3.5 stars
This is a very different story from the Avengers: Civil War movie. For one thing, it's better written and the plot is more complex than the personality clash the characterizes that movie.

The fundamental differences between Captain America's ideas of personal liberty and Iron Man/Tony Stark's pragmatic and businessman-like views on how the Mutant Registration Act works, laying down rules on how superheroes should conduct themselves ring true for both sides.

On the one hand, it gives the heroes a guaranteed income, benefits, time off, and ground level support from the local infrastructure. On the other hand, it actually hinders their ability to stop the bad guys and limits some of their freedom of movement within the larger society safely, since they have to announce not only their hero identities but also their real names to the public. This could lead to other issues of personal safety, etc.
These are forces at work in the real world and Mr. Moore caught the tones just right.

I also really enjoyed having a broader spectrum of Marvel's universe to interact with as the Fantastic Four, the Young Avengers, and other characters either play an integral part of the story or make cameo appearances - for instance the X-Men stay out of the argument and stay neutral. Each side has its ups and downs and it does not help that S.H.I.E.L.D. is in the mix and rudderless without Nick Fury's leadership. I can't quite decide if SHIELD is a good thing or not, occupying that morally grey area in which their actions may seem justified but feel completely wrong.

I wish this book could have been the basis for the movie. It's so much better than what we actually got. ( )

I had already read all the Marvel Civil War graphic novel collections when I discovered Graphic Audio's production. I was looking for upcoming Marvel releases when this popped up.

I don't normally listen to audio books because I can read so much faster. However, the ones I have enjoyed have had full casts, like this one. GraphicAudio also uses sound effects to enhance the story. I found it to be more like a radio show than "a movie in your mind," mainly because of the substantial use of a narrator. The audience can't see the characters, so there is a lot of description of what people look like or are doing to set the stage. The voice actors are all very good, and I had no trouble differentiating between the various characters. The story flowed smoothly.

The full event encompasses 7 large hardcovers, so naturally a lot has been cut. Still, the adaptation is surprisingly faithful to the main event itself. Most of the cuts come from the tie-in material. Just as is the case with most book-to-film adaptations, the book is better. However, this audio production is excellent and a nice companion - even for those who have already read the graphic novels. I loved hearing the tone of voice when the characters were conversing; something you don't get with printed stories. At nearly six hours, this is a great option for long road trips. The story is a bit dark, so probably not good for the younger set but certainly teens and adults should enjoy it. Overall, this was very entertaining and I will definitely buy more titles from Graphic Audio, in particular the Marvel titles. ( )

I don't read comics or graphic novels so I'm not overly familiar with the happenings in the original formats and cannot judge this novel in relation to them. However, as a stand alone novel this was a very well thought out and executed story.
The story revolves around the introduction of a government act that requires all those with super powers to register with the government and to reveal their real identities. Iron Man is all for this and Captain America is completely against it. Various superheros pick their allegiance, with some changing sides as the story progresses, with the main crux of the story revolving around Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man and The Fantastic Four...although The Thing is really only a peripheral figure.
I have to say that I couldn't put this novel down once I had picked it up...that's the last time I use crazy glue before reading a book! In all seriousness this is a page turner and once I got into the storyline I was engrossed enough to finish the whole novel in one day.
I'm hoping there's a sequel in the works as there are a few loose ends that could easily make another novel such as the X-Men's role in this whole deal (they are only mentioned a couple of times in passing and play no part in the novel other than brief appearances by Wolverine at the beginning and Storm at the end) and what becomes of the characters whose stories hinted at further things to come.
All in all this is a great read for anyone who is a fan of Marvel prose novels. ( )