Welcome to an article dedicated to Marvel Comics summer event Civil War. My name is Richard Renteria; I will be your guide throughout the event. Prior to the big event, we will focus some time on the concept of government regulation of superhero vis-à-vis the concept of superhero registration within comics in general and the Marvel Universe specifically; how the Marvel heroes arrived at their current situation; and the road to Civil War itself.

Although not a professional writer in the real world, I have done some writing for print publications during my previous career as a freelance copy editor for a monthly psychiatric publication and a bi-monthly geriatric publication, which were both interesting in their own way. Due to my need for continual education, I left the world of freelance copy editing for a more secure and stable job as an assistant to a Vice President for a major automobile manufacturer. In addition to my day job and school (no degree yet, but oh so close). I have an eclectic taste in comics and enjoy stories from different genres.

As a reader, I have been following the characters of the Marvel Universe for almost 20 years. Although I do dabble in the universes of other publishers, none of them resonate with me on an emotional level like the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. I can remember like it was yesterday the very first comic I ever picked up on the stand, Amazing Spider-Man #238, and I have been hooked ever since. My collection includes a run of ASM that starts with issue 200 and a run of Uncanny X-Men that starts with Giant-Sized X-Men #1. Some of my favorite characters are Spider-Man, Batman, Quicksilver (I named my tortoise Pietro) and the Scarlet Witch, who also happens to be a catalyst for a lot of recent events that have been unfolding within the Marvel Universe.

During the course of Marvel’s summer blockbuster, we will discuss the events taking place in the main Civil War title, as well as exploring how these events affect the greater Marvel Universe and its impact on the denizens of the 616 (comic book geek speak for the Marvel Universe proper). In addition to following along with the main event, we will also be looking at many of the tie-ins, one-shots and spin-offs that lead up to and are a direct result of Civil War; including an exploration of how they play into the overall storyline and their potential ramifications for the characters. If things work out the way they should, by the end of Civil War, we will have explored the various factions and fallout from the main book and have a general understanding of where the Marvel Universe is headed in the near future. Until the main event actually starts in May, we’ll pass the time by looking at some of the major events in the Marvel Universe that lead up to Civil War.

It should be noted through the course of this column that the thoughts, views and comments are all based on my experience in the world of comics and are not necessarily a reflection of anyone else’s views or opinions, including the owners of this website. For all intents and purposes, taste is subjective and depending on your view of the Marvel Universe and its current state, we may not agree on everything, but I will try hard to make these columns as entertaining and informative as possible.