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Civil War II: Kingpin #1-4
Civil War II: Kingpin
While the issues that propel the second CIVIL WAR divide the heroes of the Marvel Universe, they have an impact upon the villains as well! Where Do They Stand in this brave new Marvel U. and how far will they go to make it theirs? COLLECTING: Civil War II: Kingpin 1-4, Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 51
120 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 2016
2 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Rosenberg
785 books163 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
"I haven’t always been a writer. My parents are writers and my brother is a writer, and I resisted that as long as I could. When I was 17, I hopped in a band’s van and I went on tour for a summer, and that was it, that was what I wanted to do. I ran a record label for 10 years, a small indie punk label. I did everything in music that you can do that doesn’t involve having musical ability. Eventually the music business, probably in a similar way to comics, will just start to break your heart, and I realized one day that I kind of hated music. I was resigned to thinking, if I’m going to be involved in music forever, I’m going to hate it for the rest of my life. I just stopped. I stopped having any sort of business with music, any involvement.
I read comics my whole life, so I just naturally fell back into another medium that is marginalized and hard to make a living in."
Source: http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles...
Writer of comics WE CAN NEVER GO HOME, SECRET WARS JOURNAL, OUR WORK FILLS THE PEWS, 12 REASONS TO DIE, & MENU.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
"I haven’t always been a writer. My parents are writers and my brother is a writer, and I resisted that as long as I could. When I was 17, I hopped in a band’s van and I went on tour for a summer, and that was it, that was what I wanted to do. I ran a record label for 10 years, a small indie punk label. I did everything in music that you can do that doesn’t involve having musical ability. Eventually the music business, probably in a similar way to comics, will just start to break your heart, and I realized one day that I kind of hated music. I was resigned to thinking, if I’m going to be involved in music forever, I’m going to hate it for the rest of my life. I just stopped. I stopped having any sort of business with music, any involvement.
I read comics my whole life, so I just naturally fell back into another medium that is marginalized and hard to make a living in."
Source: http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles...
Writer of comics WE CAN NEVER GO HOME, SECRET WARS JOURNAL, OUR WORK FILLS THE PEWS, 12 REASONS TO DIE, & MENU.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 1, 2019
Kingpin runs around New York during Civil War II. Yeah, that's pretty much the plot.
The Good: It was only 4 issues although that was 3 and a half issues too long.
The Bad: Everything about this was bad. The story was boring, the art horrific.
The Ugly: Some of the worst art I've ever seen in a comic. It literally looked like my toddler nephew's scribbles.
The Good: It was only 4 issues although that was 3 and a half issues too long.
The Bad: Everything about this was bad. The story was boring, the art horrific.
The Ugly: Some of the worst art I've ever seen in a comic. It literally looked like my toddler nephew's scribbles.
June 25, 2021
I will start out by saying Im a huge Punisher fan, and since this series featured a pretty cool Punisher vs. Kingpin battle that probably increased my rating slightly.
The series did tie into the Civil War II event, if a little peripherally. There's a new Inhuman with the power to predict the future so heroes can stop villains before they commit crimes. However, Kingpin ends up with an Inhuman whose power makes him unable to predict. So he uses this newfound power in order to rebuild his criminal empire. Then he runs into the Punisher, and SHIELD shows up as well.
The story wasn't bad, but the art just wasn't my cup of tea. I think it would have worked better on a humor title.
Not a bad read, but not something you'd have to read in order to read Civil War II.
The series did tie into the Civil War II event, if a little peripherally. There's a new Inhuman with the power to predict the future so heroes can stop villains before they commit crimes. However, Kingpin ends up with an Inhuman whose power makes him unable to predict. So he uses this newfound power in order to rebuild his criminal empire. Then he runs into the Punisher, and SHIELD shows up as well.
The story wasn't bad, but the art just wasn't my cup of tea. I think it would have worked better on a humor title.
Not a bad read, but not something you'd have to read in order to read Civil War II.
February 3, 2017
Hated the art, got bored with the story.
August 27, 2024
3.5/5
Works decently as a crime boss story. Finding Kingpin quite interesting, particularly how he seeks to maintain power and control.
A decent one, look forward to reading more of Kingpin.
Works decently as a crime boss story. Finding Kingpin quite interesting, particularly how he seeks to maintain power and control.
A decent one, look forward to reading more of Kingpin.
June 30, 2017
I'm not gonna lie. I wasn't really expecting anything from this, and I only read it because I'm a completionist by nature. But it was actually pretty good! A story about the nature of paranoia in the criminal mind is not at all what I was expecting from a corporate superhero event tie-in story. Also, the fight between the Kingpin and the Punisher was excellent, as was Wilson's brutal outmaneuvering of SHIELD while in their custody. Matthew Rosenberg should write more crime comics for sure.
July 31, 2017
The artwork in this is just horrible.
I am sorry. I don't mean to be so harsh, especially whenever I have never made a comic myself, but when you can't tell what is actually happening in the story, because of the artwork, that is a bad thing.
Also, (SPOILER). The Inhuman's power in this book is to be able to not be seen by the inhuman who has prescience? Ok, fine, I will buy that lol.
I am sorry. I don't mean to be so harsh, especially whenever I have never made a comic myself, but when you can't tell what is actually happening in the story, because of the artwork, that is a bad thing.
Also, (SPOILER). The Inhuman's power in this book is to be able to not be seen by the inhuman who has prescience? Ok, fine, I will buy that lol.
Read
December 4, 2021Two stories.
The titular story reveals how Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, capitalises on the second superhero civil war, rebuilding his criminal empire with the help of an Inhuman who is immune to the heroes' ability to predict future crime.
The second story is a classic Spider-Man story from the 60s in which Kingpin declares war on the Daily Bugle.
I liked the premise of this book right out of the gate. In the main 'Civil War II' story (by Brian Michael Bendis) we get to see how the superhero community is divided over the idea of convicting criminals before they've committed their crimes, but this book explores the outrage felt by the criminals themselves. Kingpin is the perfect character to do that too, having always seen the actions of 'the capes' as being an infringement of the lives of normal humans.
This is a very Netflix Marvel-esque story and I definitely heard Vincent D'Onofrio's voice whenever I read Kingpin's dialogue here, making it especially appropriate that the Punisher puts in an appearance to throw a spanner (and grenade) into Fisk's plans.
I have to say I wasn't a fan of the art style, which negatively affected my enjoyment of the book overall but it's ugliness is fairly appropriate to the content of the story.
The book as a whole is let down by the second story by Marvel legend Stan Lee. The style of those old Spider-Man comics feel very dated now anyway and back in those days the Kingpin was not a fleshed-out or engaging character. He was just a fat angry guy with awful dialogue.
There are definitely better Spider-Man stories from that era and it's not a great outing for the titular Kingpin either.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *
The titular story reveals how Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, capitalises on the second superhero civil war, rebuilding his criminal empire with the help of an Inhuman who is immune to the heroes' ability to predict future crime.
The second story is a classic Spider-Man story from the 60s in which Kingpin declares war on the Daily Bugle.
I liked the premise of this book right out of the gate. In the main 'Civil War II' story (by Brian Michael Bendis) we get to see how the superhero community is divided over the idea of convicting criminals before they've committed their crimes, but this book explores the outrage felt by the criminals themselves. Kingpin is the perfect character to do that too, having always seen the actions of 'the capes' as being an infringement of the lives of normal humans.
This is a very Netflix Marvel-esque story and I definitely heard Vincent D'Onofrio's voice whenever I read Kingpin's dialogue here, making it especially appropriate that the Punisher puts in an appearance to throw a spanner (and grenade) into Fisk's plans.
I have to say I wasn't a fan of the art style, which negatively affected my enjoyment of the book overall but it's ugliness is fairly appropriate to the content of the story.
The book as a whole is let down by the second story by Marvel legend Stan Lee. The style of those old Spider-Man comics feel very dated now anyway and back in those days the Kingpin was not a fleshed-out or engaging character. He was just a fat angry guy with awful dialogue.
There are definitely better Spider-Man stories from that era and it's not a great outing for the titular Kingpin either.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *
January 19, 2019
I neither know nor care much about Civil War II, but I do dig the Kingpin, and the cover (while misleading) was really cool. Plus Matt Rosenberg is a pretty good writer.
The comic itself isn't groundbreaking -- Wilson gets the band back together, folks try to stop him, Wilson wins anyway -- but I love Rosenberg's dialogue for Fisk. His complete dissing of the Superheroes ("I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm supposed to call you since that blonde lady took your name"), ability to feel like he is the hero of his own story, and that super powers don't really scare him are all vintage Kingpin. Even if the maguffin for this mini is weak, I don't really care, because this is mostly about watching Fisk be one step ahead of everyone from his underlings to Sam Wilson to all of SHIELD.
It also doesn't hurt that Hayden Sherman does the art on the last two issues. I love Sherman's sketchy, angular style that works almost in abstract. His chaotic breakdowns are perfect for a story that is about a man who's cracked the world to fit his point of view. When he draws Wilson with fire in his eyes, it's simply amazing. Ricardo Lopez Ortiz works in a similar style, so there's a nice transition between them, but I do prefer Sherman's work here overall.
Oh, and of course, the Lee-Romita combo at the end is a fun re-read, even if very jarring from the new material. Not sure that was a great insert -- a newer Kingpin story might have been more appropriate.
All in all, not a mandatory read, but a fun one for me.
The comic itself isn't groundbreaking -- Wilson gets the band back together, folks try to stop him, Wilson wins anyway -- but I love Rosenberg's dialogue for Fisk. His complete dissing of the Superheroes ("I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm supposed to call you since that blonde lady took your name"), ability to feel like he is the hero of his own story, and that super powers don't really scare him are all vintage Kingpin. Even if the maguffin for this mini is weak, I don't really care, because this is mostly about watching Fisk be one step ahead of everyone from his underlings to Sam Wilson to all of SHIELD.
It also doesn't hurt that Hayden Sherman does the art on the last two issues. I love Sherman's sketchy, angular style that works almost in abstract. His chaotic breakdowns are perfect for a story that is about a man who's cracked the world to fit his point of view. When he draws Wilson with fire in his eyes, it's simply amazing. Ricardo Lopez Ortiz works in a similar style, so there's a nice transition between them, but I do prefer Sherman's work here overall.
Oh, and of course, the Lee-Romita combo at the end is a fun re-read, even if very jarring from the new material. Not sure that was a great insert -- a newer Kingpin story might have been more appropriate.
All in all, not a mandatory read, but a fun one for me.
May 26, 2021
In the midst of Civil War II, Kingpin enters the fray by using an inhuman that is unaffected by Ulysses' powers.
And while this is an interesting premise... it doesn't really go anywhere. The story moves on quickly from that aspect, to a more run of the mill story of the kingpin building himself back up from a low point - again. For some reason Matthew Rosenberg decided to explore a story that has been explored before, instead of working with the Civil War II premise and the upper hand that the Kingpin has.
The art is.... well its energetic. And at times, looks decent. However, most of the art looks really rushed and a bit on the simple side. Maybe it is a stylistic choice, but unfortunately, it comes off as unfinished for the most part.
This is a title that did have some potential, but didn't really live up to that. Instead it retreads old ground with some not so good visuals for the most part. Recommended for die hard completionists only.
And while this is an interesting premise... it doesn't really go anywhere. The story moves on quickly from that aspect, to a more run of the mill story of the kingpin building himself back up from a low point - again. For some reason Matthew Rosenberg decided to explore a story that has been explored before, instead of working with the Civil War II premise and the upper hand that the Kingpin has.
The art is.... well its energetic. And at times, looks decent. However, most of the art looks really rushed and a bit on the simple side. Maybe it is a stylistic choice, but unfortunately, it comes off as unfinished for the most part.
This is a title that did have some potential, but didn't really live up to that. Instead it retreads old ground with some not so good visuals for the most part. Recommended for die hard completionists only.
December 1, 2020
Kingpin returns to New York in the middle of Civil War II, where the heroes have started arresting criminals before the crimes even happen. When he befriends a man who has an Inhuman power to somehow bypass the superheroes' clairvoyancy, Fisk starts to retake his criminal empire! Unfortunately, this paints a big target on his back.
The two big plusses for this book are the art, and Fisk himself. The art is very sketchy and rough, in a way that really works with the criminal actions being portrayed. There's some good action and everything is just overexaggerated enough to feel larger than life. Rosenberg's voice for Kingpin is also great, seeing him tease the "good guys" and manipulate everyone to his will. Even if the story for this book is the generic Kingpin story you can expect a bunch of times, Rosenberg makes it fun.
The two big plusses for this book are the art, and Fisk himself. The art is very sketchy and rough, in a way that really works with the criminal actions being portrayed. There's some good action and everything is just overexaggerated enough to feel larger than life. Rosenberg's voice for Kingpin is also great, seeing him tease the "good guys" and manipulate everyone to his will. Even if the story for this book is the generic Kingpin story you can expect a bunch of times, Rosenberg makes it fun.
March 28, 2023
I read this story in preparation for an episode of The Superhuman Registration Podcast. My full thoughts, along with those of John and Aldo, can be found there.
While the main Civil War II event was pretty lackluster, this side story proved to be quite enjoyable. The story here manages to explore some interesting themes, and we get to see, strangely, the idealistic side of one of Marvel’s great villains.
Love the art. Love the writing. The story is hardly essential, but it’s surprisingly fun. Honestly worth the read.
While the main Civil War II event was pretty lackluster, this side story proved to be quite enjoyable. The story here manages to explore some interesting themes, and we get to see, strangely, the idealistic side of one of Marvel’s great villains.
Love the art. Love the writing. The story is hardly essential, but it’s surprisingly fun. Honestly worth the read.
June 26, 2018
I'm not a huge fan of the art in this series, but I could have dealt with that, as the writing is really strong, making the Kingpin a very interesting character....until the last issue, where I kind of feel like the series goes off a cliff. The Kingpin's actions in that issue seem to come out of nowhere, and it makes the rest of the series a little weaker.
December 23, 2021
Wilson Fisk is ready to move back to New York. He's got an Inhuman who seems to block Ulysses's ability to predict crimes. Of course, the rest of the New York underworld isn't giving in without a fight.
The writing and the art both had ups and downs, but overall, this was pretty good. But that cover has nothing to do with the story.
The writing and the art both had ups and downs, but overall, this was pretty good. But that cover has nothing to do with the story.
October 6, 2023
WOw, I really liked this. The first issue wasn't great but it was a good start, once it got going it was a freight train of violence and storytelling. The art is not the strongest but it felt like it started to fit the story more as it went on. I loved the appearance of the Punisher in here as well.
September 3, 2017
Pretty decent Kingpin story. Loved the nods to The Godfather, but I would have preferred more depth from what is evidently a prelude of things to come, as this book sets up Wilson Fisk's return to New York.
January 28, 2020
I liked this, but I think the author is not clear about whether the main character is
Is it meant to be ambiguous or did I just get confused?
Is it meant to be ambiguous or did I just get confused?
July 7, 2017
A great start that unfortunately falls flat. Sadly when the Kingpin is such a wonderful character to pen.
March 26, 2018
Brutal and fast-moving, with good and weird art.
May 27, 2018
Průměrná gangsterka s hnusnou kresbou
September 26, 2018
Loved this tie in!
Amazing story.
Great Kingpin writing, so kudos to Rosenberg for that.
Really satisfying to read! One of the best Civil War II tie-ins.
Amazing story.
Great Kingpin writing, so kudos to Rosenberg for that.
Really satisfying to read! One of the best Civil War II tie-ins.
January 5, 2019
Felt a bit let down. Hoping for more
December 31, 2021
holy shit this was terrible
January 7, 2024
Kind of fun but I don’t buy him getting outsmarted.
March 14, 2017
Riktigt bra story, men teckningarna är fruktansvärda.
July 14, 2017
Somewhat thin story but a nice change to see Kingpin as a pov character. The art was not particularly a style I appreciate, so that took away from the book as well. Civil War II is still lame, but it could be worse.
And the backup Spider-man story, presumably the first encounter with Kingpin actually left me curious to see what happened next.
3.5 of 5.
And the backup Spider-man story, presumably the first encounter with Kingpin actually left me curious to see what happened next.
3.5 of 5.
January 4, 2017
Honestly love the concept. But the art is brought to me. And the story not always told with clarity with some unclear time jumping.
November 4, 2018
Story: 3/5
Art: 1/5
Art: 1/5
April 25, 2017
Good ending and the story overall was good. Parts of it were boring and overly bloody but that's to be expected I guess for a crime lord story. The artwork in this book was horrible. So bad at times you can barely make out what was on the page. A true mixed bag.
April 26, 2017
Collects Civil War II: Kingpin issues #1-4 and an early appearance by Kingpin from Amazing Spider-Man (1963) issue #51
The story wasn't that good, and the artwork was terrible. Punisher appears in these pages, so if you are a fan of his, you get a little Kingpin vs. Punisher action.
Unlike most collections that Marvel has been making lately, in which the classic issue is just filler to allow them to sell the trade paperback for more money, in this case it is fun to see the classic Kingpin story included. It is the best part of this whole book.
The story wasn't that good, and the artwork was terrible. Punisher appears in these pages, so if you are a fan of his, you get a little Kingpin vs. Punisher action.
Unlike most collections that Marvel has been making lately, in which the classic issue is just filler to allow them to sell the trade paperback for more money, in this case it is fun to see the classic Kingpin story included. It is the best part of this whole book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews