It seems like I can never find a decent time to write these articles. Last week, I started at 2 in the morning and ended just before noon. (Don’t worry, there was some sleep involved. Some.) This week? In the midst of my philosophy class. (Hey, gotta make some use of a philosophy class.) It’s just as well, though, since I can hardly concentrate anyway. Besides the usual reasons, I am also particularly anxious about getting back home any starting up Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. Even after getting test run during my podcast/radio show, The Harbinger, I cannot wait to play with my friend and co-host as Captain America and Iron Man respectively.

At least, until they start squabbling…

MUA2’s main storyline – borrowing heavily from Secret War and Civil War, moreso the latter – reminded me that it has been over three years since Millar & McNiven’s Marvel event. Three years since the main Marvel Universe split in two, sides were chosen, and comics were gobbled by readers whether they hated it or not. Three years for us to look at all the comics and stories that have come since the event and ask ourselves the all important question:

When Civil War happened, it certainly shocked everyone. Steve Rogers and Tony Stark fighting each other. Reed Richards and Hank Pym creating gods in the visage of their former friend and teammate. Peter Parker revealing himself to be Spider-Man, dooming him and those he love(d). Everything else in between, and more. We all know what has come after the event’s seventh issue: the death of Captain America. Iron Man acting like Pilate, Tony Stark feeling like Judas. The team of Avengers who believe they are the true heirs to the banner are now outlaws. Everything else in between, and more.

It’s understandable to think that what happened to the Marvel Universe was forced and contrived, and perhaps it was if I may indulge cynicism. You have to think about it, though: could modern-day Marvel have survived without this series? Unlike its dreaded competition, who (mostly) prefers that books and characters tell their own tales and everything will be sorted later, Marvel has always championed the idea of books and characters being closely intertwined with each other – a current example of this includes Dark Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, and even Deadpool with the just-ended Utopia storyline. This tight-knit relationship was emphasized after Civil War and it’s spoils. It helps Marvel make more money by sparking interested in another book or cast of characters for readers, and it helps readers catch a better glimpse of what’s going on in other pages of the Marvel U.

Could they have done this without the allusion to the George W. Bush Administration and the U.S. Patriot Act? That’s debatable. While comics have always been a device to escape the real world and all its woes, Marvel has always taken pride in being a mirror of the real world – just, you know, a reflection with gods and anthromorphic raccoons out in space. It’s a device that I have always found interesting, and one of the main reasons why I enjoy Marvel comics in general; being so close, yet obviously so far from the chance of this fantasy being true makes it that much more intriguing. Like all good fantasy stories, there’s also the need to have the reader empathize and relate on a personal level; the closer the fiction relates nonfiction, the stronger this device.

As for the event’s spoils of war, it’s admittedly a mixed bag. With the success of one crossover comes more crossovers with a similar formula, tying in a number of other books, some more related to the main story to the other, that results the creation of even more ongoing books. Civil War brought The Initiative and much more. World War Hulk segwayed Incredible Hercules and (Red) Hulk (which, unfortunately, a lot of people enjoy). Secret Invasion resulted in all the current Dark Reign titles, and a more spotlight on villains and morally ambiguous characters (Deadpool, Punisher, The Hood, etc.). While everyone is entitled to their own opinion on each book, it cannot be ignored the overall level of quality of Marvel’s current books is at an all-time high. I can safely chalk this up to the standard that Civil War established.

If you still hate Tony Stark or wish Steve Rogers was still Captain America (and, you know, not “dead”), I understand completely. Change is hard to embrace and accept, especially when the past few decades have never had storylines and concepts to drastic. As dark as the times may seem right now, though, Marvel comics are in the middle of a bright new era.