Broken Frontier

Our intrepid reporters are getting into more trouble these days. In this issue, Ben Urich witnesses Speedball fall and Sally Floyd meets with Congressman Sykes.

Through the four interwoven stories masterfully told by Paul Jenkins, fans of Civil War get to see the event through different eyes. Sally Floyd, the left leaning liberal reporter for a Village Voice-esque newspaper, is held in an undisclosed location and given some strange advice/criticism/testimonial from the man behind the Registration Act while Ben Urich watches as a scene straight from the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination plays out before his eyes. Meanwhile, Wonder Man, who is now working for The Man, is discovered amongst the rubble of a super-villain-gone-wild attack. Oh, and Speedball! Speedball feels the effects of a bullet in the belly!

Say what you will about Civil War, and I know you say a lot . . . cynical so-and-sos . . . you really should hand it to Jenkins on his handling of Frontline. Ben Urich and Sally Floyd are characters we, as an audience of comic book readers, can get with. Urich is the nerdy, writer type who, though seemingly weak, is actually a hero in his own right. Floyd is a loudmouthed reporter with a sordid past who we can sympathize with and simultaneously envy. Jenkins plays on this, placing these characters in significant situations and showing how they would react. Some of us will attach more to Urich, others to Floyd, but all of us will definitely feel for one of them. Then there’s Speedball, the other main character of Frontline. His self-righteous fury is enough to make some love him, some hate him, and all wanting to see what happens to him. At the end of this issue, some of you will cheer and some will cry.

The collection of artists here are cheer-worthy as well. Ramon Bachs, Steve Lieber, Lee Weeks, and Eduardo Barreto all have darker, heavier styles that match up well with the storytelling. This is a country at war, these are the dark, grim events that are a running theme in war. The jagged lines, the heavy shadows, and the gritty paneling all lend to the overall feel of this story, creating a sense of darkness, of a bleak future. The admen tell us everything will change after Civil War. If the Marvel Universe will become a tougher place to live, then these artists are the right ones to draw it.

Civil War has touched a chord with many fans. Some love it, some hate it, but everyone is talking. I love the talking. Keep it up. Get others interested. In the meantime, pick up Frontline too, if for nothing else, it will keep you talking.