Review: Secret Wars

Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Certainly one of the better Marvel crossover events. It has plenty of the familiar trappings of such crossovers but it still maintains telling a good story. Hickman is on point with characters he should be more than familiar with by now. The writing serves the comic well on levels in terms of pacing, plot, dialogue, and how to direct the panels. It's an easy recommendation. Read further to find out everything that's wrong with it.

Its biggest issue is that it can't be read in a vacuum. Not only is this the mega event to end all mega events (literally), but it also serves as the closing chapter to Hickman's work in both Classic and Ultimate Marvel. Sure, you can read it as a standalone, but much of the weight of it will probably be lost on you. Though, even without that weight, it's still a worthy read. Just not Thor-level worthy.

Another problem is the inherent lack of scope. Setting the world in a nearly pure fantasy realm allows for some awesome creativity and no-holds-barred characters. But, it also means that nothing really matters. Everyone is just fighting until something blows up and the comic world can be reset. It's fun while it lasts though.

The art is great. I think anyone with eyes can see that. It's lush and detailed. I couldn't find a single panel I had a problem with.

Another plus is how Hickman writes Namor and T'Challa. I don't think anyone has written these characters better. What makes their scenes great is that they're together and easily bounce off each other. With their conflict-ridden history and divergent personalities, interlaced with how they're also similar in many ways, the stuff pretty much writes itself.

I'm, admittedly, a fanboy for Hickman's work. But even I can say that this isn't his best work. It's still great, which speaks volumes of how good his work is overall. And, it serves as a great closing volume if you've read his work up to this point. It just should be a crime to read on its own.

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