I know some people crap on this series, but I thought it was one of the best (of many) CW tie-ins. Like “Marvels” before it, the series focuses on news coverage of the 616 superverse.
Interestingly, it offers us two reporters: Ben Urich covers the Iron Man side, and Sally Floyd–from the great Generation M series–covers the underground resistance led by Captain America.
It starts at a funeral, where Robbie Robertson is eulogizing a reporter killed in the school bus explosion that killed several New Warriors and served as the tipping point for the U.S. Government to enact the Superhuman Registration Act.
Each issue thereafter hits the major points of the main Civil War series and the tie-ins (Spider-Man’s unmasking, Norman Osborns ascension to power, Thor killing Goliath, etc. But alongside the big stories are smaller ones that don’t fit in the big event book and the major tie ins. Like a multi-issue cluster of short stories about an Atlantean resistance unit.
And speaking of Norman Osborn, Urich and Floyd break the secret of his Civil War “redemption…”
break the case of the Civil War conspiracy. By now, it’s too late to “spoil” it….
Not only was Tony Stark controlling Norman Osborn with nanites, but he also manipulated the markets–using the war to his financial advantage. And SHIELD knew about it and assisted. Civil War: Frontline turns Tony pretty much into a villain. Peter Parker is working with Urich, and this is what finally turns him back to Captain America’s side.
As for Sally Floyd, she gets embedded with the resistance and meets up with an anti-registration unit that is full of misfits, including Typeface and Battlestar!
Typeface recruits a cadre of silly character and losers, most of which are original creations with names like Harbormaster, Staten Island Star, and Panthrax. One appears after the Frontline series: Network.
Not much to say here, just wanted to note that this is her debut. The rest are killed or captured when Iron Man leads a group of superhumans and soldiers to their hideout.
Urich and Floyd both end up quitting their press jobs as a result of disillusionment at the stories they covered, and at the end they form their own independent press group called…Frontline.
Let’s talk about the Speedball backups that run in each issue. We learn that Speedball actually survived the bus explosion and gets found in the woods near Stamford. He’s taken to a secret hospital and patched back together, but the injuries appear to have removed his powers. He’s then taken to a black site for questioning.
He refuses to comply, and gets thrown in prison. Once there, he’s attacked and (by implication) raped.
The pain and cruelty he experiences starts to bring his powers back. So, he’s transferred to the Negative Zone, which Reed Richards has turned into a prison for superhumans who refuse to register.
The parallels to the United States’ war on terror are unmistakable, obvious, and really well done.
As a result of abuse and torture, Speedball finally turns on the Secret Avengers. He makes public appearances against them. Another great part of Frontline incorporates history. Each issue includes a parallel to “real” events, like the internment of the Japanese during World War II, Caesar’s military coup in Ancient Rome, etc and uses the Civil War framework to connect the Marvel Universe to “real” history. Hence, when Speedball makes a pro-registration appearance, we get a parallel to the attempted assassination of Speedball being illustrated in a clear reference to Jack Ruby…
In the aftermath of the Civil War, decides he must atone. He obtains what is basically an S&M costume that causes constant pain to the wearer, and becomes Penance.
Speedball is the only character in Civil War who truly atones for his sins. All superheroes cause destruction in the name of justice, and the Civil War itself ends when Captain America feels guilty for destroying the homes of “regular people.” But Cap’s guilt is more about his own failure to win decisively than it is about what he’s really done. He doesn’t try to make anything right (arguably, he gets killed before he has a chance–but still). Speedball, on the other hand, undergoes prison torture before designing a costume that will stick pins into his body all the time and becoming Penance.
The Speedball backups might even be the best part of this series. Yes, that’s right. A story about Speedball is excellent.
We also get to see Wonder Man using his acting skills in a PSA in favor of registration,, and Sub Mariner as a fireman!
Even if you’ve already read Civil War, and know everything that’s going to happen, this series is worth a read (or reread). It’s the best thing to come out of the Civil War event.