Secret Wars Battle Report, Week Twenty-Eight

The action ramped up as Secret Wars started the final third of its run this week and three miniseries finished theirs! Which one tied in best with the huge battle sequence?

Secret Wars #7

What happened: Maximus the Mad leads an army of agnostics against Doom. Doom’s barons (Mr. Sinister, Madelyn Pryor, the Maestro, and Apocalypse) defend Doomstadt, but Captain Marvel convinces Sinister to turn on the Inferno army. The Jane Foster Thor convinces the Thors to betray Doom and side with Maximus’s rebels. Finally, Black Panther recruits the zombies of the Deadlands to join against Doom.

Was it good: It was. This had a lot more action than most of the previous issues, and it brought in a satisfying amount of material from tie-in books. That said, I’m not sure how to connect it to Future Imperfect or Age Of Apocalypse, given that the Barons in each of those were killed or otherwise taken out at the end of their miniseries but show up here in the prime of health. It doesn’t take away from how good the book is, but it makes me hate myself that much more for sitting through those lousy few months.

Is it necessary: Yes, one-hundred percent.

Should you buy it: Oh, yes.

Thors #4

What happened: Chris Hemsworth Thor exposes the traitor Thor, and Jane Foster Thor uses this chance to convince the Thors that Doom is neither God nor a very nice person, so they saddle up and head to the big fight in Secret Wars 7. In the epilogue, readers see Battleworld blink out of existence, replaced by Earth, and Hemsworth’s hammer crashes onto Asgard.

Was it good: The first three issues were a note-perfect police procedural, and this was more of a standard superhero book, but it’s still great.

Is it necessary: No. It shows what Jane said to get the Thors to their place in the main book, but that book explained it well enough. It says a little about what’s going to happen at the end of Secret Wars, but an almost identical scene closed out Weirdworld, and we’ve been reading books for three weeks that take place after Secret Wars.

Should you buy it: Yes. I’m not asking for too many tie-ins, but this is near the top of that list, and the Thors are all over the books in this crossover.

Infinity Gauntlet #5

What happened: Thanos has the Infinity Gauntlet but still needs the Reality Gem. The Guardians Of The Galaxy help the family of Novas get to it first, and the daughter proves that creativity matters when she uses the Reality Gem to set a trap, killing Thanos.

Was it good: Yes. This was a cosmic story with a warm family center and truly lovely art by Rain Beredo, like a Miyazaki film.

Is it necessary: Nope, the Thanos in this book is unrelated to the Thanos of the main book and Siege.

Should you buy it: It’s only for the cosmic fans.

Squadron Sinister #4

What happened: Nighthawk defeats Hyperion, but the crimes that got him to that victory come back to haunt him when Doom sentences him to death in the Ultron territory south of the Shield Wall.

Was it good: It was fine. It’s dark, and I usually like dark, but the characters may have been a little too hard to like.

Is it necessary: No, the Squadron that shows up in the Marvel Universe isn’t going to be the team we’ve been following here.

Should you buy it: It’s not bad, but I don’t recommend it highly.

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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