If you're wondering why this is in the Literature category: read on, and you'll find out why.

Been reading up on Civil War, basically most of the copies from February till July. I'm up to X-Men: Civil War 2 now, but I can't wait for the August issues.

I'm really in love with what Marvel's done with this. The concept itself is quite radical. When it was just the Mutant Registration Act in X-Men, it wasn't so surprising, given the status of mutants in the Marvel universe. Mutants are shunned rejects, everybody's favourite scapegoat, all-round victims of prejudice. But when you use the same concept and apply it to heroes that have been accepted (or more or less accepted) by the public from the Marvelverse, it suddenly becomes quite something else.

Stark is playing his political mind and power games again, and we've no idea for what purpose or reason. Well, perhaps the reason. He wants structure, accountability, order, hierarchy, even deniability. But it's also a controversial way to obtain his goal... Civil War is indeed a fitting title, for not only does it bring dissension to the hero community, it also divides the public, divides man and wife, divides friendships, even divides people's own hearts and minds. That's the strength of the story. What makes it so successful isn't action or drawing style (being divided over so many different issues and comics, that's inevitable, but refreshing), but the dialogue, the inner and outer turmoil. No wonder it's brought in new readers who'd previously been ignorant of the Marvel comic world. It's the biggest cross-over event Marvel's ever known, with a story depth to match.

One of the little tricks that makes it even more interesting is the rendition of the same scene by different artists in different issues. In one issue, you've got Wolverine as seen by the operator of a Sentinel, in another you've got Wolverine looking up at the bucket o' bolts.

And the intrigue! I think I've caught a glimpse of Captain Marvel! (Who should be dead, though with Marvel, you never know. Could be a clone, an LMD, a shape-shifter...) Then you've got Atlantis, Dr Doom, Cable, all with their own agendas and goals. Even X-Factor is getting involved, though I'm not too excited about that... The current artists isn't exactly impressing me with his skills. What's he doing, tracing photographs? Sure, it may look realistic, but I want to read a drawn comic, not a photo comic. And this is probably the first issue of X-Factor I've ever read, and I'm not too wild about the characters either. Except Multiple Man and the blonde precog kid.

But I'd say that's the only minor note. And Spidey? Oh yeah. He's completely torn up inside. He almost worships Tony Stark, respects and admires him, but at the same time he doesn't feel comfortable with what he's doing. Sure, he's got the new fancy suit, with optic feeds, bullet proof skin, gliding... Plus the waldoes look great in what's been dubbed the 'Iron Spidey' suit. It's actually one of my favourite Spiderman outfits. (Yeah, yeah, sue me.) He wants to do the right thing, but he doesn't know what that right thing is exactly. It makes readers wonder what Spiderman's foes have been wondering for years: which way will he swing?

Another advantage of this cross-over formula is that you get many different perspectives, different art styles, different parts of the plot, different writing... and different levels of humour. Some issues completely lack humour, but then you've got Spiderman, who hardly ever loses his sass, and even Deadpool joins the mix. The only problem he's facing is the fact that his first person narrative is broken. Dude cracks me up every time.

And Wolverine - my favourite Marvel character, for your information - is the only one who decides to seek out the true responsible actor: Nitro. Or so it would seem... Dun dun dun...

If you haven't checked this out - which I can't imagine you haven't - go catch up on Civil War. If you don't, you won't even be able to follow the conversations in the old folks home, because that's how long people are going to be talking about this.

That being said, I'll leave you with the following: