For the record, I think Marvel is pumping out too much in the way of event-driven comics in the past few months. House of M, "Spider-Man: The Other," Decimation, the return of Apocalypse, the Black Panther/Storm wedding, Civil War... there's no end in sight. I have to admit, though, the political beginnings of "Civil War" as revealed in this title and the upcoming New Avengers: Illuminati have really caught my attention. Straczynski offers some genuine intrigue and plausible political plotting, but the issue has two things going against it. It degenerates into a typical super-hero versus villain conflict that's far less interesting than the main plot, and the art is stiff, rough and sparse. This partnership with Top Cow Productions is not off to a strong start.
Peter Parker accompanies Tony Stark to Washington, D.C., where Stark is meeting with some senators behind closed doors about the proposed Superhuman Registration Act. Stark punches holes in the logistical arguments in favor of the move to register superhumans -- financial ones, for example -- but Peter finds he's unable to hold his tongue and throws in his two-cents' worth on the subject. He says there's a human factor to the equation that the politicians haven't considered. Meanwhile, Peter learns of new upgrades to his "Iron Spider" costume, and a figure from Iron Man's past promises to cause problems for Stark's dealings in D.C.
This may be my first exposure to Tyler Kirkham's linework in comics, and so far, I'm not a convert. He boasts a style that reminds me of Whilce (Wetworks) Portacio's style, with a manga influence clearly at play. His panels are often lacking in detail, and the pencils are quite loose, when a more realistic and polished style is really what the subject matter calls for. Peter Parker looks like a teenager, not an accomplished adult, and Kirkha fails to capture the gleaming, sleek quality of the title character's new look.
I absolutely love how Stark destroys the government's argument about how much money super-heroes cost the country in terms of property damage. Peter's explanation about the personal and perfectly understandable motives heroes have for keeping their identities secret was, though a bit obvious, well phrased too. The reactionary politics ring true here, as does the backroom bickering among politicians and professionals.
There are elements in the script that are a bit hard to swallow. First of all, Spidey's new costume is far too... magical. Straczynski has come up with a technological equivalent of the Venom symbiote, and it was easier to accept the alien costume idea that was dreamt up in the 1980s. Furthermore, the Titanium Man's appearance in this story is all too convenient, given Tony Stark's pivotal appearance. The reason for the villain's pause to strike earlier in the story isn't clear, save for the fact that it just wasn't time for the big fight scene between Spidey and the Bad Guy Du Jour. 5/10
