Marvel; $4.99

Civil War II #0 opens on what will likely be the running argument through the series. Attorney Jennifer Walters is arguing a case for a man accused of planning a crime, not actully commiting one. The hitch is that he used to be a costumed thief. Fresh off of a peacekeeping mission as War Machine, Colonel James Rhodes is invited to a meeting in the White House’s Situation Room with none other than the president himself. Captain Marvel confides in Doc Samson that she grows weary trying to avert disaster when it’s already upon the world. And, at Ohio State University on a seemingly typical day, a Terrigen cloud envelopes campus.

Brian Michael Bendis wrote a wonderfully crafted first act, laying the groundwork for the many conflicts to come. You can feel the tension below the surface as Captain Marvel, She-Hulk, and War Machine each take in their respective situations and those implications. Olivier Coipel’s art is clean and crisp, with plenty to fill the page without being distracting. As the color artist, Justin Ponsor uses an almost exclusively subdued color palette, which reflects the somber moods and gravity of impending situations.

Collectively, Civil War II #0 was a well presented introduction to what is likely to be a great summer series.

-Amanda Sheriff