Secret Wars Battle Report, Week Twenty-Four

Welcome back to the Battle Report! The main crossover still has three issues to go, but the tie-in miniseries are winding down, with four more ending this week. Bam Smack Pow can help you figure out which ones were worth your time.

Marvel Zombies #4

What happened: Elsa Bloodstone fights the undead corpse of her abusive father and learns that the mysterious child she’s been wandering with is a mystic representation of the innocence she lost. She absorbs the child and uses her newly-whole self to push the Bloodstone artifact into making her father alive again, now able to work on a different relationship.

Was it good: Amazing. Interesting, exciting, and emotionally profound.

Is it necessary: No, the zombies are all over the books of this crossover and none of them seem connected.

Should you buy it: You should – this is the best zombie book of the event and one of the best books Marvel has on the stands.

A-Force #5

What happened: After Loki lets a horde of zombies (see? All over) invade Arcadia, She-Hulk leads dozens of heroes against them. Singularity absorbs all of the monsters into her vague self, appearing to sacrifice herself, but we know from last week’s All-New All-Different Point One that she’s in the main Marvel Universe now.

Was it good: It sure was. This had the least amount of plot of any single A-Force issue, but it was a hoot seeing cameos of Marvel’s most beloved women taking out undead monstrosities.

Is it necessary: No, it never got more integral to the main plot than the brief appearance by Doom in the first issue.

Should you buy it: You should, and give serious thought to picking up the ongoing series next month.

Civil War #5

What happened: Captain America and Iron Man realize that their whole war has been the result of Skrull manipulation, so they sacrifice themselves to defeat the invading aliens.

Was it good: It was certainly better than the Secret Invasion or Civil War crossovers. That’s not saying a ton, but yes, this was a great take on the most important themes of each.

Is it necessary: No.

Should you buy it: Keep it in mind for extra money, but I wouldn’t put this in the top tier.

Ms. Marvel #19 (Last Days)

What happened: Ms. Marvel has beaten the bad guys and now has to wait in the school that Jersey City has converted into an apocalypse shelter, complete with a nondenominational, nonjudgmental prayer area and a section for an end-of-the-world dance party. She learns that her mother knows her secret identity and is proud of her anyway, and she tells her romantic best friend that she can only offer him friendship until her life gets a little more normal. Then the final Incursion happens, and the world turns white.

Was it good: Yes. Most of the Last Days tie-ins were fine continuations of the book in progress, but this was a four-issue explanation of what heroism means. Over the course of the end of the world, this teen hero learned about sacrifice, duty to family, and community spirit. This issue was a rest after the emotional wringer of the previous three, but it nailed that tone perfectly and explained why stories like this need to end on a thoughtful note.

Is it necessary: No. I mean, the world still ends on the last page, like we saw everywhere else, and Kamala Khan is still Ms. Marvel in next month’s relaunch.

Should you buy it: You should. If you’re strapped for cash, you’ll get the same themes in the Silk Last Days tie-in, but I hope you saved enough money from following my advice to afford this more textured exploration.

Essential Reading:

Really, just Secret Wars. Well done, Marvel.

Recommended Tie-ins:

A-Force, Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, Captain Marvel And The Carol Corps, House Of M, Inferno, Inhumans: Attilan Rising, Marvel Zombies, Old Man Logan, Star-Lord & Kitty Pryde, Thors, X-Men ’92 (digital version), and Ms. Marvel or Silk (Last Days).

Good Books That Just Don’t Make Top-Tier:

1602 Witch Hunter Angela, 1872, Age Of Ultron Vs. Marvel Zombies, Captain Britain And The Mighty Defenders, Civil War, Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars, Ghost Racers, Giant-Size Little Marvel: AVX, Hank Johnson, Agent Of Hydra, Howard The Human, Infinity Gauntlet, Korvac Saga, Master Of Kung Fu, M.O.D.O.K. Assassin, Red Skull, Runaways, Secret Wars 2099, Secret Wars: Battleworld, Secret Wars Journal, Secret Wars: Secret Love (for two stories), Siege, Spider Island, Spider-Verse, Squadron Sinister, Weirdworld, Where Monsters Dwell, X-Men ’92 (print version), and X-Tinction Agenda.

Books To Skip:

Age Of Apocalypse, Armor Wars, E Is For Extinction, Future Imperfect, Guardians Of Knowhere, Hail Hydra, Mrs. Deadpool And The Howling Commandos, Planet Hulk, Ultimate End, Years Of Future Past, and any of the Last Days titles you weren’t already reading.

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