PREVIEWS MAR-APR15 - Marvel's Secret Wars

by Ben Fardon

I can't lie folks, this has been a tough one to put together. After the chaos of Convergence, I was very excited by the prospect of Secret Wars, until we actually began to see the vast array of new titles and the uncertainty that came with it.

Thankfully in the last few weeks, details have begun to emerge about April's Secret Wars titles and Marvel have gone on record as to which titles are ending as Secret Wars kicks off. This makes things much easier!

I think we can now divide Secret Wars into several distinct sections. Firstly we have the main Secret Wars title and a couple of ancillary anthology titles. Secondly, there are a series of interesting titles revisiting classic Marvel events from the last few decades. Finally we have a long list of new titles that expand the new Secret Wars' Battleworld setting in a variety of ways.

But what is Secret Wars? Well simply put, Secret Wars spins out of the recent Jonathan Hickman Avengers titles as the main Marvel Universe as we know it collides with the Ultimate Marvel Universe in what is being called the final incursion. The good news is you don't need to have been reading Avengers or New Avengers over the last couple of years to get into Secret Wars, as the collision of these two realities has created a brand new world in which most of the characters have no idea that this isn't the way things have always been.

The titular Secret Wars miniseries itself is the main event. Written by Jonathan Hickman, this is the spine of the whole event. If you read nothing else, read this book. 

This is accompanied by Secret Wars Battleworld - a title akin to the Vs. miniseries during AvX - featuring all the knockdown, drag out fights that are probably just to crazy to feature anywhere else during this event.

The final part of this initial section is an anthology series called Secret Wars Journal where every issue will feature a couple of short stories jumping around and highlighting different, small but significant parts of the Battleworld.

Both Secret Wars Battleworld and Secret Wars Journal feel to me like ones for completists and not essential if your looking to save the pennies for other titles on the list below.

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After that we have an array of titles re-visiting classic storylines and events from Marvel's past including beloved adaptations such as the 1992 X-Men animated series. A lot of existing Marvel titles are ending to make room for these - in fact some are direct continuations or analogues of previous titles now shaped to fit in with Secret Wars. More on those later.

Finally, there's a bunch of Marvel titles that aren't coming to an end, but are instead telling Last Days stories detailing the final adventures of the features characters before the final incursion. These titles include Black Widow, Captain America and the Mighty Avengers, Loki: Agent of Asgard, Magneto, Ms. Marvel, The Punisher and Silver Surfer.

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Confused yet? Well, let's see if a quick look at the full list of titles (revealed so far!) helps a little. Here you go:


Secret Wars: Battleworld

• Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies
• Ghost Racers
• Inhumans Attilan Rising
• Korvac Saga
• Marvel Zombies
• Master of Kung Fu
• Red Skull
• Runaways
• Secret Wars: Battleworld
• Secret Wars Journal
• Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde
• Thors
• Ultimate End

Secret Wars: Warzones

• 1602: Witch Hunter Angela
• 1872
• A-Force
• The Age of Apocalypse
• Armor Wars
• The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows
• Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders
• Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps
• Civil War
• Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars
• E Is for Extinction
• Future Imperfect
• Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX
• Guardians of Knowhere
• Hail Hydra
• House of M
• Inferno
• Infinity Gauntlet
• M.O.D.O.K. Assassin
• Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos
• Old Man Logan
• Planet Hulk
• Secret Wars 2099
• Siege
• Spider-Island
• Spider-Verse
• Squadron Sinister
• Weirdworld
• Where Monsters Dwell
• X-Men '92
• X-Tinction Agenda
• Years of Future Past

Secret Wars: Last Days

• Black Widow
• Captain America and the Mighty Avengers
• Loki: Agent of Asgard
• Magneto
• Ms. Marvel
• The Punisher
• Silver Surfer

For more details on each group of titles, click on the header to take you to the marvel.com explanations!

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In the hopes of making life easier for everyone, we've taking the liberty of creating a matrix - a list of everything that was coming out, followed by a list of the Secret Wars comics we'd recommend you get as a replacement. I've taken the liberty of automatically signing our Reservation Service customers up for our recommended titles, but these can be removed without our usual notice period up to the point of release. I've been trying to take the time to talk to you all about these new titles when you pop in, but if I don't see you before Secret Wars kicks off, please do email me for a pdf copy of your current pull list and then we can make alterations where required.

I hope that all makes sense!

Here's a look at that matrix (apologies for the jpeg):

If there's anything else I can do to help with Secret Wars, please do get in touch. I'm really excited for this event, I think it's going to be a whirlwind tour through some of Marvel's greatest moments before leading into the new status quo for the House Of Ideas. I hope you'll join us!

Ben Fardon was very, very happy with Daredevil on Netflix. Roll on AKA Jessica Jones.

New Beginnings - The Dying and the Dead #1

by Matt Puddy

Truth be told when I got given the review copies for this week I was given a choice. On one hand there was The Dying and the Dead and a different comic on the other. So what do I do? Well given that it was also a Jonathan Hickman title I didn’t have too much trouble in choosing.

The Dying and the Dead is a curious story. It doesn’t really give a huge amount away in the opening; it's driven mainly by narrative and the setup is mainly introducing a mysterious organisation lead by an even shadowier Bah Al Sharur and his band of clones – at least that’s apparently what they are.

In the meantime we are also introduced to our “hero,” the Colonel. A man who in a similar fashion to the story’s opening is motivated by love of a woman but with considerably different consequences. Whereas one man died at the hands of his wife, the Colonel here is ready to die for her. As a terminal cancer patient there is almost nothing left of her, but he still has hope. Even when conventional medicine doesn’t seem to be able to provide anything more than palliative comfort and pain relief, a mysterious man offers a solution not based in science.

Almost as if it were a prophecy, The Bishop wants to speak to the Colonel and has an offer for him.

After being driven to the desert and a small unassuming church, the Colonel is taken to a vast extensive region simply known as the City, inhabited by a civilisation older and more powerful than humankind. To them the Colonel is just a tool; should he accept the deal he is being given then it will entail removing Bah Al Sharur. All in return for ridding his beloved from cancer.

Without it really being much of a choice the Colonel now has a new mission and companion. From here on it’s all down to the execution.

In terms of the writing, there are certain elements that I felt were really good. The opening felt like a mini-movie with either music or a narrator over the scene. On the other hand though I also felt that there was too much allusion to a higher power or a greater group of people behind it all in a large amount of the dialogue too. It quickly became distracting. One of the other things that did infuriate me a little was the story progression, or rather the lack there of. On the cover we see the Colonel and at least one companion with an interesting spear, but we have no clue about it. In addition there is a mysterious Pulp Fiction-esque box that was stolen in the preamble, that you have really no clue about. I understand that plot can take time to build up and develop intrigue, but a bit more description and better pacing would have helped.

Ryan Bodenheim is the artist for this comic working with Michael Garland and they've taken quite an interesting tack on it all. A lot is conveyed visually. All of the assumingly good guys are purely white, from top to toe in both dress and skin. This makes them stand out significantly in every pane;, while the other characters move and change within the frames. I can’t quite put my finger on why this changes things, but it all ties in with the emotional shifts the story holds. It’s a lot of fine detailed work that tells a lot of the story to - even when a few frames are partially duplicated.

It’s an interesting opening with some ideas that could pique a reader's interest, but some parts could have been made more. I suppose wanting more from it is also a good sign though despite the fact it's a huge and hefty comic for a modern issue. If you love Hickman, mysteries, the Illuminati or even just quest-based stories built on the concept that love endures then you’re in for some enjoyment.

Matt Puddy is often purely muddy, from top to toe.

New Beginnings - Infinity #1

Emblazoned across the cover of this bumper issue of Marvel’s latest summer event is none other than Thanos, mutant Eternal, gem hunter and overall threat to humanity. His inclusion as the “big bad” in this series has not been something that has been hidden or left for a big reveal, instead Marvel have made sure everyone knows he is there due to his imposing nature. His reveal after the credits of The Avengers film will almost certainly precipitated this.

With such a large build up pre-release, I was expecting to see a lot more of the Mad Titan in the first issue, rather than only appearing on the cover image and a page at the end. Then again, as issue #1 of six, this was a lot more about scene setting. To the casual reader, this is actually a big help as there are a lot of players and parties in this issue, including: the Illuminati, the Inhumans, a plethora of Avengers, Spaceknights, the Builders, Skrulls, Thanos and Abigail Brand. Lions and Tigers and Bears – oh my!

The opening shows the Illuminati using a device of huge explosive power for an unknown reason but it is intimated it is for the best and nothing more. Following this the issue breaks into a number of different chapters which - although they do not directly reference the groups - are specific to each individual party and how they fit into the bigger picture. This all serves as compelling exposition; for example you weren’t familiar with who Black Bolt was, you get an idea of him and witness a rare display of his voice as well.

Interestingly this gives two different scenarios to deal with - one open and one hidden – and the Avengers have left their homeworld to deal with the potential threat of the Builders. Meanwhile an agent of Thanos - the Outrider - has invaded Black Bolt’s mind and found what Thanos has been searching for; the bearers of the Infinity Gems. Each of the main members of the Illuminati hold one. Due to the current danger in space as well, Thanos has a prime opportunity to attack Earth as the planet is now largely bereft of the Avengers.

From a writing point of view, Hickman smoothly delivers a huge amount of information to the reader. Of all the miniseries and events I have read, this one comes across as the most reader-friendly in a long time. even if you’ve not come across the characters before. The narrative helps to move the story along through each chapter - even with this wealth of back story and action you don’t feel overwhelmed.

Jim Cheung has provided the artwork for the issue which is full of detail and portrays pretty much everyone in every frame - a lot of time and effort has been put into these pencils. There are a few moments where the fine work gets lost for me, but overall it looks great. There was also another feature that stuck out for me. The first issue of Hickman's rebooted FF had the same sectioning style and feel to the interconnected pages. Very clean and crisp - almost sterile in some cases though.

As a first issue it is BIG, packed with a lot for any reader to get stuck in with. Having rising comic auteur Jonathan Hickman as the writer helps give it further credence as well. For fans of the Avengers or Thanos I think this should be a definite draw for them, but also for anyone who is even interested. What Thanos will do next?

Matt Puddy is glad things are largely back on track.

New Beginnings - New Avengers #1

Very recently, we saw Jonathan Hickman taking the helm for the Avengers and this week, in a possibly confusing fashion, we also see him re-launching New Avengers.

The thing that strikes you immediately is that unlike Brian Michael Bendis' recent runs on Avenegrs and New Avengers, Hickman is creating two very distinctly different books. Flashing back to a quite a significant moment in the Marvel Universe, we are reminded that Black Panther previously made a moral stand against what became the Illuminati. This was the moment when the self-appointed strongest in the world were deciding its fate, and as a result Wakanda withdrew further from the fray.

Jumping forward to a more present moment, we are also given a very teasing single page with Reed Richards accepting the fate that everything dies, but without anything further we are left to wonder.

The main story revolves solely around the Black Panther and a number of Wakandan youths who are exploring their surroundings - and also their minds - in a test to prove their worthiness for greater things. All is going well until what can be described as an other worldly influence threatens to end the existence of the planet. Although it is merely a minor plot to go over at the moment, it will no doubt have a greater influence in the longer term, as this attracts the attention of the Illuminati. Their arrival in Wakanda (less the presence of Professor X for obvious reasons) leaves the Black Panther with a very difficult dilemma as to where his next steps lie.

The buildup through the comic leads you to believe that there will be a large deal of opposition to them however the cover, a lovely image provided by Jock, suggests strongly to the contrary.

For the rest of the issue Steve Epting has the pencils and I have to say I really liked his style for it. For once, it shows three variations on style to illustrate different points and ideas. This was a really nice touch I felt as the haziness of the past was met with the clarity of the immediate present. There is a lot of detail conveyed in all of the frames both directly and indirectly which means the reader is far more involved in the issue as a whole. A good example of this is when Panther enters the main story and he isn’t actually draw in, a lot of this is provided through use of shadow and empty space to provide the detail in the depiction.

I also liked the effort that was given at the end of the issue to re-introduce the Illuminati as well but without giving a huge reveal until the final page. Previous readers will have still known who they were but it was also something for new readers to take on board as well. The gravitas of the arrival was deepened by the simple use of a few panels.

As a package Hickman and Epting work really well together - after all this is the coupling who killed off the Human Torch and changed the line up of the Fantastic Four. The comic will no doubt be of high quality and this is the perfect point to pick it up and get on board with it too. There is some history behind it all as well but this is slowly being given to the reader so fans and newbies alike should get on well with it. I highly recommend that you pick this one up, regardless of whether you are also reading Avengers.

Matt Puddy is gearing up Superior Spider-Man next week...

New Beginnings - Avengers #1

As part of the Marvel Now musical chairs, the Avengers franchise bids farewell to Brian Michael Bendis, and welcomes former Fantastic Four, FF and SHIELD writer Jonathan Hickman in to the fold.

Instead of being a complete new beginning, there is a slight external influence as the team and story builds from the success of the recent films we've seen with Cap, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor and Hulk being the starting point.

Hickman is well known for his science fiction stories that push humanity to their potential greatness, from both the aforementioned Marvel titles and things like Red Wing and Manhattan Projects, which bodes well for Avengers and New Avengers. From the cover of issue #1 the story promised to be a strong one. Opening with a quick retro story, this issue is more about the why than the what. It also laces you with ideas and teasers, such as the variety of broken armours in one frame or the intergalactic war that is poised in the preceding image too.

One element of this is Ex Nihilus and his godlike fascination with terraforming Mars and the Earth into something new and better. Ex Nihilus appears to be a new enemy; his name is from the latin for “From Nothing” and is therefore ironic in his approach - trying to renew the Earth into something far more advanced. To be honest it is very “Wrath of Khan” in its approach, but as a catalyst to prompt the Avengers is works perfectly.

Unfortunately for them this isn’t Star Trek and one by one they are all neutralised - starting with Hulk himself surprisingly. Seeing Captain America as a symbol held high by humanity, he is unceremoniously thrown back to Earth - beaten, battered and broken. But instead of humbling them it did the complete opposite. A rally cry was sent out calling those who would stand with him - and what hero wouldn’t stand with him?

With the simple words of “Assemble at dawn,” a new, diverse, roster of Avengers has been brought together.

Hickman’s story is a compelling and motivating one. You feel for Captain America and can understand his drive without it even being stated or pushed. I also liked the understated third party narrative which floats in and out. It’s clear who it is, but it ultimately asks a bigger question of why?

Jerome Opena is the artist for this issue and his work is most recently on display in Uncanny X-Force. On the whole I really like it with a lot of fine detail and great linework, however I disliked his interpretation of Hulk. Very retro indeed and he lost some of the presence that he had under the pen of other artists. I’m also not sure if it is meant to be the overwhelming tone but characters also seem to be very solemn with a lot of downturned facial expressions.

There is one other thing that I did really like from the artwork - which wasn’t really an integral part of it, but does make a fleeting show in the background – the Avengers sign complete with new extra adornments surrounding it. It’s simple, clean but also diverse too. I can’t put a finger on it completely, but the design is attractive and hints at increasing links between this new larger roster.

As a first issue, it is a cracker. It sets up for a whole lot more and with Hickman it promises to be a lot.

It’ll be interesting to see how long he will stay on the title and where he takes it - but since he just did three years with the Fantastic Four, it’s a ride worth taking.

Matt Puddy is wondering what magic Hickman will bring to New Avengers...