Marvel’s ‘Siege’ Preview: Where Have We Seen This Before?

Have you read Marvel's new "Siege" preview yet?

Loki and Norman Osborn have a chat about the Asgardians and more or less make a play to turn society against them. They make it happen through a bewildered Volstagg who fights common street crime like the overzealous outlander he is before being confronted by super powerful bad guys in the middle of a football game.

Things don't go well, and...

I'm no angry comic nerd, but didn't we see a pretty similar scenario play out just a few years back as the catalyst for the Civil War mega event? Sure, a few details have changed. Loki's manufactured the problem and it's not a serendipitous reality TV disaster. Plus, the "scale" of the carnage seems a bit different, but I still can't shake the feeling that I just watched the same cat walk by a doorway twice. Seriously, why such a similar disaster so close to the last one? Crazy disasters happen every week in comics, so why not try something a little less evocative?

Maybe I'm too quick to point this out. Maybe this is supposed to be evocative. Maybe it's some kind of full-circle thing given the event's tag is "seven years in the making."

I'll reserve full judgment of the "Siege" storyline until its release in January. Oliver Coipel's art is outstanding and I've never really been down on Bendis, but until I've got a little more context, I have to say I'm not feeling this prologue. Don't let us down Bendis!

I'm hoping for the best. We do not need a "Penance" Volstagg.