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 “Red Skull”, “Siege”, 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!
Micro-Reviews
A-Force #3
Written by Marguerite Bennet & G. Willow Wilson
Illustrated by Jorge Molina
Reviewed by James Johnston
“A-Force” intensifies as the women of Arcadia find a traitor in their midst. And they will find out who that is through punching. Lots of punching. “A-Force” is a book that started a little rocky for me, but is definitingly finding its groove. I think that the mystery behind who’s the traitor is the type of story thread needed to connect everything between Chavez’s exile, the portals, and the conflict with Doom. It just makes the story feel much more centered. Speaking of, I really dig how seamlessly the narrative shifts between brutal fight scenes and some quieter moments. Moments like Li’l Captain Universe giving emotional support to Nico after the death of a friend are the type of actions that help the book’s consequences feel more dire.
Final Verdict: 8.3 – A strong issue that really helps tie the series more tightly together.
Ghost Racers #3
Written by Felipe Smith
Illustrated by Juan Gedeon
Reviewed by James Johnston
“Ghost Racers” still continues to be one of my favorites among the Battleworld catalogue. The fact that I’m already a huge mark for the “All-New Ghost Rider” series probably helps matters. In “Ghost Racers” #3, Robbie Reyes escapes the Killiseum (KILLISEUM) and is chased down by his fellow Ghost Riders. The chase that makes up this issue really plays to Juan Gedeon’s strengths, showing off the various riders’ powers as they attack Reyes. This is another fun issue for the series, but I’m still semi-put off by how Gabe Reyes is always in danger 24/7. It feels like old Supermancomics where Superman would burst into an alien’s lair and Lois Lane would be there for the added dramatic effect. I want one issue where the supervillain tries to find out how to personally go after Robbie and it looks like they’re going to kidnap Gabe but they just key Robbie’s car. Eli would lose his mind.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – I’m not going to say anything bad about comic with Ghost Rider 2099 in it.
Inhumans: Atillan Rising #4
Written by Charles Soule
Illustrated by John Timms
Reviewed by Jess Camacho
At this point, there isn’t a lot left for me to say about this series without repeating myself too much. This issue begins right after Black Bolt’s capture and the real selling point here is the interaction between him and Medusa. Like “Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde”, we’re getting to learn a lot more about the Battleworld from a perspective other than Doom. Black Bolt’s ability to talk is addressed and it’s an interesting wrinkle that flips a lot of what we know about this character on it’s head.
Charles Soule gets Medusa and Black Bolt so well at this point that it’s not surprising that he’s so good at writing their conversations. Even on opposite ends, there’s still this spark between them. I’ve really enjoyed the spy angle of this and Medusa as Queen, with the ability to listen to other opinions is so important. She’s positioned as the character we’re supposed to consider the villain but Soule continues to write her as far more nuanced.
Timms’ art, as usual, is really strong. The action flows nicely and the anger on Black Bolt’s face is truly pained. There are some scenes underwater that are nice to look at despite doing that thing where no one actually looks wet. Fin Fang Foom makes another appearance this week in this book and Timms creates a very epic feeling page featuring him looking down on Black Bolt’s crew in a truly menacing way. D’Armata’s colors are just as bold as they’ve been the whole miniseries and he’s really got a knack for creating light.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 8.0 – Really solid issue that provides some exciting reveals and features a great cliffhanger ending.
Korvac Saga #3
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Otto Schmidt
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle
Honestly, I don’t have much to say about “Korvac Saga” #3. As much as this issue is technically fine, I’ve found it’s a series that just hasn’t grabbed me. Perhaps that’s because I’m not quite as familiar with the original “Korvac Saga” storyline, but this issue was plagued with the same problem that kept me from caring about the previous issues: everyone either stands around and talks about the “madness” or punches each other.
Dan Abnett is a good writer and I’ve enjoyed his work in the past, but I think the thing holding me back from really getting into this series is how vaguely defined the “madness” has been in this series. While other “Secret Wars” tie-ins have had characters question the nature of Battleworld, it’s presented here more like they’re going mad from revelation that not all is as it seems. While the end of this issue explains a little bit about why that is, the story up to this point has been built on such a vague plot point and full of so much on-the-nose exposition that I just can’t find myself to care.
As I said, this issue is technically proficient and the artwork by Otto Schmidt is one of the finer parts of the issue. His style is a little exaggerated and over the top and that definitely lends itself to the scenes of the Guardians and the Avengers fighting giant monsters, but less so to the scenes where Michael Korvac and Simon Williams stand around yelling at each other.
Final Verdict: 5.9 – While there’s probably someone out there who’ll get a kick out of this, the story just didn’t grab me. Maybe the last page revelation will mean the fourth issue is the one that grabs me.
Master Of Kung-Fu #4
Written by Haden Blackman
Illustrated by Dalibor Talajic
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle
This is how you can tell we’re past the halfway point; the tie-in series have begun to finish up. While that would usually be a cause for celebration from me as I’m beginning to feel the event fatigue hard and the delays haven’t helped, it’s hard to say goodbye to “Master Of Kung-Fu”. Blackman and Talajic have harnessed some of the best aspects of 70s Marvel’s obsession with Hong Kong cinema and channelled it into a comic that feels like a long, lost Shaw Brothers movie.
As this is the final issue, I don’t want to talk too much about what happens in it as I want people to actually read this series. This issue features the final battle between Shang-Chi and the Emperor of K’un-Lun and it’s where Dalibor Talajic shines the most. Across a number of double page spreads, Talajic creates an intense martial arts fight that draws on fantastic visuals to create an ending to the series that feels satisfying and complete.
Final Verdict: 8.6 – Seriously, even though it’s ending long before the event is over, this might still be the highlight of “Secret Wars”.
Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos #3
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Salva Espin
Reviewed by Jess Camacho
“Mrs. Deadpool” has been kind of a weird thing for me over the last couple of months. It’s not bad as far as “Secret Wars” tie-ins go but it’s got a very limited audience given that it’s dealing with Deadpool, his wife Shiklah and Dracula. As someone who goes in and out of what’s happening with Deadpool, it’s been tough engaging with this series but I’ve stuck through it and am starting to see why people are enjoying Duggan’s work on “Deadpool” so much.
This issue finds the Shiklah and the Howling Commandos in Weirdworld getting close to finding the object she needs to defeat Dracula. Along the way, ghost Deadpool tries to communicate with her but the only one who can hear him is Frankenstein’s Monster since he’s technically already dead. Elsewhere, Dracula knows something is up and since he’s a megalomaniac, he starts to totally lose it.
Continued belowDuggan’s writing is pretty good because this far in he’s allowed to do more in regards to character interaction. The set up is done, they’re on this adventure and the comedy ends up coming through the way they interact with each other. A lot of the jokes hit and Dracula’s meltdown is probably the funniest thing happening here because villains getting crazy angry can be a ton of fun. The Howling Commandos are a little predictable as far as their dynamics go since they’re the teams that works together even thought they don’t like each other but Duggan’s dialogue is sharp. It’s not comedy that breaks boundaries but it’s inoffensively amusing.
Espin’s art is probably at it’s strongest in this issue. Espin uses lots of layered panels and spotlights the big cartoony expressions. The linework is super clean and bold with lots of animated physical comedy like Shiklah calling in the five second rule over a severed hand. Val Staples’ colors really pop and the darkness of some of it really sells the more violent moments.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – The strongest issue of the miniseries so far.
Planet Hulk #4
Written by Sam Humphries
Illustrated by Marc Laming
Reviewed by James Johnston
I think it’s safe to say that a lot of “Secret Wars” serve a distinct purpose. The purpose of “Planet Hulk” seems to watch Captain America team up with Devil Dinosaur and go wild. While the pace feels pointedly slow for this issue, “Planet Hulk” #4 picks up with a last page reveal that changes the game for the remainder of the series. Still, even if this issue doesn’t have as much blatant dinosaur violence as I crave, Laming’s depiction of Greenland really grounds a story that could go off the walls bonkers whenever it wanted to. My only wish for this series is that Steve would stop fussing about where Bucky is and realize that the true love in his life is the gigantic T-Rex standing by his side.
Final Verdict: 7.4 – A deeply cruel twist helps sell another solid issue of “Planet Hulk”.
Secret Wars 2099 #4
Written by Peter David
Illustrated by Will Sliney
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle
Four issues in, and “Secret Wars 2099” might win the award for the most surprisingly enjoyable tie-in I’ve read so far. Despite not having much experience or interest in the 2099 universe outside of the amazing “Punisher 2099”, I expected for this one to be quite low on the list of tie-ins I cared about. Instead, Peter David’s writing has taken the story to some very interesting places by having the Avengers be funded by the Alchemax Corporation. This proves to throw a spanner into some allegiances this issue as the Corporation turns out to be, surprisingly enough, corrupt and only interested in looking out for itself as members of the Avengers find themselves siding with the outlawed Defenders team.
This rather interesting angle along with the really strong art from Will Sliney made this issue a blast. Sliney clearly had a lot of fun here exploring the different powersets of the different characters and showcases some of the powerhouses on both the Avenger and the Defenders. His depiction of the Silver Surfer especially, is one that I loved as I’m a huge fan of the character. This is some of the best art I’ve seen from Sliney and I hope he can keep this up as I’m much more impressed here than I was on “Fearless Defenders”.
Overall, “Secret Wars 2099” continues strong, meaning there’s not a whole lot to say about it, honestly. Peter David and Will Sliney continue to seem like they’re having a blast in this universe and with these characters and while it’s not exactly the most essential “Secret Wars” tie-in, it’s one of the more enjoyable.
Final Verdict: 7.7 – Who knows, maybe I’m a 2099 convert?
Secret Wars: Battleworld #4
Written by Steve Stokoe, Peter David
Illustrated by Steve Stokoe, Daniel Valadez
Reviewed by Jess Camacho
The final issue of “Secret Wars: Battleworld” is all about everyone’s favorite herald, Silver Surfer. Each story looks at two different emotional connections he has and their styles couldn’t be anymore different.
The first story, “Silver Surfer vs. Galactus”, written and drawn by Steve Stokoe is exactly that – Silver Surfer versus Galactus. Galactus has taken over the village in Egyptia that Silver Surfer lives in and tasked him with catching Fin Fang Foom so he can eat him. Needless to say, things don’t go great but it is a solid short story that spotlights Silver Surfer’s love for his wife. Stokoe’s art is crazy good. The detailing is phenomenal with every blade of grass having shape and each scaled on Fin Fang Foom is visible. Later in the story, things get horrifically graphic and Stokoe just does things that no one else can do. The gross is almost beautiful and the colors he uses are just so perfect.
The second story, “Silver Surfer vs. Maestro” takes place in the same domain as “Future Imperfect”. Written by Peter David with art from Daniel Valadez, this story is just one big bang em up with these two characters over Surfer’s mission to get back his surfboard. What’s interesting is like the first story, this is another part of the Silver Surfer on display. His board is an extension of him and you almost wish you could see what led him to lose it. The writing is fine because David is writing “Future Imperfect”, meaning that this version of Maestro is in line with that series and he’s a very good villain. Valadez’ art is inconsistent. He repeats faces a little bit and things can get very static but his design of Silver Surfer is very good. Curiel’s colors are almost spray paint like and it creates a really nice effect but it’s not quite enough to save some of the artistic inconsistencies.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – The Stokoe story is honestly enough of a reason to pick this up but it’s by no means required reading for this event.
Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde #2
Written by Sam Humphries
Illustrated by Alti Firmansyah
Reviewed by Jess Camacho
On the run, looking for Gambit, Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde are brought face to face with Cypher and his robot New Mutdroids. After they have a few scenes of not too mean, meant to be cute banter, they share a heart to heart. Peter misses his version of Kitty and this version of Kitty gives us some more insight into what she does and how some of the politics in Doom’s Battleworld work.
“Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde” is basically a mature Disney movie. The budding attraction between Peter and Kitty is something right out of Tangled with the renegade Peter having his heart melted by the woman who can’t stand him. It’s predictable but it’s so much fun because Humphries is just going all in with the script. Peter Quill is more Han Solo than ever before but his heart is in the right place. He cares for Kitty and wants to help her even though this isn’t his version. Kitty is also written pretty well as she avoids being too much of a strong woman stereotype. Elements of that are there but it’s not overbearing and she does feel like an authentic person.
Fimansyah’s art is just pure joy. This is where a lot of the Disney influence is felt. It’s very magical in a sense with big expressions and a great feeling of watching an animated series. The linework is very clean and there’s a certain amount of softness to all the character designs. The action flows so well and Kitty’s fighting style is a nice little throwback to the version she is (I won’t say which one out of spoilers). The scenes that should be cute are right out of a romantic comedy and it’s again another example of going all in on this angle. The colors by Jessica Kholinne are like candy. Kitty’s dress looks like an actual night sky and the palette used is bright and evokes so much happiness.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 8.2 – You know where it’s going but “Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde” is too cute to pass up.
Years Of Future Past #4
Written by Marguerite Bennett
Illustrated by Mike Norton
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle
As a huge X-Men fan, I wasn’t sure what to make of “Years Of Future Past” at first. I wasn’t sure how Marguerite Bennett and Mike Norton could revisit the desolate future we first glimpsed in the 80s and not only make it still feel like a relevant dystopia, but also tell a new story. However, by keeping true to the messages that have made the X-Men such popular characters and honoring the legacy of those characters, Bennett and Norton have found a new angle by giving the X-Men one final chance at bringing human and mutantkind together.
This issue largely serves as a segue from the second act of the story into the third as we see motivations and betrayals come to the fore as the stage is set for the climax. While there is a heel turn in this issue that could have been seen coming a mile away, Bennett and Norton smartly have that be a decoy swerve and have a much more surprising twist back that up. What this issue does, then, is mostly hype you up for the next couple of issues as we see all the plot threads and character motivations coming together.
Not only is “Years Of Future Past” a well written book, it’s also a gorgeous looking one. Mike Norton’s artwork is stellar and he captures the devastation of the world perfectly. Everything feels desolate and hopeless, but never once do you forget that this is an X-Men story. Even against the destroyed background that feels like the setting of a Fallout game, Norton portrays characters like Colossus and Magneto in their classic outfits without a hint of embarrassment. And it works, too. These characters and these costumes are so ingrained into pop culture that seeing them against a wasteland backdrop doesn’t ruin the effect or feel goofy, but shows just how dire their situation is.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – A great issue, but it’s mostly because it exists to hype up the climax of the story.
Final Thoughts
Jess: I’m running out of stuff to say to wrap up these columns. I can’t believe we’ve been doing this for 13 weeks now! I didn’t get to everything this week but I did venture outside of what I reviewed. It was a pretty solid week for me as far as these tie-ins go. I’m eager to see more of the survivors show up in the tie-ins because it’s such an interesting twist. “Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde” is partially good because of Peter Quill’s memories. It ties together what happened before to this even much more and in a way makes me care some more. I will admit, I’m glad some of these are wrapping up because I’m getting a little fatigued from this event.
Shout out to Fin Fang Foom showing up twice.
James: You know what I’m really missing from “Secret Wars”? The idea that this is all happening on the same world. A couple series do that but spend the whole time making a fuss about it. I want a comic where someone from 1872 goes up to the Avengers 2099 and is just like “All of this makes perfect sense to me.” Other than that, I’m enjoying a lot of the tie-ins and the ones I don’t I forget about immediately after reviewing them.
Alice:: Now that we’ve crossed the halfway point of this shindig, I can definitely feel the fatigue setting in. While this wasn’t a bad week, the fact that everything we’re reading now is in the middle of its story has kind of lessened the excitement I was feeling at the start of it. Nothing is new and shiny and chrome anymore and instead, everything is in it’s second act. Some stuff, like “Master Of Kung-Fu”, is coming to an end and that will hopefully weed out some books in the weeks to come, but I think we’re in the hardest stretch.
Thankfully, it seems like the main series is back on track and it hopefully won’t be as long a wait for the next issue because as bad as it can get, that series is a shining light through all of this and makes the whole thing worth it.
