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I’m an expert on DC Comics: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern.

I know that Marvel Comics – Spider-Man, X-Men, The Avengers, Fantastic Four – usually uses MUCH better artists. Most of the time, Marvel books are sleeker, more stylish and attractive.

For a long time, though, I did not enjoy the Marvel tone: too much self-hate and bickering among the heroes, too many rather desperate pop culture and TV references that made the comics seem very dated too fast, not a lot of grown-up characters/relationships/conflicts.

Since 2012, I have read about 40 Marvel Comics collections, and I’m happy with many, many of their female-driven and/or quirky younger titles: „Ms. Marvel“, „Silk“, „She-Hulk“, „Hawkeye“. Other titles like „FF“, „Storm“, „Young Avengers“ and „Squirrel Girl“ have some (writing) problems – but I enjoyed them nonetheless.

In 2013, I translated Alan Cowsill’s „The Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide“ into German, for DK Publishing:

Here’s the first German edition, 2014 – a collaboration with translator and friend Lino Wirag:

• Marvel Avengers: Lexikon der Superhelden

And here’s the updated edition, from 2015:

• Marvel Avengers: Lexikon der Superhelden, 2015

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I spent more than 3 months researching all these characters – but I still have not read that many actual „Avengers“ books: I dislike big, blockbuster-like team books because they tend to be less character-focused. Also, there are lots of Marvel movies that I haven’t seen yet – but since I enjoy the writing of Mark Millar (I liked „Jupiter’s Legacy“, „Superman: Red Son“ and „Starlight“), I thought it was time to read his 2006 Marvel Comics „The Avengers“ crossover blockbuster „Civil War“.

There’ll be a movie version (May 5th, 2016): „Captain America: Civil War“.

The seven-part „Civil War“ comic books (2006) had a LOT of problems – most of them outlined here (Link: TV Tropes), and all in all, it seemed like a less cerebral and complex version of DC’s solid 2012 Batman-vs.-Superman dystopia „Injustice: Gods among us“ (recommended!).

Writing and characterization of „Civil War“ were hit-and-miss.

And some of the female characters threw me off: I know She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman etc. from their 2013, 2014, 2015 comic books. Lots of these books have GREAT, quriky art. Here’s Charles Soule’s and Javier Pulido’s „She-Hulk“, for example:

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Ten years ago, in 2006, mainstream comics often focused on „Tits & Ass“-style cheesecake. It’s not a Marvel problem: Many DC books were just as oversexed and cheesy. Ed Benes might be best-known worst offender at DC (Link, 2005).

All in all, I really can’t recommend „Civil War“. Inconsistent writing, inconsistent characters, a conflict that often borders on nonsensical. I don’t think the art style is the problem of this series, and I don’t think „Civil War“ is a particularly bad or sexist super-hero comic: „Civil War“ artist Steve McNiven is quite skilled – and likes detailed, often well-framed, atmospheric tableaus of super-heroes in dramatic poses. I also like the way he designs rooms, government facilities etc.

Still: It’s encouraging to see how far we’ve come.

In 2015, there are MUCH more appealing, often female-driven Marvel comic books.

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If I think of characters like She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel or Maria Hill, I’m glad that THESE cheesy, stripperific poses are not the first or only thing that come to mind, anymore:

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a human bystander/clubgoer:

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Spider-Man (Peter Parker, in a short-lived alternative costume):

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and She-Hulk, defeated and maybe unconscious, on a battlefield:

 

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Here’s me at the 2015 Leipzig Book Fair with a She-Hulk cosplayer: