I will, someday, produce a book with all the "uncool" things in it:

Thought Balloons
Captions
Special Effects
On-spot Characterization
Characters drawn on model
HAND lettering
Flat Colors
A whole story in a single issue

I know, I know...seems too bold and revolutionary, but...

MPH

Quite frankly, while the idea might be something worth exploring in a mini-series to see what they actually did or didn't do over the years, and I hear it is coming, the issue itself stunk.  Not just because it was mostly talking heads (there was a short Namor/Iron Man fight) but because, except for Iron Man maybe, and Namor sometimesI didn't buy the dialogue characterizations, and what they were talking about often was not very interesting-the broad idea maybe, but not the specifics.

Frankly, it seemed like a rush job, which i know is mind reading.  But most of the dialogue seemed randomly distributed.  I don't think Dr. Strange would start a sentence "Um...." and if he would, I don't think it needs to be shown.  "Never call on me again." that sounded weird too-for these meetings or ever Doc.  I didn't necessarily buy the sides the heroes winded up on either.  The art in my opinion didn't particularly serve the story.

Not trying to be negative, but I was intrigued at the idea and thought this was going to be good.

I also liked the fact that Stan would often eschew thought balloons in favor of the characters actually vocalizing their thoughts. Made sense to me that, at least in some scenes, Spider-Man or the Thing, or just about anybody, might be muttering under their breath, or just simply talking to themselves. Who doesn't?

Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of reading about heroes who aren't heroes and who seem more like petty, conflicted children with no moral center. 

**********

Amen, brother!  Amen.

It does scare me a tad that maybe the writers think they are writing to their audiences in such situations--and that paints a rather BLEAK picture of the comic book readership.

MPH

I will try with CIVIL WAR. It is a big cross-over but there is mostly a main mini and a secondary mini, the secondary one I hear you don't really need to pick up, but can.

I cannot see how one side can't be wrong though. Cap is on one side, Iron Man (often shown as wrong in these kind of things) on the other. Apparently, Spider-man starts on Iron Man's side and goes to Caps.  Plus, Wolverine (which makes sense ) is on the Cap side of things.

So you have their most virtuous hero, their symbol/most reader identified, and arguably their most popular character on one side.  And I think they would be. 

But then how can they live up to the promise that both sides make equal arguments and while one side will win out, the reader will identify with both sides.

It just seems like the deck is stacked on the one side against the other. Throw in the political leanings of the creators, which favors the Cap side, and that Iron Man is on the Bush side and seems to be the guy who many of these creators are unconformtable with (commie origins, weapons manufacturer, Mr. Corporate) and it seems a given.

Plus, in Amazing Spider-man, the Iron man/government side is again represented by government Henry Gyrich types.

Still, I've liked recent Millar, and the idea is somewhat interesting, not only registering, but federalizing the superheroes to work for the government.  I expect it to succeed at first, since that will be the one that would create more story conflict. Eventually, I would imagine it would lose.

I don't have a problem with character bickering or brawls-re-reading my Masterworks, they are full of that (especially Avengers-wow Hawkeye and Pietro and even Giant Man can have chips on their shoulders-they are always ready to fight some other hero for saying or doing the wrong thing. Not to mention Hercules.).  I just don't think one side should be wrong or come off badly.  Misunderstandings, honest disputes over the issues, things like that i can live with.

QUOTE: A lot of talk, talk, talk about what's going on, but with no action.

Well, hell, Matt...that describes Bendis' work across the board, doesn't it?

That's just one of the many factors that's got me skipping Civil War.

OK, I'm a bit late to the party here, but JB, I wholeheartly agree with every sentiment on this list.  This is one primary reason that I come to this board in the first place, because pros like yourself, Chuck Dixon, Gail Simone and many others who actually UNDERSTAND this particular literary form frequent the joint and demonstrate a respect for the characters and a capacity to tell good stories.

Frankly, I still love reading comics, even after many, many years.  However, I don't want to read about a Superman who lacks the respect of his peers and the general public because he stands for outmoded idealism, an insane Batman who differs little from the crazy quilt of nutjobs he routinely battles, a Spider-Man lacking any of the old supporting cast and who bears little resemblance to any character I've ever read, Avengers who are guest stars in their own book, and so on and so on.

Thank Heaven some of the old guard are still in place to show all the kiddies (and those who're still kiddies at heart) how it's really done.

Just to point out though, although Josh Whedon, Bendis, JMS, and Loeb contributed ideas and all at some bull session, and JMS and Bendis wrote the "Countdown to Civil War" in Amazing and Illimunati respecitvely,

the main 7 issue mini-series in Civil War will be written and conceived by Mark Millar.  The secondary mini is written by Paul Jenkins.