The Weekly Pull Review - Secret Wars #1

The Weekly Pull Review - Secret Wars #1

The Marvel Comics event of the year is finally upon us as Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic’s 8-issue Secret Wars event officially launched the beginning of the end for the Marvel Universe this week. This massive saga is a HUGE payoff to those, like me, who have collected Hickman’s work through Avengers (Vol. 5) and New Avengers (Vol. 3) totalling a whopping 77 issues, which together weaved an intricate story of how Earth’s Mightiest Heroes failed to not only protect their world, but the entire multiverse.

Although the premise seems daunting for those who aren’t up to speed, IGN has put together a fantastic recap of the events that have led up to Secret Wars, which you can find here. Take note that Hickman’s work isn’t for the faint of heart and tells a much darker and complex tale for such a mainstream title, clearly aimed at an older and more mature demographic.  

The Secret Wars event begins right where the Avengers finale concludes, with the final two worlds in the Marvel multiverse facing the incursion and imminent destruction. Earth-616, better known as the Prime continuity, and Earth-1610, the Ultimate Universe. As the worlds collide, beloved heroes fall in battle, lives are lost to scientific miscalculations and a Battleworld is formed, which will forever change the landscape of the Marvel Universe.

Worlds Collide

The scope and significance of this story also marks a historical event for Marvel Comics, as this is the first time in franchise history that the publisher has rebooted. With the exception of it's Star Wars titles, every Marvel book will see its final issue during the event, replaced by Secret Wars tie-in titles that will follow the incursion survivors. Very little is known at this point regarding how the Marvel Universe will unfold after the event reaches its conclusion. Some signs point toward a jump in time, while others suggest that some tie-in stories will evolve into mainstream ongoing titles.

Secret Wars is the must-read event of the year, and comes highly recommended by the NGP team. This is one of the boldest and most well-written story events to ever come from the House of Ideas and if every issue is as strong as the debut, we're in for a treat.

4/5 Toast Rating

This is the big leagues, and everything we know about the current Marvel Universe will never be the same.    

Questions or Comments? Sound off below, or find me on Twitter as @ArchangelEZE and for more exciting news and reviews, follow NGP on Facebook!  

Until next time True Believers,

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The Weekly Pull : Marvel Fights Dirty

The Weekly Pull : Marvel Fights Dirty

It’s no secret that Marvel is struggling to regain their properties from major motion picture companies. The bulk of the characters are over at Disney (which we can all be thankful for), however Sony holds the rights to Spider-Man while Fox, with an iron grip, controls X-Men and the Fantastic Four. But what about Marvel’s very first superhero? Their first mutant? Who controls the Sub-Mariner? Who controls Namor?

Now, I know what most of you are thinking : “Who cares, it’s Namor.” and quite honestly, I’m inclined to side with the same logic. However, after the publication of January 2015’s Avengers #40, it has become abundantly clear that Marvel cares, and is willing to do just about anything to prove it.

Please note, from this point on, SPOILERS may be present if you aren’t up to speed on current Avengers story arcs. So if you wish to remain in the dark, this is your one and only warning.

Plain and simple, character rights are a fickle bitch. It’s extremely unlikely that any one studio “owns” the rights to something. For example, Sony only holds cinematic power over Spider-Man, where Marvel has full control over the character in print and television mediums. Unfortunately, each character in the Marvel U is bound by it’s own set of rules. Some of which expire, while others remain perpetual.

Before the massive success of Iron Man, Marvel's self produced, high risk Hail Mary to escape bankruptcy back in 2008, superheroes in cinema weren't the box office smash that they are today. A prime example is Director Ang Lee's 2003 take on the Hulk produced by Universal Studios. Although the film grossed $245 million worldwide (surpassing its 137 million budget), the film's reception was less than stellar. The mixed reviews ultimately prompted Universal to allow the cinematic rights for the Hulk to lapse, retreating back to Marvel, which allowed them to reboot the franchise with Edward Norton as The Incredible Hulk and include the character as a key member of the Avengers.

How does this all connect to Namor and Marvel's stance on the a Sub Mariner? Universal Studios still holds a portion of the rights to the Atlantean King, and in this day and age, they aren't so keen to make the same mistake twice. So, in rebuttal, Marvel has opted to play the strongest card they have and completely eliminate all marketing support with the launch of Secret Wars ...

The gloves are off, we're fighting dirty and it's pretty clear Marvel isn't screwing around anymore. Need further proof? With Fox's Fantastic Four reboot set to hit theaters this fall, Marvel has indefinitely canceled the series.

Do you have a comic, graphic novel, comic event or storyline you’re itching to read or learn more about? Sound off in the comments below, find me on Twitter or let us know on the New Geek Protocol Facebook page!

Until next time True Believers,

-ArchangelEZE

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