Should Frontline even be in-continuity?

[Magneto Rocks]

I have been reading over my issues of CW: Frontline, and I've come to a conclusion.

This title should NOT be considered Marvel canon.

Again and again and again I read something which is so blatantly biased that it's almost impossible it exists, something which contradicts OTHER, more reliable books, something which simply seems ridiculous in the extreme or else staggering OOC-ness. And frankly, I'm sick of it.

These are just SOME of the worst transgressions of the book... FROM THE LATEST ISSUE ALONE.

(CW4 spoilers):


-The Death of Goliath
Civil War #4: Thor blasts a hole through him
Frontline 6: Thor electrocutes him


-Nighthawk and SHIELD
Civil War #4- Nighthawk may or may not be in the battle, it is uncertain. The SHIELD forces do not engage until after the Clor attack.
Frontline #6: Nighthawk is there and engaged in a massive aerial duel with SHIELD forces in which he appears to blow up at least one copter.


-The arrival of Thor
Civil War #3: A battered Cap is being beaten by Iron Man, without his shield. Hercules races to save him and is struck by a bolt of lightning- Thor is there!
Frontline #6 Nighthawk (!!!) is the first person attacked- electrocuted by Thor. (Ironically, this happens to NO-ONE in the main title) Thor then knocks over Cap. A totally intact Cap, with his shield.


-The Super-villain forces
Civil War #4They are an absoloutely last-minute force used only when there is no other way, first deployed approximately a week after the battle at Geffen Meyer and under watch by super-heroes.
Frontline 4/5/6: They are allowed to roam alone without any watch-over days before the battle at Geffen Meyer.


-Negative Zone Prison
Amazing Spider-Man #535, Mark Millar and Tom Brevoort: The Negative Zone Prison is extremely clean, well policed and high tech. It holds 20 or so big name meta-humans, and not THAT many people... yet.
Frontline #6: It holds HUNDREDS of meta-humans. The cells are tiyn, cramped and dirty with no toilets, and people being taken in are strapped down. Rather than having their powers restricted in ANY way, they appear to be able to commit suicide with their own powers... without being stopped.

-Ben Urich:
Most of Marvel History: Ben Urich is a great, likeable reporter.
Frontline 6: Urich is a Fox News style "reporter" who apparantly feels that shouting out random questions about national security and not getting an answer is absoloute proof that he is right.



That was just for starters. I mean, one that leapt out at me from another issue was-


-Mr Fantastic
Most of Marvel History: Reed is one of the most intelligent men, if not THE most intelligent man, in the world.
Frontline: Reed can get pwned by Ben Urich.


Overall, there are a simply ASTONISHING amount of contradictions and inaccuracies across Frontline. Not only that, but it is written with sheer, untempered bias like no other Civil War book.

I have come to the conclusion that the ONLY possibility is that it takes place in some hideous alternative reality where we need metaphors absoloutely crammed down our throats until we gag, and most of the world's best super-humans have been replaced with fascists, moreso than ANY other CW book.

I was just wondering- am I the only person who feels this way, or does no-one else agree that this series seems to be taking Civil War and ripping it apart?

Is this even part of continuity anymore?

More importantly- SHOULD it be?

[Jmacq1]

It absolutely -is- part of continuity. ARguably it's the second most important title of the crossover, since it's the "official companion" to the main series. Whether it should be or not is the only matter up for debate.

Personally, I could care less either way. It certainly provides plenty of fodder for the "burn the Pro-Reg" fires, but otherwise it hasn't really added much to the overall story for me. Even without it, the Pro-Reg side has done more than enough questionable activities in other tie-ins to keep me firmly aligned against them as far as my "reader's loyalty" goes.

The contradictions don't surprise me though...as the issues are probably being created/drawn/written at the same time as their "Civil War" counterparts. They probably get a "rough outline" of events, but not a "finished product" to base their own work off of. That's the problem with running series like this concurrently...details are going to be off unless you magically compare final printed products to each other.

For instance, maybe the initial draft of Civil War #4 said Goliath got electrocuted, and the Frontline folks never got the word about the change in time to actually fix it.

[XPac]

Continuity errors happen. Writers of tie-ins don't get play by play of battle sequences... they probably just gets notes. And different writers will have some slight variation on characterizatrion (honestly I think the main Civil War book itself is more guilty of that problem than any of the tie ins). We see this all the time in crossovers... the bigger and more complex the cross over, the more likely it will probably be.

Do I think it should be removed from continuity simply because it has some minor glitches? No. I find it a well written story, and I also believe it's a very important piece of the overall Civil War tale. In a lot of ways it covers aspects that are MORE important than whats going on in the main book. From what I am seeing, the registration will live or die based on what's we're seeing in Frontline with Speedball, rather than watching Cap and Tony duking out in the main Civil War book.

[Kevinroc]

If you look at the "continuity" of events, CW has many such errors. Just look at FF #540, which depicts Sue's departure. It doesn't "add up" with Civil War #4.

Just take a more nebulous look at continuity, don't look at it all too deeply. You'd probably drive yourself mad if you did.

[Alan2099]

Civil War shouldn't be in continuity.

[Nevets F]

Civil War AND Frontline are such amazing books....I am so thankful they are part of continuity.

[guy2]

Civil War shouldn't be in continuity.

Why do you say that ? Civil war is the best marvel event to date

[Alan2099]

Why do you say that ? Civil war is the best marvel event to date

You're supposed to lable your sarcasm so people can tell when you're joking.

But if you seriously think this is the best event they've ever done, then our opinions are so far about that I'm not sure we're even using the same defintion of the word.

[NormanB]

Why do you say that ? Civil war is the best marvel event to date

Infinity Gauntlet would like to have a word with you.

So would Secret Wars.

[Exo]

Frontline 6: Urich is a Fox News style "reporter" who apparantly feels that shouting out random questions about national security and not getting an answer is absoloute proof that he is right.

Not to mention, he joted down words on what must be a thoroughly soaked notepad. Have fun deciphering those obscure notes of yours, Urich! >:/

[El Santo]

If you want the "pure" story, just read the mini-series. If you want to see what your favorite characters are up to, read their tie-ins. If you want to read about Ben Urich and Co., read Frontline.

If you want to whine about how books you don't like shouldn't be in continuity, don't expect me to care.

[Effect]

Civil War shouldn't be in continuity.

lol I was just thinking that. It isn't that the tie ins are causing the problem but the main title itself that could be causing the problems with continuity.

Personally I feel that the main title should have been a joint effort by all of the main title writers. Bendis (New Avengers, Ms. Marvel, and future Mighty Avengers), JMS (Amazing Spider-man, Fantastic Four),writers of Iron Man, Captain America, and possibly the writer from Thunderbolts.

That way the main title syncs up what they are doing in all of the other titles. Those not in on the main title should all have their tie ins should be about a month behind that way what those issues cover what has happen already from the point of view of those characters so they work better with what has happen already.

[guy2]

Infinity Gauntlet would like to have a word with you.

So would Secret Wars.

yea Secret Wars is great
But Civil War has the most impact and Drama on the Marvel Universe.I mean Spider-man Unmasked to the public is a big deal.The tie-ins make more sense then house of M tie-ins

[CyberCoyote]

Don't blame Frontline, blame the editorial coordination. It seems pretty lax considering the huge spotlight being placed on the 'event'. The general answer I tend to hear is 'people read too much into it'. No, they just READ it. It's not like the comics write themselves, some guidelines should have been written down. Oh well.

[Magneto Rocks]

If you want the "pure" story, just read the mini-series. If you want to see what your favorite characters are up to, read their tie-ins. If you want to read about Ben Urich and Co., read Frontline.

If you want to whine about how books you don't like shouldn't be in continuity, don't expect me to care.

No, I think it's more, "If you wish to read a political commentary so thinly disguised they just flat-out say it, and totally out of charatcer and ridiculous behaviour read Frontline"

It isn't that I don't LIKE the book, it's that it contradicts with not only almost every other CW tie-in but a substantial part of Marvel continuity!

PS; It's all down to opinion. I prefer Civil War to Secret Wars, which was really just one big dumb fight with no consequences (Sorry, I know I;ll get bashed but it's true!) and Infinity Gauntlet. Which was, obviously, pretty damn good.