno usan a Robbie de chivo expiatorio y le hacen pasar putas, y como la vida de Robbie se transforma, como el mismo se transforma y pasa de ser un chaval inocente y algo estúpido en alguien no solo arrepentido de sus actos, si no en una persona mucho más dura, y quizás en un… antihéroe.
Muy buena historia, con Hulka como estrella invitada al ser su abogada para intentar convencerle de no caldear la situación y agachar la cabeza en medio de una guerra civil superheroica. No es muy sutil que la historia de Robbie se asemeja a la de algún iraquí o iraní en Guantánamo, porque esa es la idea básica del comic, trasladado al estilo Marvelita.
La tercera historia diría que es la más floja y casi que la leí con los ojos medio cerrados y leyendo por encima porque me daba un poco igual. Con esto ya digo uno de los aspectos negativos de este comics, demasiado largo, para lo que cuenta, demasiadas páginas, demasiados arcos argumentales, no era necesario. Aquí tenemos una supuesta célula Atlante durmiente que por culpa de la muerte de Namorita, una de las integrantes de Los Nuevos Guerreros, en el Incidente de Stamford, se crea un conflicto diplomático entre Atlantis y la Superficie y como Norman Osborn, también conocido como el Duende Verde juega un papel significativo en el asunto.
Al final las tres historias se entrecruzan, pero como digo, no era necesario y le hace bajar puntos, los dos primeros arcos ya eran lo suficientemente buenos, esta no era necesaria y es redundante porque lo único que hace es simplificar el asunto y poner a Tony Stark de “malo” de forma algo simplificada.
Y ya terminamos con el ultimo arco que no deja de ser historias cortas dibujadas por diferentes autores y que hacen similitudes entre guerras del pasado o situaciones de crisis y comparándolas con la Guerra Civil Superheroica. Bah, relleno.
En conclusión, un comic demasiado extenso, que si hubiera cortado los dos arcos de relleno que tiene, hubieran profundizado más en la idea que tenían de ver el mundo periodístico de Marvel en un evento así y hubieran ido más al grano, quizás podría tener cuatro estrellas. Igualmente como no es mal comic y la trama de Robbie Balwing está muy bien y tal, lo dejo en aprobado.
March 13, 2012
There's a lot going on here, and a lot of promise. Ultimately, it fails to deliver. The interesting story with the reporters falls apart at the end when they both end up on the same side and decide to sit on their story. Speedball's storyline screeches to a halt when he very suddenly and without any real reason shifts his entire position 180 degrees. The Atlantean storyline is meaningless. And then there's the uncomfortable historical parallel stories, literally putting events in the Civil War storyline side by side with actual historical events. Yes, this book invokes Godwin's Law on itself.
September 26, 2015
Esta es, tal vez, la historia secundaria que más me gusto de lo que compete a Civil War. Abarca varias historias, pero hubo dos que yo considero principales:
El Acusado
Esta sección nos habla de Speedball, único superhéroe sobreviviente de la masacre de Stamford. Abarca desde que es encontrado hasta las consecuencias que tuvo en él la muerte de sus compañeros, el trastorno en sus poderes, el odio público, la presión por ser presentado como "un ejemplo de justicia" ante la sociedad americana y la cárcel.
Primera línea
Enfocada en los reporteros Sally Floyd y Ben Urich, ambos van siguiendo la historia de la Guerra Civil para sus respectivos periódicos pero desde enfoques completamente diferentes. Esta es un trama que crece conforme avanzan los números, es la que muestra todo lo que la guerra representa para sus involucrados, y las infamias a las que se esta dispuesta a llegar cofcofIronMancofcof para "ganarla".
En conjunto ambas muestran los cambios que ocasionan la Guerra Civil en aquellos que solo pueden verla con impotencia, todos los personajes crecen (Sally cambia su punto de vista para siempre, Speedball se llena de odio y Ben se arma de valor para seguir una historia y defenderse a sí mismo). El resto de las tramas que aparecen son para agregar (de manera inteligente) elementos que enriquecerán a los reporteros a su descubrimiento final (y como un pequeño spoiler diré que el Duende Verde tiene una participación muy importante).
Esta trama (la de los reporteros)se vuelve explosiva hacia el final, descubren una BOMBA y deciden guardarla para sí mismos, porque su revelación cambiaría todo lo que es, fue y será la guerra civil.
Esta es 100% recomendada si es que deseas saber cosas RELEVANTES sobre la Guerra Civil de los Superhéroes
El Acusado
Esta sección nos habla de Speedball, único superhéroe sobreviviente de la masacre de Stamford. Abarca desde que es encontrado hasta las consecuencias que tuvo en él la muerte de sus compañeros, el trastorno en sus poderes, el odio público, la presión por ser presentado como "un ejemplo de justicia" ante la sociedad americana y la cárcel.
Primera línea
Enfocada en los reporteros Sally Floyd y Ben Urich, ambos van siguiendo la historia de la Guerra Civil para sus respectivos periódicos pero desde enfoques completamente diferentes. Esta es un trama que crece conforme avanzan los números, es la que muestra todo lo que la guerra representa para sus involucrados, y las infamias a las que se esta dispuesta a llegar cofcofIronMancofcof para "ganarla".
En conjunto ambas muestran los cambios que ocasionan la Guerra Civil en aquellos que solo pueden verla con impotencia, todos los personajes crecen (Sally cambia su punto de vista para siempre, Speedball se llena de odio y Ben se arma de valor para seguir una historia y defenderse a sí mismo). El resto de las tramas que aparecen son para agregar (de manera inteligente) elementos que enriquecerán a los reporteros a su descubrimiento final (y como un pequeño spoiler diré que el Duende Verde tiene una participación muy importante).
Esta trama (la de los reporteros)se vuelve explosiva hacia el final, descubren una BOMBA y deciden guardarla para sí mismos, porque su revelación cambiaría todo lo que es, fue y será la guerra civil.
Esta es 100% recomendada si es que deseas saber cosas RELEVANTES sobre la Guerra Civil de los Superhéroes
February 28, 2012
This book had a lot going for it--the idea of the reporters and their investigation was interesting, the Civil War as backdrop was good, and the "secret behind the Civil War," ready to be discovered, is of course engrossing. But the book didn't capitalize on all of this properly. The main story sort of plods along; it has good discussions but not enough ends up mattering. The back-up story with Speedball/Penance was good until he suddenly reverses his position halfway through for no discernible reason. (Or, maybe, for insufficient reason.) The backup story with the Atlanteans also was promising, but it, too, went nowhere. The final backup pieces, with real war stories compared to the Civil War, just seemed a little tacky to me--I mean, I see why the comparison should be addressed, and it does ground the story in the world a little, but they just weren't well done.
The plotting itself is nice, with the three storylines interweaving in interesting ways and things being revealed to different characters and the reader at different times. But, ultimately, the climax is just too much of a letdown. The big secret doesn't end up being a big deal--certainly not big enough to justify 11 issues in pursuit of it--and the reporters decide to squash it anyway.
So, anyway, while I think the premise of the series holds promise (and I would even read more), I certainly wouldn't have missed anything skipping this one.
The plotting itself is nice, with the three storylines interweaving in interesting ways and things being revealed to different characters and the reader at different times. But, ultimately, the climax is just too much of a letdown. The big secret doesn't end up being a big deal--certainly not big enough to justify 11 issues in pursuit of it--and the reporters decide to squash it anyway.
So, anyway, while I think the premise of the series holds promise (and I would even read more), I certainly wouldn't have missed anything skipping this one.
April 24, 2016
3.5 stars
When the original Civil WarCivil War story came out, I only read the main mini-series. It's obviously much more of the flashy superhero perspective, but it's also written slightly more to the right. In parallel to that was this mini-series which I'm reading for the first time now.
I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, not so much because it tells the story from the left side but because it has more of a "man on the street" feel to it. Jenkins (perhaps channeling Busiek) gives the non-superhero perspective of Civil War, examining the right and wrong of it as well as the effects of the War on the population. This is covered by a couple reporters who try to make sense of it all by investigating and interviewing both sides who also end up covering the real reason for the entire Civil War.
There's another story here which follows one of the superheroes present at the tragic event which started the whole thing. We follow Speedball as he is the centerpiece for the hate and anger of the American public for causing the accident, then see just how he responds and eventually is transformed because of the experience.
It's all top notch with excellent work by a couple artists, particular Lieber and Weeks. This makes a superb companion piece to the main series.
When the original Civil WarCivil War story came out, I only read the main mini-series. It's obviously much more of the flashy superhero perspective, but it's also written slightly more to the right. In parallel to that was this mini-series which I'm reading for the first time now.
I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, not so much because it tells the story from the left side but because it has more of a "man on the street" feel to it. Jenkins (perhaps channeling Busiek) gives the non-superhero perspective of Civil War, examining the right and wrong of it as well as the effects of the War on the population. This is covered by a couple reporters who try to make sense of it all by investigating and interviewing both sides who also end up covering the real reason for the entire Civil War.
There's another story here which follows one of the superheroes present at the tragic event which started the whole thing. We follow Speedball as he is the centerpiece for the hate and anger of the American public for causing the accident, then see just how he responds and eventually is transformed because of the experience.
It's all top notch with excellent work by a couple artists, particular Lieber and Weeks. This makes a superb companion piece to the main series.
June 12, 2022
Civil War nos trajo distintas historias en paralela, pero ninguna tan pretenciosa como Front Line, donde la historia de dos periodistas, Ben Ulrich y Sally Floyd, van narrando este conflicto desde la perspectiva de una persona común. Sinceramente, estaba muy dentro de los capítulos, y si bien me gustó el viaje, hay varias situaciones donde no logran de convencerme, como cuando Sally termina yéndose sin más cuando estaba en una entrevista exclusiva con el Capitan America, o el mismo final cuando descubren que Tony Stark está orquestando más lo que uno pensaría. No es aburrida la historia, para nada, pero se tomaron ejecuciones erróneas que terminó dejándome sin muchas ganas de recordar esta historia.
January 13, 2026
this wrapped up so nicely
April 2, 2018
4,5 L'une des meilleurs séries ties-in avec la partie sur Captain America, à mon sens. On apprend plein plein plein de choses. Bien joué sur la révélation finale, c'était un peu prévisible mais bien joué quand même. Et avec cette série on a je trouve le pire dans cette guerre civile : au lieu de se foutre sur la gueule, ils auraient dû tous se préoccuper d'une personne qui va mal... (parce que je ne voudrais pas dire, mais la dernière fois qu'un super-héros a fait une dépression... hum hum... on sait comment ça s'est fini !)
October 4, 2015
I really loved the Frontline comics from the 'Civil War' series. Acting as a mouthpiece for the writers as well as for many readers, the series filled in missing gaps and essential nuggets of information left out in the rest of the Civil War imprints.
The series follows two reporters attempting to navigate and report on the insane new world they've got caught up in. Add to this mysterious deaths and police investigations, the sheer impact of the Civil War on the citizens of the Marvel Universe come to light.
Drawing parallels throughout with real-world circumstances and reactions, Frontline feels ridiculously relevant, which is surprising, considering it's a Marvel comic. Yes, the art has some issues (read: female characters are the bane of my comic book-reading existence), but overall the story is intriguing and sometimes even a little thrilling.
Each Frontline comic ends with a brief re-telling of an actual war, juxtaposed with recreations of those events alongside 'Civil War' events. I actually loved this part, mostly because it introduced me to some writers I was not familiar with. What struck me most was the story at the end of the first Frontline issue. It's a poem written by a Japanese boy who grew up in an internment camp. It was a powerful beginning immediately focusing the story on atrocities committed from the inside. Far too often we point fingers at others for committing the worst crimes - we don't look internally at all.
Frontline is rife with plot twists and turns and some jolting surprises. All, as I've mentioned, written with a realistic bent of mind. Most of it came across as quite refreshing. What I especially loved was Sally's rant at Captain America at the end of the series. Honestly it was directed at the wrong person (in my opinion), but that's not to say the essence of it didn't feel important or true. It would have made sense out of context as well, be it directed at a superhero or a superpower.
What got me was the 'Accused' segment. As the sole survivor of the massacre, New Warriors member Robbie becomes the scapegoat for the government, the media and the public. His refusal to back down and own up to any wrongdoing just worsens his situation. It's been a while (read: never) since a comic book character's transformation emotionally affected me, but Robbie's did. The writers never jump the shark with his circumstances - it's just one relentless slog for the man and for the reader. What a story!
A Marvel comic with a political and ideological framework driving it seems rare (to me at least). There's a lot right with this series, mostly because the writers decided to give the story a go, instead of just making it a flashy comic. Other comic series could take some inspiration from this series' and finally do their readers some justice.
The series follows two reporters attempting to navigate and report on the insane new world they've got caught up in. Add to this mysterious deaths and police investigations, the sheer impact of the Civil War on the citizens of the Marvel Universe come to light.
Drawing parallels throughout with real-world circumstances and reactions, Frontline feels ridiculously relevant, which is surprising, considering it's a Marvel comic. Yes, the art has some issues (read: female characters are the bane of my comic book-reading existence), but overall the story is intriguing and sometimes even a little thrilling.
Each Frontline comic ends with a brief re-telling of an actual war, juxtaposed with recreations of those events alongside 'Civil War' events. I actually loved this part, mostly because it introduced me to some writers I was not familiar with. What struck me most was the story at the end of the first Frontline issue. It's a poem written by a Japanese boy who grew up in an internment camp. It was a powerful beginning immediately focusing the story on atrocities committed from the inside. Far too often we point fingers at others for committing the worst crimes - we don't look internally at all.
Frontline is rife with plot twists and turns and some jolting surprises. All, as I've mentioned, written with a realistic bent of mind. Most of it came across as quite refreshing. What I especially loved was Sally's rant at Captain America at the end of the series. Honestly it was directed at the wrong person (in my opinion), but that's not to say the essence of it didn't feel important or true. It would have made sense out of context as well, be it directed at a superhero or a superpower.
What got me was the 'Accused' segment. As the sole survivor of the massacre, New Warriors member Robbie becomes the scapegoat for the government, the media and the public. His refusal to back down and own up to any wrongdoing just worsens his situation. It's been a while (read: never) since a comic book character's transformation emotionally affected me, but Robbie's did. The writers never jump the shark with his circumstances - it's just one relentless slog for the man and for the reader. What a story!
A Marvel comic with a political and ideological framework driving it seems rare (to me at least). There's a lot right with this series, mostly because the writers decided to give the story a go, instead of just making it a flashy comic. Other comic series could take some inspiration from this series' and finally do their readers some justice.
April 12, 2014
Full disclosure: I love wordy, expository comics where superheroes take off their masks and sit down to talk about politics and what life is like as a superhero.
For me, this is the most important collection in the Civil War event. By telling the story through two newspaper journalists and relegating the superheroes to tertiary status, Frontlines connects the most dots and lays out the most details for the grand story-arch of Civil War. There isn't much action, but there is A LOT of explanation.... And that is what is sorely lacking in the other series of this event. It touches on every major plot point of Civil War, and when read as a collection, Frontlines gives us the most comprehensive timeline for the entire crossover.
The superheroes are waaaaay in the background, though... Which will likely turn a lot of readers off. In fact the most prominent superhero in this collection is Speedball, he has his on mini-storyline in Frontlines, and he is mostly de-powered for the duration. Another mini-story focuses on a sleeper cell of Atlanteans that, due to Green Goblin's actions, ends up adding a third front to the Civil War tensions (something that is barely talked about in the main story, but ends up having a huge impact on it in the end). There are a couple small appearances by Captain America and Spidey, but for the most part, Frontlines gives us a street-level perspective of the conflict, from a pedestrian point of view.
The only sections of this collection that I really didn't like were the sections of actual war poetry overlapped with drawings of Superheroes... It was a little forced and sentimental. These sections could have been edited out completely with out any adverse affect to the whole.
I loved it. I love this kind of storytelling, where the idea of superheroes gets dissected and the affect of the hero-complex on humanity is shown. Even though it is long-winded at times and the art work is barely average, it is an integral supplement to the Civil War event, in my opinion.
4/5
For me, this is the most important collection in the Civil War event. By telling the story through two newspaper journalists and relegating the superheroes to tertiary status, Frontlines connects the most dots and lays out the most details for the grand story-arch of Civil War. There isn't much action, but there is A LOT of explanation.... And that is what is sorely lacking in the other series of this event. It touches on every major plot point of Civil War, and when read as a collection, Frontlines gives us the most comprehensive timeline for the entire crossover.
The superheroes are waaaaay in the background, though... Which will likely turn a lot of readers off. In fact the most prominent superhero in this collection is Speedball, he has his on mini-storyline in Frontlines, and he is mostly de-powered for the duration. Another mini-story focuses on a sleeper cell of Atlanteans that, due to Green Goblin's actions, ends up adding a third front to the Civil War tensions (something that is barely talked about in the main story, but ends up having a huge impact on it in the end). There are a couple small appearances by Captain America and Spidey, but for the most part, Frontlines gives us a street-level perspective of the conflict, from a pedestrian point of view.
The only sections of this collection that I really didn't like were the sections of actual war poetry overlapped with drawings of Superheroes... It was a little forced and sentimental. These sections could have been edited out completely with out any adverse affect to the whole.
I loved it. I love this kind of storytelling, where the idea of superheroes gets dissected and the affect of the hero-complex on humanity is shown. Even though it is long-winded at times and the art work is barely average, it is an integral supplement to the Civil War event, in my opinion.
4/5
December 29, 2020
I have to say I'm a bit underwhelmed by this. I was so excited to read this but felt my excitement fading away slowly as I progressed.
I mostly liked the issues about the reporters because this story gave more insight to the behind-the-scenes of the Civil War, but I didn't really care for the other issues.
This book is very text-heavy which can get exhausting to read at times, and with English not being my native language I sometimes had a hard time wrapping my mind around all the politics involved.
I also can't get fully behind how Tony Stark was portrayed. Sure he's a businessman, but I can't really believe all this was his doing alone.
In the end, this book once again proved to me that there isn't a side that's only right or wrong, it all depends on the perspective from which you look at it. That's just how things are in life. And both Steve and Tony made good arguments for their side, but they also did inexcusable things.
I mostly liked the issues about the reporters because this story gave more insight to the behind-the-scenes of the Civil War, but I didn't really care for the other issues.
This book is very text-heavy which can get exhausting to read at times, and with English not being my native language I sometimes had a hard time wrapping my mind around all the politics involved.
I also can't get fully behind how Tony Stark was portrayed. Sure he's a businessman, but I can't really believe all this was his doing alone.
In the end, this book once again proved to me that there isn't a side that's only right or wrong, it all depends on the perspective from which you look at it. That's just how things are in life. And both Steve and Tony made good arguments for their side, but they also did inexcusable things.
July 24, 2018
My least favorite of the Civil War comics. It follows two reporters following the civil war, and spends a lot of time on politics. There's a wide cast of characters, but most are relatively unpopular (in our real world, I mean). This made it harder to care about the characters, and made the story less engaging. There are a few cameos by popular characters.
This book draw parallels between the Marvel Civil War and the real-world World War II, the Roman Civil War in 49 BC, World War I, the Vietnam War, the American Civil War, and English Civil War in 1640s. There are side-by-side panels showing action from the Marvel Civil War next to those historical wars, captioned by text from poems and letters from the real-world wars.
This book draw parallels between the Marvel Civil War and the real-world World War II, the Roman Civil War in 49 BC, World War I, the Vietnam War, the American Civil War, and English Civil War in 1640s. There are side-by-side panels showing action from the Marvel Civil War next to those historical wars, captioned by text from poems and letters from the real-world wars.
February 10, 2016
La visión de la Civil War desde el punto de vista de dos reporteros es uno de los grandes aciertos de los spin off de la saga principal. Su final, no obstante, no acaba de estar del todo a la altura, ni acabo de entender la evolución del personaje de la reportera, ni me parece del todo justificada la decisión final si tenemos en cuenta todo lo que se ha ido viendo en la historia.
No obstante la fuerza de su arranque, y los complementos en los que asistes al destino de Speedball hacen que merezca la pena esta historia que en algunos momentos llega a estar por encima de la serie principal.
No obstante la fuerza de su arranque, y los complementos en los que asistes al destino de Speedball hacen que merezca la pena esta historia que en algunos momentos llega a estar por encima de la serie principal.
April 20, 2016
I might come back and revise this later. I don't know, I am so confused about a number of things (and I guess my feelings in general). The reporters and whole "getting the story" and "blowing everything wide open" etc. was really interesting.... until it wasn't. I just don't know how I feel about Tony Stark's involvement and how everything was concluded. I want to think that they didn't portray the character right, nothing felt right. Like I said.... I don't know.
January 12, 2012
Muy buena la idea de plantear la Guerra Civil superheróica desde la perspectiva de dos periodistas que van cambiando su punto de vista con el correr de las batallas. El dibujo no es demasiado brillante pero sirve para narrar la historia prolijamente. Si algún día me hago maratón de Civil War y tengo este tomotote a mano, seguro le dé con ganas.
April 8, 2016
I really enjoyed this. I like the backstory of the Civil War. It presents the entire Civil War from the lens of American journalists/reporters which provides perspective. After one decides whether they are Team Cap of Team Stark, this work provides a third option, Team Human, as in humans who are tired of heroes and villains wreaking havoc in the streets. Overall, great piece.
February 26, 2014
Amazing. So far the best one of the series. I could not put it down. They way that it mixed politics, the media, and the law was perfect. If you only read one from the series this would be the one to pick up.
December 6, 2012
All these tie-ins are just a scam to get more money for the civil war event, it offers a silly illustrations and cheap stories.
January 31, 2022
Me pareció una lectura súper interesante! Un punto de vista muy diferente de este espectacular evento😁
Si creo que no es para todo el mundo, pero si entras en este juego, es muy bueno👍
Si creo que no es para todo el mundo, pero si entras en este juego, es muy bueno👍
Read
May 30, 2023This was interesting to me for filling in background that I had wondered about.
Reporter Ben Urich covers parts of the story that others are missing, and in her own way, Sally Floyd fills in other parts. There's some "I'm right because I'm right" defense from his actions by Steve Rogers. There's Tony Stark making genius-style calculations and taking actions accordingly. Some of the things Tony and crew do are terrible. Ben Urich already knows a lot more about Spider-Man than he has let on, and also Daredevil, I think, and other "street-level" heroes. So that's the "Investigation" part of things.
"The Accused" has Speedball claiming (correctly) that he didn't set off the explosion that starts this Civil War. That was the super-villain Nitro. But "unregistered combatant" Speedball is denied most of the due process he should have gotten. Another character notes that Speedball was in a coma at the time the superhero registration date passes. Once he wakes, Speedball is beaten down physically and mentally until he takes responsibility for the disaster. It explains where Penance came from, which I'd wondered.
A few weeks later in comic book time, Nova visits Earth, and brings a fresh perspective on Marvel's Civil War and also this "Accused" storyline in particular. He's horrified by what Robbie Baldwin has become. This is a perfectly reasonable reaction, and that's the general reaction of the surviving members of the 1990s New Warriors team when they learn about Penance. Nova decides that outer space makes much more sense than what the world of his birth has become.
This was worth it to me to explain the development of Penance. It wasn't easy to watch Speedball being systematically injured physically and emotionally until he got to that point, but it clarified several things for me.
Reporter Ben Urich covers parts of the story that others are missing, and in her own way, Sally Floyd fills in other parts. There's some "I'm right because I'm right" defense from his actions by Steve Rogers. There's Tony Stark making genius-style calculations and taking actions accordingly. Some of the things Tony and crew do are terrible. Ben Urich already knows a lot more about Spider-Man than he has let on, and also Daredevil, I think, and other "street-level" heroes. So that's the "Investigation" part of things.
"The Accused" has Speedball claiming (correctly) that he didn't set off the explosion that starts this Civil War. That was the super-villain Nitro. But "unregistered combatant" Speedball is denied most of the due process he should have gotten. Another character notes that Speedball was in a coma at the time the superhero registration date passes. Once he wakes, Speedball is beaten down physically and mentally until he takes responsibility for the disaster. It explains where Penance came from, which I'd wondered.
A few weeks later in comic book time, Nova visits Earth, and brings a fresh perspective on Marvel's Civil War and also this "Accused" storyline in particular. He's horrified by what Robbie Baldwin has become. This is a perfectly reasonable reaction, and that's the general reaction of the surviving members of the 1990s New Warriors team when they learn about Penance. Nova decides that outer space makes much more sense than what the world of his birth has become.
This was worth it to me to explain the development of Penance. It wasn't easy to watch Speedball being systematically injured physically and emotionally until he got to that point, but it clarified several things for me.
April 26, 2018
I had been meaning to read this for a while. This is really where the meat of Civil War is. This is where all of its effects are explored more intimately. I really do love Jenkins' writing, I've loved everything of his I've read. He manages to make lots of political statements very tastefully, and really gets deep into some of the intricacies of the Superhuman Registration Act. This comprises of 4 different stories (issues are about 33 pages). The first story following Ben Urich and Sally Floyd reporting on each side of the war was incredible, the second story about Speedball's incarceration was really good too, the story about the Atlantean sleeper cell was good, and the last bit of each issue with a poem making parallels between the CW and various wars in history was pretty neat. The reason I went back to read this now even though I am in the Secret Invasion period is because this sets up some of the elements in Secret Invasion and Dark Reign (especially with Norman Osborn), and since I plan on reading Ellis' Thunderbolts next, this felt like a natural pre-requisite. The art was pretty solid too. Even while having different artists for each of the stories, it all felt very cohesive in style. Laura Martin's coloring for the bulk of the main story was also a treat.
I give this a very strong 8.5/10, but I'll round it up to 5/5 stars because it has heart. By far the best Civil War tie-in and better than the main event itself.
I give this a very strong 8.5/10, but I'll round it up to 5/5 stars because it has heart. By far the best Civil War tie-in and better than the main event itself.
August 29, 2026
Beaucoup de choses se sont passées dans ce volume et pourtant, celui-ci est pour l'instant celui qui m'a le moins parlé.
Les issues concernant le développement de Speedball et les injustices liées à son arrestation sont celles qui m'ont le plus touchée et ont légèrement su redorer l'investissement que je dédiais au volume. Cependant, l'entrain global dont j'ai fait part au fil de ma lecture fut probablement le moins enjoué des volumes.
Je réalise bien l'importance de ce volume et du point de vue journalistique de ce combat et de cette guerre civile. On a eu l'occasion de lire un point de vue différent et quelque peu plus externe face à la grandeur et au sérieux des événements tout en en apprenant davantage sur la face cachée de ce recensement et ce qui tente d'être passé sous silence.
Tony, la prison dans l'espace négatif, le Bouffon vert et l'attaque d'Osborn envers les Atlantes… Beaucoup de brume semble peu à peu se dissiper, mais continue simultanément m'inquiéter quant à la vérité derrière ce recensement et le rôle de certains des héros…
J'ai hâte de lire le tome 5.
Je compatis pour Speedball, ou devrais-je dire "La Penance" et j'ai hâte de voir ou tout cela va mener New York.
Les issues concernant le développement de Speedball et les injustices liées à son arrestation sont celles qui m'ont le plus touchée et ont légèrement su redorer l'investissement que je dédiais au volume. Cependant, l'entrain global dont j'ai fait part au fil de ma lecture fut probablement le moins enjoué des volumes.
Je réalise bien l'importance de ce volume et du point de vue journalistique de ce combat et de cette guerre civile. On a eu l'occasion de lire un point de vue différent et quelque peu plus externe face à la grandeur et au sérieux des événements tout en en apprenant davantage sur la face cachée de ce recensement et ce qui tente d'être passé sous silence.
Tony, la prison dans l'espace négatif, le Bouffon vert et l'attaque d'Osborn envers les Atlantes… Beaucoup de brume semble peu à peu se dissiper, mais continue simultanément m'inquiéter quant à la vérité derrière ce recensement et le rôle de certains des héros…
J'ai hâte de lire le tome 5.
Je compatis pour Speedball, ou devrais-je dire "La Penance" et j'ai hâte de voir ou tout cela va mener New York.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2020
There's a main story that works through a Norman Osborn/Ben Urich/sassy reporter of the week triad. It's fine. The whole big reveal that makes him into a legit supervillain, which is not how it was played in the book. When people have been mad at him, it's been an "honorable serious disagreement sort of mad.
The segments where Civil War battles are mocked up next to American wars don't work. They're trying awfully hard but it seems like someone liked the idea. "But" is the correct conjunction there. Because it wasn't a reader. It was someone who wanted to strain to make "art" when you have to succeed at the first level of storytelling first.
The Speedball/Penance story feels like it goes on too long, spaced out the way it is. And I'm glad I hadn't seen it because it would have spoiled what-appeared-to-me-to-be-written as a twist in Avengers Academy.
The segments where Civil War battles are mocked up next to American wars don't work. They're trying awfully hard but it seems like someone liked the idea. "But" is the correct conjunction there. Because it wasn't a reader. It was someone who wanted to strain to make "art" when you have to succeed at the first level of storytelling first.
The Speedball/Penance story feels like it goes on too long, spaced out the way it is. And I'm glad I hadn't seen it because it would have spoiled what-appeared-to-me-to-be-written as a twist in Avengers Academy.
March 22, 2021
If it were possible to give a rating lower than one star, I would slap that on this turd immediately.
From the downright offensive comparisons to actual historical events and tragedies to the utter meandering mess of Robbie Baldwin’s fall from grace to the complete character assignations of both Tony Stark AND Steve Rogers...I hated this. I hated every dull, plodding, poorly pencilled, infuriatingly self-important page of it.
From the downright offensive comparisons to actual historical events and tragedies to the utter meandering mess of Robbie Baldwin’s fall from grace to the complete character assignations of both Tony Stark AND Steve Rogers...I hated this. I hated every dull, plodding, poorly pencilled, infuriatingly self-important page of it.
June 25, 2024
This story was less engaging than the main civil war story. I did like the reporter characters, didn't care much about the detectives. Can't say Speedball's story was all that interesting either, as I didn't find the character likeable, and I'm not sure that I buy his transformation.
I didn't like the short filler chapters where they compare this conflict to real wars. I felt like they added little to the story and the similarity was weak. I wish they instead replaced them with short stories about how the civil war affected certain superpowered characters or regular citizens.
Good art.
I didn't like the short filler chapters where they compare this conflict to real wars. I felt like they added little to the story and the similarity was weak. I wish they instead replaced them with short stories about how the civil war affected certain superpowered characters or regular citizens.
Good art.
October 29, 2026
Jenkins, Paul in Civil War Tome 4: Journal de guerre argues that the way we tip, rate, and review everything has turned regular life into a never-ending performance review. Half-baked in spots, honestly, because some of the data feels thin and a couple of anecdotes could be one-off flukes. Still, the chapter on rating your rideshare driver got me thinking about how nervous I get over a four-star score for a ten-minute ride. You might think it's overblown, but it definitely forces you to rethink how much you judge people without noticing.
March 19, 2018
It's fine. It's very hung up on how important it is, but despite that pretentiousness, some parts are executed remarkably well. Sally Lloyd is a great character. Ben Urich is... fine. The big twist at the end was ridiculous, but the Speedball arc was great.
It will make very little sense if you haven't already read Civil War.
It will make very little sense if you haven't already read Civil War.
May 20, 2018
The idea of this is brilliant: reporters doing research, uncovering the behind the scenes stories of Civil War.
The execution falls flat. The use of real war poems and stories starts cool but grows tiring, and the multiple storylines are sometimes hard to follow and a bit slow/dialogue heavy. I had trouble picking this back up to finish it.
The execution falls flat. The use of real war poems and stories starts cool but grows tiring, and the multiple storylines are sometimes hard to follow and a bit slow/dialogue heavy. I had trouble picking this back up to finish it.
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