Sunday 21 June 2015

Secret Wars #1 - Marvel Comics

SECRET WARS No. 1, July 2015
Despite its arguably inappropriate title, for there little that is secretive about two planets smashing into one another, Issue One of “Secret Wars” is undoubtedly a triumphant combination of suspenseful action-packed storytelling and wonderfully highly detailed characterful artwork by Croatian artist Esad Ribic. For whether the reader is a devotee of either the Marvel Universe (1961-2015) or the Ultimate Universe (2000-2015) there is plenty for them to cheer and mourn, as Jonathan Hickman literally has the two ‘realities’ tear one another apart.

Admittedly those who have followed the longer living and comic book world defining exploits of Stan Lee’s co-creations, will undoubtedly have more to be happy about having perused this magazine’s thirty-four page extravaganza. To begin with this actuality seemingly has the better day when both worlds’ super-heroes confront one another, despite ‘the other Earth’s secondary attack’ using the best technology its “specially bred engineers” could muster. But amazingly it also manages to somehow have a few of its inhabitants somehow survive the fracturing of both existences; albeit a grim-faced bearded Mister Fantastic doesn’t succeed in saving anywhere near as many people as he hoped… including his own beloved wife and family.

There is though still plenty to enjoy if any bibliophile is more familiar with the Earth-1610 imprint, as both the Triskelion, Headquarter’s of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the City, home of the Cabal and the Children of Tomorrow, feature prominently in the South Carolina-born writer’s narrative. Indeed General Fury and the “thousand-year-old megalomaniacal boy genius who wiped out most of Europe on a whim” Reed Richards provide much of the book’s early exposition as to what is actually taking place. Something which is crucial if you haven’t been following any of the events depicted in the “Time Runs Out” storyline from the “Avengers” and “New Avengers” comic books.

Equally as enjoyable and arguably a great contributor as to why this opening instalment of the mini-series proved so popular a purchase that it sold a staggering 527,678 copies in May 2015, is that despite the colossal scale of his script, Hickman still somehow manages to find the time to incorporate numerous genuinely memorable micro-sized moments within its sweeping grandeur. Some such as the sudden tragic demise of Rocket Raccoon or Invisible Woman are poignant panels which draw a heavy pause in the chaotic proceedings. Whilst others, such as a confident sounding Spider-Man telling the New York locals that “I’ve got this… Uh. Maybe” or the Punisher asking a packed out bar full of the city’s most notorious super-villains “what am I gonna do with all these bullets” are humorous laugh out loud moments.
The regular cover art of "SECRET WARS" No. 1 by Alex Ross

8 comments:

  1. This is not a series I am remotely interested in but I just wanted to leave a comment to say how much I LOVE the cover showing a very young Doctor Doom playing with his superhero action figures. It really brought a smile to my face. It is sheer brilliance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Bryan. Your comment is very much appreciated and I was actually wondering whether you'd like it when I posted it, as I know of your liking for 'Chibi-type' stuff. Its drawn by Skottie Young, who drew the 'chibi' "Darth Vader" #1 cover you also liked. He's my favourite cover artist, and as a result I've bought most of the covers he's done for "Marvel" over the past few months, so there are plenty more to come :-)

      Delete
    2. Thanks for telling me who the artist is, Simon. I will definitely be on the look out for more of his work. I just love his style. There is much I admire about this particular cover but the thing that makes me smile the most is the S.H.I.E.L.D. Heli-Carrier play-set. I want one!!!!! Oh, and Doc Doom's speech bubble is very cleverly rendered. Now there's a phrase I never thought I'd type!

      Delete
    3. You're welcome Bryan. If you like his way of drawing super-babies then I suggest you have a look at this anthology of his work (which are actual stories as opposed to just covers): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Young-Marvel-Little-Avengers-Trouble/dp/0785184988 It could be something you'd enjoy ;-)

      Delete
    4. Many thanks for the heads up and link, Simon. I've already added it to my Amazon wish list. I think it'll be right up my street. I like how some reviewers thought it was better than the actual AVX series.

      Delete
    5. "AvX" was pretty ropey imho. Not helped by some lack-lustre artwork. Interestingly though I've just picked up the new "Secret Wars" "Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX" #1 comic, so I'll be posting a review soon :-)

      Delete
  2. Great looking cover. Is that Rocket Raccoon I spot as well? Love that character from GoTG never heard of him prior to that movie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheers Simon. Yes that's poor Rocket Raccoon. "Marvel Worldwide" has been producing a comic based upon him since the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie came out. I've reviewed the first handful of issues. Here's a link to one of the last I did: http://thebrownbagaeccb.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/rocket-racoon-5-marvel-comics.html

      Delete