Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Written By: Christos Gage
Art By: Travel Foreman, Rain Beredo
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 13, 2016
Publisher: Marvel
Art By: Travel Foreman, Rain Beredo
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 13, 2016
Publisher: Marvel
*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*
When Civil War II was first being announced and I heard the
main idea behind it, I thought that the argument was a little lopsided. I mean,
I’ve seen Minority Report and countless other films about predicting the future
and preemptive justice and so have most of the readers of comic books. These
films usually show these things in a negative context and thus many reader
would automatically gravitate towards Iron Man’s ideology. Marvel clearly
anticipated this and so, many of the first tie-in issues gave the reader a
reason to side with Captain Marvel. Honestly though, I wasn’t buying it. Then
the first issue of Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man came out. It presented the
way that Peter Parker would be using Ulysses gift. It actually showed the
potential that this ideology had. While I haven’t been the biggest fan of Civil
War II, that issue at least gave me a legitimate reason to see the debate that
was occurring. So, did this second issue deliver as nicely as the first? Let’s
find out.
The issue begins with Spider-Man fighting with The
Quintronic Man, who is basically five guys in a big robot suit. While fighting
them he lets the know about how their core is overheating and is going to lead
to an explosion. Spider-Man gets them out and pushes the robot suit into the
river where it is destroyed. Spider-Man had gotten the tip from Ulysses and
prevented the block from being completely destroyed. Spider-Man’s mind is on
other things though when he meets back up with Ulysses as he has had a vision
of Clayton Cole becoming The Clash once again. Clayton had been an old villain
of Spider-Man’s but he had done his time and was working at Parker Industries,
putting his talents to use for good rather than evil.
This is where the focus of the issue shifts. We get to see
the life of Clayton Cole now that he has been working for Parker Industries. He
runs into a former associate and they talk for a moment before Clayton,
respectfully, tells him that he can’t talk due to him being on parole. He then
visits his parents who are clearly a source of negativity in his life. His
parents believe the worst in people and think that Parker Industries has been
taking advantage of Clayton. They also believe that Clayton is perfect despite
his faults. Granted, that’s usually a good thing for parents to think about
their children but in some cases it is toxic. This is one of those cases. While
visiting his parents, Clayton retrieves his grandmother’s ring as he plans to
eventually propose to his currently girlfriend. Unfortunately for him, when he
has lunch with her, she ends things. She has a son of her own and while she likes
Clayton, she doesn’t want her son to have a new father figure who is an ex-con.
Needless to say, Clayton is having the shittiest day ever.
After talking to both Spider-Man and Peter Parker (who he
thinks are two different people), he suddenly becomes very paranoid. He uses a
piece of technology to retrieve a past conversation that occurred between
Ulysses and Spider-Man where they voiced their concerns that Clayton would
return to being The Clash. Insulted and angry, Clayton resigns from this job at
Parker Industries. Clayton goes to one of his old hangs from when he was a
villain. While drinking there, he runs into Mendel Stromm who wants to team up
with him so that he can get his revenge. Clayton refuses but Stromm attempts to
force his hand. Stromm leaves him so that he can think over his offer.
Back at Parker Industries, Peter Parker is talking with
Harry Osborn (now known as Harry Lyman). He discusses Clayton with him and
addresses the ways he could fix the situation. Harry gives Peter the
perspective that he and Clayton share. They are both ex-villains who have been
rehabilitated. However, the difference is that Harry has been out of the game
for a while. Clayton is relatively fresh out of the game. Peter decides to try
and reconcile with Clayton when the book switches back to Clayton’s story. He
has dawned a new costume and retaken the name of The Clash and this time, his
suit is oddly reminiscent of Spider-Man’s.
When it comes to Civil War II, I think it’s been mostly a
disappointment. I haven’t been enjoying it very much, but that’s just my
opinion. However, one book from this crossover that I do like is this one. This
one is so good that I wish Gage was writing the main Civil War II book. With
two issues, I have gotten more development about both sides of the debate than
the main story has given me. In the first issue, we were shown how Ulysses’
powers could be used properly. In this issue, we were shown how his powers can
be misinterpreted and acting upon them can be the thing that actually causes
them. It has been WAY more interesting to me than anything else in the
crossover. The art of this book is occasionally strange but mostly fits the
book very well.
Bits and Pieces
This issue proves that the whole idea behind Civil War II
has some real potential to be amazing (pun intended). The writing and
storytelling of this issue are incredible and the art really fits in the book
very well. I cannot stress this enough. This is the BEST part of Civil War II
and if you are at all invested in this crossover, this is the book you must be
reading.
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