Review – Secret Wars #1 (Marvel Comics)

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Esad Ribic
Release Date: 6th May, 2015

I have no idea what I just read. This really is it folks, the one we’ve all been waiting for. We’ve sat through secret invasions, original sins, sieges and civil wars, for it all to come down to this. The event to end all events. The death of the Ultimate Universe as it merges with 616.

From the word go, this is an action packed issue that is amazingly simple, yet a bitch to follow. There’s just so much happening on the page that I don’t know how Ribic managed to do it, but I’m glad there’s a zoom function on Comixology otherwise my eyes would hurt from squinting.

Pretty much all you need to know going into this is that both universes are on a collision course for destruction, unless one can blow up the other. So naturally, this being comics, there’s a giant fight scene and shit hits the proverbial fan. Hickman is damn good at his job when it comes to this kind of things, and even though it sounds confusing – much like the last eight months of Avengers certainly has been – the simplicity of the idea comes across perfectly on the page. There’s everything you want from a first issue of an event here; loss, heartbreak, story progression, jokes and the odd easter egg thrown in for fan service.

Ribic really does deserve a medal for this book, as managing to merge the styles of both universes on the page, giving everyone distinct looks while also managing to progress the story in such a high-octane setting is no small feat. I do get the impression that he’s being somewhat underutilized though, as the issue really is just one big fight scene? It’s a damn pretty one though.

Speaking of pretty, can we all just take a second to appreciate that Alex Ross cover (see above)? Done? Good.

This first issue was light on substance, but heavy on the action and made my inner seven-year old do a happy dance as everything fell apart and felt like one big giant action figure show down (you all know fine well what I mean). Hopefully there will be more meat on the bones of future issues, but as it stands, I think I need a wee lie down before I tackle any more of this

Rating: 3/5 for the story, 4/5 for the art.

The writer of this piece was: Chris Bennett
Article: And Now For Something Completely Different
You can also find Chris on Twitter.