Primer for the MCU's Captain America: Civil War
598038
Civil War should serve as a primer for the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America 3: Civil War, with all the appropriate changes reflecting the differences between the Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios films. Time will tell to see which story beats make the cut and which (The New Warriors' reality TV publicity stunt) will be ignored.
As a disclaimer, I must state that I haven't been a regular reader of Marvel comics since the late 90s/early 00s so all the the shifts and changes over the last decade to the Marvel Universe are new material to me. Like the majority of the casual MCU audience, my interest in the Marvel Universe centers around the films, which present a unified, coherent collection of related characters, films and story arcs.
Civil War at times felt as though it belonged to the What if? series of Marvel comics thanks to the flexibility the comic medium provides (no Marvel Universe character ever stays dead unless said character is irrelevant/obsolete), but the story arc did have lasting effects on the Marvel Universe, with the notable backtracking of the subsequent death of Steve Rogers, who reappeared alive and well so that he could lose his Super Serum, become a senior citizen and pass the mantle of Captain America to Sam Wilson. I did not read the explanation for how Steve Rogers was brought back after being assassinated; I only read Civil War as a primer for the upcoming film.
But the underlying conflict of ideology between personal freedom, represented by Steve Rogers and national security, represented by Tony Stark appears to remain the central focus of Civil War, with Peter Parker in moral conflict over which side to support.
The heroes representing the US Federal Government eventually resort to recruiting super villains out of a morally dubious inter dimensional super vault with Lo Jacks installed in them to keep them from running or reneging on their agreement to arrest (yes, super powered criminals tasked with the apprehension of super powered heroes turned vigilantes) the renegade heroes, removing some of the moral grey area of the original concept.
Eventually, Civil War regresses into a basic two super teams conducting a slugfest brawl in public (Manhattan, NYC), right at home in any comic book, and ends with a time out called by Captain America speaking as the voice of reason when he realizes the fight over the argument for personal freedom has become nothing more than heroes fighting, resulting in massive collateral damage and distrust and fear by the ordinary people they are supposedly fighting to protect.
Civil War brings up similar themes to what was previously explored both in the Marvel Comics and in Marvel films (not the MCU) with the Mutant Registration Act from the X-Men, with the key difference being that "Hero Registration" is presented as a prerequisite for being a super hero, whereas mutant registration amounts to racial profiling. In this sense, Civil War has more in common with DC's Watchmen and the Keene Act that effectively outlawed costumed adventurers/vigilantes barring those who made their identities public and became agents of the Federal Government.
Well worth reading for those who like to have some background knowledge of upcoming MCU films.
4128904
Good Movie.  Not as good as Winter Soldier.

My issue with the movie is they took great villians and watered them down trying to create an internal conflict between Cap and Iron Man.  There is already a great Civil War story line created in the comic books that could have been amazing on the big screen.
1023333
This is by far my favorite comic. Brubaker straight kills it. You see how much *SPOILER* caps death effects everyone following the events of Civil War. But the best of the best is Winter Solider: Winter Kills, seeing Bucky back and on the hunt for Caps killer is breathtakingly written and drawn. Every comic collector needs to have this comic no excuse for not.
1710934
Captain America: The Captain collects issues #332-350 of Captain America and issue #228 of Iron Man, all originally published between 1987 and 1989. Production-quality is decent with thin, low-gloss paper, bright colors, and a flexible spin. There are no extras, however, save a single house ad from 1987.

Story-wise, The Captain's 500-plus pages offer a fun and exciting--if fairly unsubtle--tale in which a President-appointed commission hands the mantle of Captain America to the former Super-Patriot after Steve Rogers refuses to follow the Commission's orders. Mark Gruenwald's innovative plot proceeds along two threads: one in which Rogers, with the help of Nomad, The Falcon, D-Man, and Diamondback, attempts to rediscover his purpose after retiring; the other in which the new Captain America, assisted by a new Bucky, struggles to overcome his own aggressive nature and uphold the principles of the previous Captain. Along the way there's an encounter with a treasonous Iron Man, a nefarious plot by the Serpent Society that sees Ronald Reagan transformed into a reptile, and a group of angry mutants fighting the government over the Mutant Registration act. An earlier reviewer rightly noted the similarities between The Captain and Batman's Knightfall (published half a decade later by DC); fans of the latter, however, will find The Captain to be a much simpler tale, which--unlike Knightfall--requires little familiarity with the title character's history.

Tom Morgan's pencils, provided primarily for the book's first half and done in a classic superhero style (with occasional hints of Kirby), are excellent. This reviewer is less partial to Kieron Dwyer's pencils for the book's second half, which sometimes appear hastily done (and are reminiscent of Marvel's second-tier pencils in the early 90s), but they are certainly not bad. Dave Hunt also does great work as inker for Morgan, while Al Milgrom provides decent inks for Dwyer.

Though not always the most carefully plotted story, The Captain makes a great read and deserves to be picked up by any Captain America or Marvel Comics fan. Don't worry about the high cover price--this is a mammoth graphic novel that will provide even the quickest reader with hours of entertainment.
2472933
Ed Brubaker's (Uncanny X-Men, Daredevil, Sleeper) run on Captain America has been loaded with espionage and action, and while it has been both a critical and commercial hit, I've never seen what's been so great about Brubaker's run on the title.  Now, Brubaker's much lauded event during his run on Captain America is collected here, with The Death of Captain America.  In the aftermath of Civil War, Steve "Captain America" Rogers is shot and killed by a sniper's bullet, sending ripples throughout the Marvel universe.  In the wake of Cap's death, the Winter Soldier chooses a side, the Falcon searches for the truth, and Cap's S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent ex-girlfriend Sharon makes a shocker of a discovery.  Whether or not hearing of Captain America's death wowed you or drew one long groan from you, you have to admit that Brubaker can weave one intriguing and interesting story here.  In the aftermath of Cap's death, Brubaker manages to hold your interest, but as any longtime comic reader (or short term) will tell you, this definitely isn't the end for the star-spangled Avenger.  Steve Epting's artwork is solid as usual, but other than that, The Death of Captain America is only worth checking out for die hard fans of Cap, or loyal followers of Brubaker's run on the series.
1340156
Avengers vs. X-Men is one of the biggest events in history of comics, totaling something around 1600 pages for the full story. A best selling event that involves almost the whole Marvel Universe (as well as most of it's top creator talents), the whole thing seems like a summer blockbuster that's just a lot of fun. The main story, of course, is over in the Avengers vs. X-Men HC (or trade), but the stories here really flesh out the event and give it an even fuller feel. Some enjoyed the main event (like me), others did not. Before you even consider buying this particular collection, go out and buy the main story. If you didn't like it, this probably won't make it better. But if you did enjoy it, you'll most likely enjoy it even more with this companion.

This particular volume gives a lot more background depth on what is going on in Cyclops's, Wolverine's, Captain America's, and Hope's heads (among others). There are stories in here that relate to the main event, but read very well on their own. If I could compare it to anything, it would be like the Star Wars novels set around the movies. The Avengers vs. X-Men main story would be the films, but this companion would be all the added stories and anecdotes you'd get from reading the novelizations and other similarly-timed books.

Now, about the production quality. Yes, there is a page missing, so if that is going to bother you a lot, I'd look elsewhere. (It's unfortunate, but it doesn't bother me because I can read the page on the included free digital edition. But that's me.) Also, the thin pages Marvel has used on this collection may make the book lighter and easier to hold, but the production quality is simply not as good as the paper used in collections from 6+ months ago. Also, the inks used in this tome are of good but lower quality than in previous Marvel collections (look at at the blacks in the book for proof). However, the book has beautiful sewn binding, the cover (sans dust jacket) has a wonderful Phoenix-inspired look, and the oversized pages really do give an impressive presentation of the content. If quality of production is your concern, you'd have to weigh a missing page, cheaper paper, and relatively lesser quality colors vs. sewn binding, a great cover, and wonderful oversized art.

As someone who collects Marvel collections and who also enjoyed the main event, I definitely recommend the book. If you are like me, you'll most likely feel the same. If, however, the main story or production issues are too bothersome for you, I am sure you could spend your $60 on other stories you might be more prone to enjoy.
3366888
Nice little basic primer for a starting look at the Civil War. It does not get into heavy detail but provides a decent overview of the major points of the conflict.
1119073
This book is very nice with a slipcover. This book is a must have for Captain America fans! It is loaded with photo's from the movie, artwork and a great read for any Captain America fan!
4591801
Written at a High School level, this is a quite literate and well developed treatment of The Hulk, Spiderman, and The Black Cat in novel form.  It has all the action and story value of the comics.  For newcomers, there's enough exposition to introduce the characters, done briefly enough not to annoy old-timers well acquainted with the Marvel Universe.
There's reasonable complexity here.  Neither the heroes nor the bad guys are completely working together since each has his or her own agenda.  Added to that is the S.A.F.E. agent working under cover representing government but not necessarily in the best interests of the heroes.  And so there are easily enough complications to keep a mature reader interested.
This isn't a bad book at all for those who want to get better acquainted with the not altogether jolly green giant before they see the movie.  Just bear in mind that the Hulk's creators made him a reasonable 7 footer as opposed to the 12 foot creature in the movie.  Note also that the character has developed in several ways over the years and so you might find his characterization in this book somewhat different than the movie characterization.
Worth reading, even if you're way past High School age.
1954768
There are quite a few Captain America figures all sharing the same basic sculpt in this new line. If you're looking for a solid, classic interpretation of Steve Rogers, this is the one to go for. The figure is roughly the same as the standard Cap, but the paint work is superior. Every single one of the normal Steve figure I've seen has had red paint bleeding through the white sleeves. That isn't a problem with this Deluxe version.

The sculpt is several steps above the Cap figure Hasbro has been using and reusing since the Marvel Universe line started. Cap is beefier, more detailed, and generally more solid in feel. The downside is that this figure isn't as articulated. There's no torso swivel, bicep swivel or ankle joints. But despite that I still prefer this version to the old sculpt.

The deluxe accessories are pretty much a waste of space unless you actually intend to play with the figure rather than display it. I just threw them out after opening the package. But I imagine kids will have fun messing around with the parachute. Luckily, the harness and parachute detach easily. If you can find this figure on sale it's well worth a purchase. But at the standard $15 it's a little pricey.
3986349
This book does demonstrate the wisdom of Marvel continuing with the 'classic' Spider-Man in light of the Ultimate Spider-Man revamp.  While Brian Michael Bendis is doing a great job with the teenage Peter Parker learning to be a hero, it's nice to see writers like J. Michael Straczynski work with the older, more experienced Peter, a hero who knows what he's doing and has a higher degree of self-confidence as a result.
Straczynski seems to be trying to shake up the status quo a bit here, with questions about the nature of Spider-Man's powers.  Unfortunately a lot of the supposedly dramatic revelations feel like things that we've seen before in superhero comics.  It's all solidly crafted, but it's not revolutionary, so the plot doesn't have a lot of edge-of-your-seat suspense.  (The epilogue, on the other hand, is a bit of a cliffhanger separate from this book's plot.)
The book is a worthwhile read nonetheless, because Straczynski does a solid job with the characterization and, for the most part, the dialogue.  Peter's inner monologue and interactions with villains, allies and bystanders are all entertaining.  There's a good balance between light moments and action-adventure.  Straczynski seems to be enjoying himself here, and that carries through to the reader.
The art by John Romita, Jr. and Scott Hanna with colors by Dan Kemp and Avalon Studios is solid on both the character moments and the action sequences.  Romita is a fine storyteller whose pencils have a distinct style well-suited for an urban hero and his exploits, and the rest of the team complements him perfectly.
4272930
Awesome book! Love the leather-bound cover. Great stuff inside, especially if you're a fan of all of the old Marvel TV live action shows, like the Incredible Hulk(Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno), Amazing Spiderman or Captain America.
4070811
Wavered between three and four starts, so I rounded up. This character debuted the same month as Captain America in 1941, so its anyone's guess who may or may not have copied whom. Considering Captain Battle wore an eye patch long before Captain America's boss in SHIELD, Nick Fury, was even created should tell you though. The story, summed up, has Nazi eugenics combined with black magic (the primary antagonist is named the Necromancer) gearing up to launch the Fourth Reich in Sam Battle's hometown, and when the Gulf War veteran returns home he sets to work on them, taking up the name and mantle of his dad, the original Captain Battle.

Spoiler alert: Captain Battle kills Heinrich Himler ;)
4807832
The G.I. Joe Battlefiles Index is kind of like those old Marvel Universe comics from the 1980's.  Inside you'll find profiles of all the Joe Team and Cobra Members, as well as the various affiliates and splinter groups.  The Joe listing begins with all of the current Joe Members and includes everything you could ever want to know about each character including real names (unless classified), how they joined the Joe team, their various skills and fields of expertise and much, much more.  They are actually far more detailed than the Marvel Universe.  It also includes deceased operatives and a history of how the Joe team was formed.  The Cobra section is pretty much the same and includes a history of Cobra but they are broken down into groups such as Destro's forces, The Dreadnoks, etc...There is also a Cobra chain of command listing all of the various troop types such as the Crimson Guard, Tele-vipers, and so on.

But it's not just an index of personnel.  One of the things many people love about the G.I. Joe comics is the weaponry and vehicles employed by Joe and Cobra and those are also spotlighted and include information on size, weight, speed, and armament.  Great art accompanies the text by Many artists and it complements the work very well.  This is a nice source book for anyone who is a fan of the G.I. Joe team and updated for the 21st century as well with current continuity.  Great stuff!
4164727
I picked this book sometime ago and got at a bargain. This one is kind of an unofficial companion to Marvel-The Five Fabulous Decades trade. Peter Sanderson is a Marvel expert-one of the people behind The Marvel Universe Guides of the 1980's and a few idexes-even far too much was explained away as topical,Peterson understands Marvel as much as Stan Lee himself did. Why he was not running Marvel and not the likes of Darth Shooter is unknown. Marvel Universe gives a good run up on what made Classic Silver Age Marvel tick. It also gives like on the later material,such the X-MEN EXPLOSION of two decades past. Here you understand The Fatastic Four,Spider-Man,The Hulk,Prince Namor,The Torch,Captain America and the whole,if breif Marvel Comic stars. Sanderson could give us a Marvel Universe,Vol#1,No#2 to go over anyone left out or not given more space. Stiil,a must read for fans and pros a like.
432640
I picked this up in the library. Captain America is battling a group of baddies who are causing mayhem and discord. They are known as the Discordians. While Cap is grounded, Falcon circles aimlessly overhead, providing air surveillance. Sharon Carter hisses at Diamondback, Cap's ex-girlfriend. A politician Reed Braxton rails against Cap. Turns out he's an LMD (life-model decoy). Exciting final run? Acceptable artwork until Epting shows up.
1519132
Legendary: Captain America 75th Anniversary is a small box expansion for the Legendary Marvel deckbuilding game as designed by Devin Low. The set contains 100 cards consisting of 5 new Heroes, 2 new Villain Groups, 2 Masterminds and 4 new Schemes.

The defining feature of this expansion is the fact that Captain America has played through two major time periods - World War II and the modern day. Thus the new keyword Man out of Time is an interesting one that has a card effect happen twice - once this turn and at the start of the next turn as part of a special phase for all cards with the keyword. At the same time we have characters from the two time periods. Thus we have Captain America 1941 and Agent X-13 from the past and Steve Rogers: Director of SHIELD together with Captain America (Falcon). Linking the two time periods and with neither Avengers nor SHIELD affiliation is the Winter Soldier.

The other new keyword is Savior, which triggers special abilities once you have at least 3 Bystanders in your Victory Pile. It's a somewhat more passive ability since it's not often you lose Bystanders once in your pile. But of course it's a little tricky to ensure that there are Bystanders to rescue in order to unlock those abilities. But it does make for some interesting combinations.

What I Liked: The set is a heck of a lot of fun, even if you play solely with the heroes from this set. As usual, it does make the original Captain America hero cards from the base set a little lackluster, but they play well enough with one another. and the addition of SHIELD characters in the form of Agent X-13 and Steve Rogers really helps things along perhaps even better than Skadi did for Hydra in Villains: Fear Itself. And we've had some pretty fun games with them.

Of course the Villains side is pretty awesome as we get to push the weird pseudo science of the older Captain America comics with the likes of Baron Zemo and Armin Zola. Combine all that with some crazy fun schemes and the game really takes on a whole different feel. Go Back in Time to Slay Heroes' Ancestors is a brutal scenario that has you trying to defeat the villains before they totally eliminate your Hero deck by killing your characters back in the past. Change the Outcome of WWII is a rather unique scenario that has you fighting in different countries, which is represented by presenting cities of different lengths  to fight in. And the fun just keeps on going.

What Could Have Been Better: Savior is a very tricky keyword that can either make your characters feels super awesome or super annoying. Consider cases like two-player games that only add 2 Bystanders into the Villain Deck, thus severely limiting your ability to gather the necessary  Bystanders to card-drive abilities to rescue Bystanders. This most significantly affects Falcon and Steve Rogers, who both have a lot of Savior abilities.

And while the new schemes are pretty fun, they're also pretty brutal and may not be enjoyable for a guy who just bought the base set together with this expansion. The time-travel scenario is really, really tricky and the WWII scenario can end pretty quickly in two-space cities generated by the scenario. And don't get me started on that blasted Enigma Machine.

TL;DR: Captain America: 75th Anniversary is a great new expansion and a must for any growing Legendary card game collection that will offer a lot of fun for experienced players. Relatively newer players may need to consider holding off from jumping into this set or at the very least don't feel frustrated about losing the fist few games.