Welcome back to the MC2, Multiversity’s panel of noted Marvel experts. The three of us (MC3 sounded weird) are covering Marvel’s straight up CALVACADE of “Secret Wars” tie-ins! This week, we tackle “Howard the Human”, “Secret Wars: Secret Love”, and more whilst giving up our own thoughts on the event as a whole! Feel free to join in the conversation in the comments and let us know what you think about Marvel’s latest crossover. Spoilers below!
1872 #2
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Nik Virella
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle
“1872” is less of a “Secret Wars” tie-in and more of an Elseworlds story. Gerry Duggan and Nik Virella do a fantastic job of recasting characters from the Marvel Universe in an Old Western town, keeping many of the characters feeling exactly like they are normally, with the same characteristics and the same motivations. This lets them craft a story that feels familiar in a new location. That isn’t to say that “1872” #2 is predictable as it’s far from it. There are a number of twists and turns here that keep you on your toes throughout the issue.
Mixing the great writing with the fantastic artwork by Nik Virella, “1872” #2 captures the feeling of the Old West while also feeling exactly like the Marvel Universe. It’s a unique feel and one that I’m glad Duggan and Virella were able to pull off as it’s made it one of the more enjoyable reads thanks to “Secret Wars”.
Final Verdict: 7.4 – Still a strong recommendation to anyone, even if you’re not reading “Secret Wars”.
Age Of Ultron Vs. Marvel Zombies #3
Written by James Robinson
Illustrated by Steve Pugh
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle
The best part of this issue has nothing to do with the main plot. In fact, the main plot largely stalls here in order for Robinson and Pugh to explore the Sanctuary that’s been built by Jim Hammon, Wonder Man and The Vision while looking into their lives there. Except really all we get is a single page each in which the three of them have the exact same relationship. This is punctuated by a much more interesting story that we rarely see as Ultron teams up with the Marvel Zombies (which makes little sense given the title, but whatever) to destroy Sanctuary.
The best part I mentioned is an out-of-nowhere segue into the backstory of the “1872” version of Janet Van Dyne. While Janet’s narration is laughable to the point where it seems like her accent should be something out of Blazzing Saddles, Robinson writes her a backstory that’s much more interesting than anything else going on in the issue.
What’s strange, though, is that the art on the Janet flashbacks change dramatically that I’m sure it’s a different artist, but the issue only credits Steve Pugh. While it’s clear that Pugh illustrated the sections in Sanctuary as his art is recognisable there, I find it hard to believe he always drew the flashback sections because of the drastic change in style. Perhaps it was just an oversight or perhaps I’m completely wrong, I guess we’ll never know.
Final Verdict: 5.8 – Both artists were really strong, but they couldn’t hold up a lopsided issue where the flashback is more interesting than the present story.
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #4
Written by Dan Slott
Illustrated by Adam Kubert
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle
Much like with the other fourth issues we’ve encountered with “Secret Wars” tie-ins, “Renew Your Vows” has taken a bit of a dip. It continues to be fine, sure, but there’s nothing here that really makes it stand out. It’s more of a bridge into the big climax, tying up some loose ends and setting the stage for the big battle. However, the thing that’s continuing to frustrate me is how much of a nothing villain the Regent is. He has the exact same motivation as literally every other bad guy in these tie-ins: he wants to fight God Doom. But the thing is, we know so little about him other than he has a fetish for stealing other people’s powers like Peter Petrelli with a god complex that it’s hard to really get invested in him as a villain. That brings us back to the fact that “Renew Your Vows” is pretty much just… fine.
Continued belowThe writing is passable and doesn’t really do anything surprising or shocking and Adam Kubert’s art is solid and makes for some fun action scenes, but we don’t get much of that in this issue. In the end, it’s just pretty okay.
Final Verdict: 5.5 – I didn’t know what I was hoping for as this comes to a conclusion, but I think it was a bit more exciting than this.
Armor Wars #4
Written by James Robinson
Illustrated by Marcio Takara
Reviewed by James Johnston
Huge shocker for anyone who’s read Secret Warriors before: I’m not so hot on “Armor Wars”.
Between the vague mystery and its unsatisfying twist, there’ just not much in “Armor Wars” for me to latch onto. Amadeus Cho shows up for a little bit, but that doesn’t make up for the rest of the comic. The story feels inorganic (lol) and sloppy and that’s only compounded by the messy art art. I’m sorry, “Armor Wars.” It just isn’t happening.
Final Verdict: 3.5 – I just can’t recommend this book to anyone. If this were recommended to me, and I paid money for it based on someone else’s trust, I would spend the rest of my life hunting that person down for my four dollars back.
Captain Britain and The Mighty Defenders #2
Written by Al Ewing
Illustrated by Alan Davis
Reviewed by James Johnston
To no one’s surprise, my favorite Battleworld realm is the Judge Dredd one where every machine talks like GIR from Invader Zim. I want a whole maxiseries about that tank that can’t stop screaming.
“Captain Britain and The Mighty Defenders” #2 is the conclusion to a two0issue mini-series and Example #1 of why every other Battleworld title should have followed that model. In these two issues, Ewing and Davis showed off a colorful cast of characters and made a real impact in the dynamic of Battleworld. Also, She-Hulk has super 80’s hair. It’s all kinds of great.
The breakout star of this comic is Faiza Hussain whose pacifist approach to rebellion really helps define this book’s soul. Not only does she wield Excalibur, but her Excalibur can’t help living flesh. So, all she does is disarm her foes and try to find their human side. It’s sentimental but it works and gives a much more satisfying payoff than Spider-Hero spent the last half of this comic just decapitating Doom’s soldiers. That would have been weird.
Final Verdict: 8.4 – “Captain Britain and The Mighty Defenders” is an idealist book that still plays into the hands of Doom in a very interesting way. Plus, the fact that it’s only two issues really makes the reader want more, rather than make the story feel burnt out.
Guardians of Knowhere #3
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by Mike Deodato
Reviewed by James Johnston
My favorite thing in comics is when someone make a big dramatic reveal and there’s absolutely nothing behind it. That’s how “Guardians of Knowhere” #3 ends. There’s a big flash of light and some lady shows up. I have no idea who it is, or rather I really hope it’s not Proxima Midnight. Bendis be trippin’ if he thinks I’m going to get excited for Proxima Midnight.
“Guardians of Knowhere” #3 involves two major fights, one so large that it destroys a town providing Deodato a reason not to draw any backgrounds for the rest of the issue. It’s probably the most Marvel Studios comic of this week’s tie-ins, with a lot of snarky one-liners thrown into these fights that don’t really matter. “Knowhere” doesn’t really do much for me because it seems less like a comic and more like the idea of one. Concepts drop in and out, including the dog that;s around for the first two pages then completely disappears. Aside from a couple cliched one-liners, there’s not much to be found in “Guardians of Knowhere”.
Final Verdict: 5.2 – I want to say “This comic is going Knowhere, baby!!” but I’m saving that for the last issue.
Howard the Human #1
Written by Skottie Young
Illustrated by Jim Mahfood
Reviewed by James Johnston
“Howard the Human” #1 plays out like a particularly grimy reenactment of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Mahfood’s stylized vision for Howard’s world, a one where he’s the sole human in a world full of anthropomorphic animals, is a violently noir take that helps set this tie-in from the other Battleorld books. In that world, Howard the Human kind of looks like Matt Walsh as Captain Lunatic in the old Upright Citizens Brigade show. Just trashy 70’s noir. Honestly, I want to say this was a highlight of the week for me but “Howard the Human” kind of felt like just another noir story. A lot of the humor came from animal puns which ended up being a little groan worthy at times. Otherwise it was just a straight up noir flick. You’ve seen this story before, give or take a few feathers. I’m just sad it didn’t end with Howard asking a girl scout to dance for him one last time.
Final Verdict: 6.8 – Save for Jim Mahfood’s strong art, there’s not a lot to be found in “Howard the Human” #1.
Inferno #4
Written by Dennis Hopeless
Illustrated by Javier Garron
Reviewed by Jess Camacho
Dennis Hopeless and Javier Garron send NYC into total chaos in “Inferno” #4. Darkchilde has taken over the city and with that she’s brought hell on Earth. The X-Men have been pushed out and their last remaining members are deep underground. Meanwhile, Colossus, Domino and Madelyn Pryor are trying to use the goblins to fight back and maybe still save Magik from her fate.
Hopeless is a very hit or miss writer for me but I have, overall, enjoyed what he’s done with “Inferno” as far as the characterizations go. This issue features a lot of funny and exaggerated humor but the stakes still feel high and the danger is still real. The X-Men in recent years haven’t been really fun as they’ve gone through near extinction and in fighting but “Inferno” feels like some of the more offbeat, side books from years past.
Javier Garron’s art is not it’s strongest here but it’s still good. Some of the character designs are a bit inconsistent throughout the issue and Darkchilde looks like she’s wearing a red jumpsuit and not actually her skin. The couple of double page spreads are very good and Garron has knack for huge comic book action. The powers on display, with all the different demon designs combines for such an exciting book visually despite these few inconsistencies.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – “Inferno” isn’t the best of the tie-ins but it is very enjoyable
Runaways #3
Written by Noelle Stevenson
Illustrated by Sanford Greene
Reviewed by James Johnston
This is much more my speed. High school students running away (hey there it is) after realizing that a high school to be a servant to Doctor Doom sounded awful? Valeria Richards as the cold-blooded headmaster tracking them down? Amadeus Cho for more than one page? I’m in.
“Runaways” #3 covers a lot of ground as the Runaways continue to evade Valeria’s clutches. What’s interesting to note is how fully formed the team feels already. The chemistry at work in the team makes them feel like a family. Not only does that mean funnier interactions, but it means the consequences are much more dire whenever things go topsy turvy. Plus, the artwork displays a lot of personality for each character, especially Skaar who is just adorable greeting people by tipping his tiny cowboy hat. I think this is what I really want from a “Secret Wars” tie-in. “Runaways” is a comic that has loads of personality and directly deals with the main story of “Secret Wars” in an interesting way.
Final Verdict: 8.1 – One of my top titles for the week.
Secret Wars Journal #4
Written by Mike Benson and Sina Grace
Illustrated by Laura Braga and Ken Lashley
Reviewed by Jess Camacho
The first story in this anthology, “Primary Function” by Mike Benson and Laura Braga takes place on The Shield. Iron Fist is new to the patrol and The Punisher is showing him the ropes in his typical, grumpy fashion. An Ultron bot is spotted and it’s through a big fight that Iron Fist learns just how important his role as a guard is. Benson and Braga are basically telling a spinoff story of “Siege” and once again showing how vital The Shield is to the security of the Battleworld. Doom, for whatever reason, decided to keep some of these monsters and creatures in his world. “Siege” is dealing with a much bigger threat but I like the smaller portrait we see here. I wouldn’t have been against a bigger story, or even a miniseries, that told a story like this. So many of these tie-ins have tried to be huge and tie so deeply to the main storyline in the Hickman book but this would have fleshed out the Battleworld more so it’s a shame this is all we get. Braga’s art is really strong. I like the character designs quite a bit because they capture different domains well while still being completely recognizable. The action flows very nicely with Iron Fist’s movements being the highlight as he’s quick on feet and powerful. Overall, it’s a solid story that is one of the few that leaves you wanting a little bit more.
The second story, “Another Last Stand” by Sina Grace and Ken Lashley is an X-Men story focused on Psylocke getting back into the fray after a lengthy absence. Kyle Jinadu comes to her, while she’s disguised and living a “normal” life, to ask for help rescuing Northstar. This leads to a huge fight where Psylocke gains back her warrior spirit. “Another Last Stand” would have probably worked better if it didn’t have Psylocke. It’s not a knock against the character but there would have been so much more to explore if it were just Kyle and Northstar. They were Marvel’s much hyped first same sex marriage and they haven’t been around much since then. Lashley’s art is fine during the big action scenes but things can get a little messy as far as the facial expressions go. It’s a tough story compared to the first and it brings the issue down a quite a bit.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – Not required for the event but it’s not the biggest offender of th
Secret Wars: Secret Love #1
Written by Michael Fiffe, Felipe Smith, Jeremy Whitley, Marguerite Bennett and Katie Cook
Illustrated by Michael Fiffe, Felipe Smith, Gurihiru, Kris Anka and Katie Cook
Reviewed by Jess Camacho
“Secret Wars: Secret Love” #1 is the best issue of any tie-in so far. Outside of the main book, this is very best thing this whole event has produced. Bold statement, yes, but more than well deserved. Within this issue are five ministories and not a single one is bad. The theme connecting them all is obviously love but each approaches it and defines it as something totally different. This issue doesn’t hold back on the romance and even the coldest of hearts will melt over these stories. There’s too much to cover for this column so I will point out the best of the best.
Marguerite Bennett and Kris Anka come together to tell the story of the time Squirrel Girl won a date with Thor and it goes exactly as you’d expect. She wins the date after coming in first place at the supertriathalon for animal welfare and Thor shows her Asgard. It’s a hilarious and completely fan fiction-y story that does more on 3 pages than most comics do in 22. Anka’s art is adorable and crazy expressive. Thor’s flexing is so perfect and it’s like the bro headcanon version I like to consider real.
The absolute star of the show is the team of Jeremy Whitley and Gurihiru with their Danny Rand/Misty Knight story. Danny and Misty, married with one daughter who adorably plays with Jessica Jones & Luke Cage’s daughter, are going through a rough patch. They’re having silly arguments and aren’t feeling as romantic as they used to feel. Jones and Cage take Lucy for the night and allow the two of them to reconnect. A fancy dinner goes badly and the two of them fight off a T-Rex and immediately the sparks fly. Their night home is something right out of real life. We like to idealize romance with gifts and gimmicks but a night in with the one you love, just spending time together is the most romantic thing you can do. Whitley writes such a sweet and authentic relationship in just a short amount of pages. There are little touches like talking about whether or not Danny could beat Bruce Lee or him doing Misty’s hair that made my heart swell. I hadn’t been that pulled in by sappy romance in a very long time. I’ve had a long attachment to these four characters (and Colleen Wing) and I would do basically anything to make this canon. Gurihiru’s art is gorgeous. It’s a perfect, cartoony style that is full of emotion and a huge part of why this story ends up having such an impact. If there is any reason to buy “Secret Wars: Secret Love” #1, it’s for this story.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 9.0 – It’s not necessary to the “Secret Wars” storyline but it’s the best single issue from any tie-in so far and deserves your attention.
Spider-Verse #4
Written by Mike Costa
Illustrated by Andre Lima Araujo
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle
“Spider-Verse” #4 has me in a bit of a jam. While it’s ceratinly got more going on than the last issue did, it’s still slowed down in a pace to the point where this issue don’t really forward the story a whole lot. Really, it seems to mostly focus on setting up the conflict in the next issue which will, hopefully, go a long way in resolving a lot of the plot threads that are currently dangling in the air. Thankfully, this issue does contain a small fight scene between Spider-Gwen and Venom that allows Costa and Araujo to shine and show how to construct conflict around characters’ personalities, but it’s not quite enough to counteract how little the rest of the cast have to do.
Final Verdict 5.7 – Still waiting for this to pick up and hopefully do something fun with its concept.
Weirdworld #3
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Mike Del Mundo
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle
Ever feel like the only sane person around you? Well, Jason Aaron and Mike Del Mundo capture that feeling perfectly in “Weirdworld” #3. They open where the last issue closed (funnily enough) with Akron having to deal with being lead on a seemingly pointless conquest to retrieve a seemingly pointless artifact. Aaron’s writing has quickly made Akron a very relateable character by always framing his struggles to stay sane in Weirdworld against those who have already given up that struggle. What makes this issue so brilliant, though, is that Aaron and Del Mundo introduce a character who is very similar to Akron, but has accepted his place in Weirdworld. This makes their conflict incredibly compelling and brings a lot of depth to the story other than “look how weird this whole thing is.”
While many “Secret Wars” tie-ins have focused on books of the past, the best thing about “Weirdworld” is that on every page there’s something you’ve probably never seen before. This is largely thanks to the imaginative art by Mike Del Mundo. The world he creates is unlike any other and he perfectly captures the unnerving qualities of Weirdworld. He also excels at action scenes as a fight late in this issue is one of the most exhilarating comic scenes I’ve read in a long time.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – Jason Aaron and Mike Del Mundo continue to be a creative powerhouse that need to keep working together in the future.
X-Tinction Agenda #3
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Illustrated by Carmine DiGiandomenico
Reviewed by Jess Camacho
Guggenheim and DiGiandomenico’s “X-Tinction Agenda” hasn’t been the most appealing X story. It relies almost entirely on two different factions fighting each other when togetherness is such a simple and obvious answer to the plague. What is interesting about this particular issue is that the former bonds between characters have been broken and some of that is touched upon in a compelling enough way to remain entertaining. DiGiandomenico does his best art of the series so far with lots of expressive character moments and huge, on point, comic book-y action. He doesn’t shy away from letting the mutants use their powers and some of the spotlighted one on ones come off truly epic.
Final Verdict: 6.8 – The story falls flat but the art saves this.
Final Thoughts
Jess: I didn’t read everything this week but all my fatigue was thrown out for a little while by the energy “Secret Wars: Secret Love” gave me. That was damn near perfect and I really think it’s the best book outside of the main series that I’ve read so far. It was adorable and I need more of that please. Everything else fell kind of middle of the road for me. Nothing I read (I didn’t get to everything) was truly terrible. I am having a little trouble staying into everything though since Marvel PR is already so hard at work hyping up the new series for after this whole thing ends. That doesn’t help me stay focused but that’s the way the game works I guess.
Continued belowAlice: Honestly, I think I’m beginning to really tire out on this whole thing. We’re 14 weeks into this monstrosity of an event with no end in sight. All I can see on the horizon is more Battleworld. I think what’s really getting to me is the fact that pretty much all the titles have fallen into the same kind of pattern around the third or fourth issue as they slow down in order to bring stuff a conclusion in the next couple of issues. While that’s fine, the fact that the majority of the issues this week are in that lull makes it hard to stay hyped up.
It probably doesn’t also help that nearly every villain in a “Secret Wars” tie-in has a hard on for killing God Doom and he has not made a single appearance outside of the main series making it pretty obvious that none of them are going to succeed any time soon.
James: I cannot wait until my normal sleeping schedule is back. Oh yeah, and I really loved “Secret Love”, “Runaways”, and “Captain Britain. “
