Front Line #5 (of 10)

Written by Paul Jenkins

Cover by John Watson

 

Well, I got to hand it to him—Jenkins sure is making the best of this. So, all the problems I’ve outlined with the Registration Act and its blatant ‘unconstitutionalism’ is really a plot point rather than a glaring plot hole. All the ranting and raving that I’ve done to the effect that neither side in the battle has a real-world leg to stand on, legally speaking, has been the end goal of the series. But all that was never very clear, I’ve had to read everything Civil War just to understand that much. It’s all certainly been a bit convoluted.

 

So while Jenkins does seem to be making the pieces fit together, I’m still not sure if I like the whole picture. Superheroes fighting each other over the finer points of the constitution doesn’t sound like very titillating reading. Like I said, a sinister government is much more fun to read about anyway, which is why I have the sneaking suspicion that that is where we are heading in the end with this despite Jenkins’ allusions to the contrary.

 

What is legal isn’t always what is morally right. But does that give someone the leeway to act illegally? That has become the question of the series and THAT is a much better question to be asking than the stupid one first purposed by Marvel—is vigilantism ok? Of course, the reason it is such a good question is because there isn’t any black or white answer. If you lived in Nazi Germany then the answer would be unequivocally “yes, it is morally right to not kill persecute jews”, but if you are simply wanting to speed down the highway at 100 miles per hour (and last time I checked, no major religious text forbids speeding) then the answer is most likely “no, even with no clear moral reason not to speed, you still shouldn’t do it.”

 

Story-wise, Urich gets a visit from the Green Goblin (who is supposedly working for the government if the previous short featuring him is any indication). Floyd, on the other hand, gets arrested for not divulging her sources (even though they are wanted criminals). This is another interesting debate going on today, whether the press’ confidentiality privilege is extended to include knowing the facts about criminal investigations. The answer should always be ‘no’ unless we want a group of unelected individuals deciding what is right for us (kind of like the Superhero question, no?).

 

Speedball’s internment continues as he’s moved, along with a host of other captured heroes, to a prison in the Negative Zone. Not much going on here, although last issue they hinted that he might be getting his powers back. I honestly have no clue where they are going with this story other than to make him a U.S. operative.

 

And finally, we have the continuation of the ‘Sleeper Cell’ story. Wonder Man has been tasked to track the guy down, but when he refuses to do it because it isn’t worth his time, they make him do it. They pretty much show Wonder Man to be a Hollywood style hero who is more concerned with his image than actually helping anyone out.

 

Oh, and lest we forget, the back-up ‘historical’ story is about the American Civil War and comparing it (quite erroneously) with the current Marvel Civil War. Like last issue’s depiction of the Vietnam War paralleled to the Marvel Civil War, this is a ‘waste of paper’ (as Caleb Mozzocco put it). I don’t think I really need to point out the absurdity of creating trying to say that the Marvel Civil War is like any real war, especially on such general terms.

 

Last word is: the topics they are going over now are more worthwhile for discussion, since they aren’t made moot by being based in a fictional comic world. That still doesn’t make the original topic, as framed by Marvel, worth anyone’s time though.

 

Rating - 5