Monday, July 25, 2016

Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man #2 Review and *SPOILERS* - Marvel Mondays

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy 


Written By: Christos Gage
Art By: Travel Foreman, Rain Beredo
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 13, 2016
Publisher: Marvel

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

When Civil War II was first being announced and I heard the main idea behind it, I thought that the argument was a little lopsided. I mean, I’ve seen Minority Report and countless other films about predicting the future and preemptive justice and so have most of the readers of comic books. These films usually show these things in a negative context and thus many reader would automatically gravitate towards Iron Man’s ideology. Marvel clearly anticipated this and so, many of the first tie-in issues gave the reader a reason to side with Captain Marvel. Honestly though, I wasn’t buying it. Then the first issue of Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man came out. It presented the way that Peter Parker would be using Ulysses gift. It actually showed the potential that this ideology had. While I haven’t been the biggest fan of Civil War II, that issue at least gave me a legitimate reason to see the debate that was occurring. So, did this second issue deliver as nicely as the first? Let’s find out.



The issue begins with Spider-Man fighting with The Quintronic Man, who is basically five guys in a big robot suit. While fighting them he lets the know about how their core is overheating and is going to lead to an explosion. Spider-Man gets them out and pushes the robot suit into the river where it is destroyed. Spider-Man had gotten the tip from Ulysses and prevented the block from being completely destroyed. Spider-Man’s mind is on other things though when he meets back up with Ulysses as he has had a vision of Clayton Cole becoming The Clash once again. Clayton had been an old villain of Spider-Man’s but he had done his time and was working at Parker Industries, putting his talents to use for good rather than evil.



This is where the focus of the issue shifts. We get to see the life of Clayton Cole now that he has been working for Parker Industries. He runs into a former associate and they talk for a moment before Clayton, respectfully, tells him that he can’t talk due to him being on parole. He then visits his parents who are clearly a source of negativity in his life. His parents believe the worst in people and think that Parker Industries has been taking advantage of Clayton. They also believe that Clayton is perfect despite his faults. Granted, that’s usually a good thing for parents to think about their children but in some cases it is toxic. This is one of those cases. While visiting his parents, Clayton retrieves his grandmother’s ring as he plans to eventually propose to his currently girlfriend. Unfortunately for him, when he has lunch with her, she ends things. She has a son of her own and while she likes Clayton, she doesn’t want her son to have a new father figure who is an ex-con. Needless to say, Clayton is having the shittiest day ever.

After talking to both Spider-Man and Peter Parker (who he thinks are two different people), he suddenly becomes very paranoid. He uses a piece of technology to retrieve a past conversation that occurred between Ulysses and Spider-Man where they voiced their concerns that Clayton would return to being The Clash. Insulted and angry, Clayton resigns from this job at Parker Industries. Clayton goes to one of his old hangs from when he was a villain. While drinking there, he runs into Mendel Stromm who wants to team up with him so that he can get his revenge. Clayton refuses but Stromm attempts to force his hand. Stromm leaves him so that he can think over his offer.
Back at Parker Industries, Peter Parker is talking with Harry Osborn (now known as Harry Lyman). He discusses Clayton with him and addresses the ways he could fix the situation. Harry gives Peter the perspective that he and Clayton share. They are both ex-villains who have been rehabilitated. However, the difference is that Harry has been out of the game for a while. Clayton is relatively fresh out of the game. Peter decides to try and reconcile with Clayton when the book switches back to Clayton’s story. He has dawned a new costume and retaken the name of The Clash and this time, his suit is oddly reminiscent of Spider-Man’s.



When it comes to Civil War II, I think it’s been mostly a disappointment. I haven’t been enjoying it very much, but that’s just my opinion. However, one book from this crossover that I do like is this one. This one is so good that I wish Gage was writing the main Civil War II book. With two issues, I have gotten more development about both sides of the debate than the main story has given me. In the first issue, we were shown how Ulysses’ powers could be used properly. In this issue, we were shown how his powers can be misinterpreted and acting upon them can be the thing that actually causes them. It has been WAY more interesting to me than anything else in the crossover. The art of this book is occasionally strange but mostly fits the book very well.

Bits and Pieces

This issue proves that the whole idea behind Civil War II has some real potential to be amazing (pun intended). The writing and storytelling of this issue are incredible and the art really fits in the book very well. I cannot stress this enough. This is the BEST part of Civil War II and if you are at all invested in this crossover, this is the book you must be reading.


9.0/10

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