Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman: An insight into the big MCU story on the horizon?
Hickman’s take on the Secret Wars story is a universe defining story that will make you reconsider familiar superheroes and have you overwhelmed by the scale of the story.
In Secret Wars, Jonathan Hickman creates an epic, thrilling, and thought-provoking story. Not another superhero crossover I hear you cry. Except this isn’t. Prepare to have your view of the Marvel universe shaken up. Hickman’s dramatic storyline has high stakes and intricate character arcs that makes Secret Wars a compelling narrative.
Secret Wars opens with a universe-ending event and it doesn’t let up. The multiverse collapses in a matter of pages. Remember Reed Richards talking about incursions in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. This is one of those. And it doesn’t stop. With only two universes remaining (Earth-616 (the main Marvel Universe) and Earth-1610 (the Ultimate Universe)) collision is inevitable and the greatest heroes and villains are fighting for survival.
Battleworld
When the cosmic dust settles, we find Battleworld, a patchwork planet composed of fragments from various destroyed realities. The new world is ruled by none other than Doctor Doom, who has assumed godlike powers to save what remains of existence. Battleworld is divided into different domains, each ruled by its own baron and populated by characters from across the Marvel multiverse. The setup creates a unique and diverse landscape where familiar characters are placed in entirely new contexts, leading to fresh and unexpected dynamics.
Battleworld allows for endless storytelling possibilities, making every issue of Secret Wars a new adventure. From the zombie-infested Deadlands to the dystopian future of Apocalypse, each domain presents a different challenge and a different set of characters, creating a rich tapestry of stories that explore various aspects of the Marvel Universe. This inventive setting keeps readers engaged and eager to see what surprises await them on the next page.
Doctor Doom might be god of Battleworld, but Secret Wars is rich with character development and moral complexity. Doom is a present god interacting with hi subjects and grappling with the complexities of running the world while also struggling with his own guilt, responsibilities and need to control everything.
Thrown in a couple of epic, no holds-barred showdowns and we’ve got an action packed story that builds to several climactic battles that are visually spectacular and emotionally charged. Each confrontation is a fight to stay alive and have real stakes for the lives of the characters.
An epic exercise in world building, Secret Wars carefully constructs a new realities with its own rules, politics, and social dynamics, providing a rich backdrop for the story’s events. The different domains of Battleworld each have their own distinct culture and history, making the world feel vast and varied. This attention to detail helps to ground the narrative, giving it a sense of scale and depth that is rarely seen in comic book storytelling.
The high-stakes nature of the plot makes Secret Wars incredibly gripping. It’s not a battles between heroes and villains; it’s a fight for the survival of reality. The series pushes every character to their limits, forcing them to confront their deepest fears and desires.
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