Looks like they're at it again. Those wacky kids at Marvel Comics have decided to use their heroes to comment on national security and civil liberties. In an upcoming series entitled "Civil War," to be released in May, Marvel's finest will find themselves wrestling with political and philosophical enemies, the likes of which their powers have never before faced.

"Civil War" provides problems in spades. The story opens with a reckless fight between a novice group of heroes (filming a reality television show) anda cadre of villains. The battle becomes quite literally explosive, killing some of the superheroes and many innocent bystanders. That crystallizes a governmentmovement to register all super-powered beings as living weapons of mass destruction. The subsequent Registration Act will divide the heroes into two camps,one led by Captain America, the other by Iron Man. Along the way, Marvel will unveil its version of Guantánamo Bay, enemy combatants, embedded reportersand more. The question at the heart of the series is a fundamental one: "Would you give up your civil liberties to feel safer in the world?"

Or another question: does this sound particularly compelling to anyone under the age of, say, 17? I thought comics were supposed to be a refuge from the real world's problems. I'm not talking about graphic novels or the more serious fare, of course, but super hero comics of the sort teens and pre-teens used to devour because they were, well, fun.