Civil War The Confession Analysis

In Brian Michael Bendis’s final panel in the comic “Civil War: The Confession”, Tony Stark, who is wearing his Iron Man suit, sits next to the dead body of Captain America as he explains to him why he believed the civil war between superheroes had to happen and why he chose to fight. The only text provided in this panel comes from Tony Stark saying “It wasn’t worth it”, referring to the war between the superheroes and losing his best friend, Captain America in the aftermath of the battle. Although the image has one sentence in it, it conveys a very deep and serious message to the readers of the comic that goes beyond the text. To begin, the colors of the shot are dark due to heavy shadows on the perimeter of the image. The two characters
are in a harsh looking light, asserting that they are the main focus of the panel. Although the reader cannot see Tony’s full face in the panel, the shadows surrounding his face give off the idea of sadness along with the way Tony is sitting. Tony sits across from the body of Captain America with a bit of a slouch, his knees bent, and his head bowed as he stares at his Iron Man mask, unable to look at the body of his fallen friend. Because Tony is not wearing his Iron Man helmet, it adds more of a human touch to him and makes the reader truly feel the effect Captain America’s death had on Tony. Both of the characters’ color schemes seem dulled from their usual shiny bronze and maroon and bright red, white, and blue in this panel as well, adding to the darkness of the tone of the picture. The way that the artist decided to draw the characters shows that he wanted to make the characters look more realistic, adding to the reality of the effects that war and loss has on everyone and that no one is safe from it, including superheroes. The only text in the picture is Tony Stark telling the body of Captain America that “it wasn’t worth it”, alluding to the civil war between superheroes.
Although it is one sentence, it resonates with the reader and is very significant. The text, coupled with the body language of Tony Stark shows how truly affected he is by the ending of the war and Captain America’s death. Because of the shadows and darkness of the picture, one can tell that the events leading up to the picture have had a great impact on Tony, who now must deal with the repercussions and aftermath of the civil war and how he must go on without his dearest friend. The war between the superheroes shows that no one is safe from civil conflicts, including the people everyone holds to a high standard, such as superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. Saying that “it wasn’t worth it” shows that violence is never an option or an answer. This statement is important not only to Tony Stark, but to everyone. In the history of our world, there have been many wars that have destroyed many lives and have been considered to be unnecessary. The text adds to the picture by creating a sense of realness due to the fact that war is prominent in the real world. How many times do people look at cities completely decimated by war and think or say “it wasn’t worth it”? Tony Stark’s statement in the last panel of the comic illustrates the true horrors and effects of war not only in the fictional Marvel universe, but in the real
world today. Along with the coloring and text, there are symbols representing the darkness of the picture.
To begin, the placement of Captain America’s shield signifies protection as it covers his torso. It is ironic because since Captain America is now dead, it shows that the shield did not protect him. Also, the blood on the shield represents the loss of hope because of Captain America’s death. Captain America’s shield was a symbol of hope during his conception as a superhero because it represented the freedom of America and the hope of the American Dream. The blood splattered across Captain America’s shield denotes the loss of hope and, in a way, freedom. The cause of the civil war was due to the passing of a law that forced superheroes to give up their identity, which ultimately took away their right to privacy. The blood on the shield symbolizes that loss of freedom. The image of Captain America without his mask represents the loss of privacy in the superhero community. In addition, Tony Stark sits across from the body of his fallen friend, wearing his Iron Man suit but not his helmet. Because Tony is not wearing his helmet, the reader feels a more personal connection to him. This symbolizes Tony’s vulnerability because it allows the reader to see his
emotions. Since this panel is the final one of the comic, the words “the end” are written in the bottom right corner. This is important because not only does it denote the end of the comic, it represents the end of an era of the traditional superhero with a hidden identity. The “Civil War” story arc is one of the most important in the Marvel Universe because it exponentially shifted the way superheroes are seen in society. The picture features many elements that reflect our real society like war and both personal loss and loss of identity and privacy.