Civil War II #5 (of 8)

   So finally we get down to the no-holds-barred, "big ol' pile of superheroes fighting another big ol' pile of superheroes" part of our program.

   Which is pretty much what you'd expect from Civil War II.

   And this issue delivers in spades as the heroes who support Iron Man get into a fight with the ones who support Captain Marvel.

   But there are things about the groupings that make no sense. Don't the mutants (like the X-Men) hate the Inhumans for what the Terrigen Mist has done? So why are some of them fighting on the same side?

   And the Guardians of the Galaxy have been friends / allies with both IM and CM - so why would they choose a side and jump into the fight?

   Actually, that's the thing about this series that I can't shake - the sense that writer Brian Michael Bendis is using this as a platform to promote the various series that he writes (Iron Man, Guardians, Spider-Man) instead of crafting an expansive story using everyone in the Marvel universe.

   But the art by David Marquez is terrific and there's plenty of "Holy cow" moments - even if they don't always make much sense, and we still don't understand what is happening with the Inhuman Ulysses and his powers.

   But if you're looking for lots of action, this issue checks that box!

Grade: A-

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