Secret Wars (2015) reading priority

[CentralPower]

I recently decided to make the 2015 "Secret Wars" event a completist project. I have read about half of the tie-ins (either when they first came out, or since the event ended). But, that still leaves a large number of unread comics.

Does anybody have any suggestions for which series I should make a point of finding and reading? (For example, if I have to make a choice at a remote comic shop, which series should I make sure that I walk out of their with?)


Thanks in advance,
Central Power

[Vault]

Hope this list helps!

https://www.comicbookherald.com/the-...ys-checklists/

[iPodwithnomusic]

I haven't read many, but I really liked Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, and I think many people share that opinion. I thought A-Force was decent, and if you've kept up with Bendis' Guardians of the Galaxy then Guardians of Knowhere is good too.

[CentralPower]

Thanks. I am less worried about reading order than recommendations for priority. (Are there any "must-read" offerings that I may have missed?) At this point, 2+ years out, I am not reading anything in order.

[jackolover]

The “must reads” list

Infinity Gauntlet
Renew Your Vows
Civil War
1872
Ultimate End
Planet Hulk
A-Force
Where Monsters Dwell
Inhumans Attilan Rising
Old Man Logan
Armour Wars
Thor’s
Captain Marvel Corps
Marvel Zombies
Runaways
Siege

These are just my favourites because I’m not sure what your ctiterian is. All of these series above could have a series right now. The writers really created worlds and angst that are stunning. If Marvel wanted to, they could start each series 3 years before Secret Wars, and show how it got to Dooms “adjustments”.

What these series above bring to mind is an appreciation of the Prime Earth reality when you juxtapose the Secret Wars Domains against what Prime is. You notice the extraordinary vulnerability of the domain worlds, which have lost control in one aspect or another, so you realise why Prime Earth holds the whole Multiverse together - if not for Prime, the other versions would have no anchor. Prime is the best, and there are all these arguments as to why in these series’.

[JKtheMac]

The quality was pretty high across the board, the writers were generally liberated to just play with the history of Marvel. You cant really go wrong with just selecting the titles that appeal to you. Perhaps the less important would be the various 'Last Days' books because they were more about the books that were not part of the event. If you were following the titles you will already have read the ones you were invested in.

For me I would skew heavily towards the more weird and wonderful books and characters I already liked:

Thors
Silver Surfer
Planet Hulk
A-Force
Ghost Racers
Inferno
M.O.D.O.K. Assassin
Master of Kung Fu
Secret Wars: Secret Love
Weirdworld
Where Monsters Dwell

[WebLurker]

I didn't read much of the Secret Wars tie-ins, but my understanding is that they ranged from extremely relevant to the core story to just a story doing it's own thing on Battleworld (for example, Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars is fun if you liked the original '80s Secret Wars series, but it's literally got nothing to do with the 2015 event.)

I've heard that Thors, Old Man Logan, and Ultimate End are really relevant to the core story.

The only tie-in outside of the Deadpool one I read was Renew Your Vows and I loved it (I am one of those anti-OMD Spidey fans, so I was squarely in the target audience). It's not very connected to Secret Wars at all (there's some token throwaway lines that connect the villain's plot to the event, but not much else), but if you like Spidey, I'd say it's worth the read.

One trick I've heard that may help is to check the covers of the trade paperbacks of the tie-ins. One's labeled "Battleworld" tend to be more closely concerned with the main story and/or the nature of the world (so, Doctor Doom's plots and court, characters crossing over from regions, etc.). "Warzone" books tend to be more self-contained and don't deal much with the larger picture (like how RYV can be read like it's not part of the Secret Wars event entirely).

[Abe]

Siege also is quite relevant to the main series. Interesting art too.

[CentralPower]

The “must reads” list...

Thanks. This is basically what I was looking for. (If I have to make a choice while picking stuff up, I want to get the better thing.) The downside is that I have already read much of your list. The only item I am skeptical of is the Ennis-written Phantom Eagle series. But, "Planet Hulk" was much better than I expected it to be, so there is that.

Prime is the best, and there are all these arguments as to why in these series’.

I am not sure how "Civil War", "Renew Your Vows" and "1872" affirm the inherent value of the core 616 or Prime world though. ("Civl War" was a riff on, apology for, a controversial event arc. "Renew Your Vows" was a cutesy idea that ended up getting a series. And, "1872" was just amazing, Battleworld be damned.

Perhaps the less important would be the various 'Last Days' books because they were more about the books that were not part of the event.

I agree that the over-all quality was good, likely because the event was so decentralized. Even closely tied series (such as "the Siege") were not essential to the main event, or vice versa.

But, Ewing's "Last Days" story for "Mighty Avengers" was one of the better tie-ins. And, while Edmunson's "Punisher" arc actually contradicted "Secret Wars" #1, it was still a damned good read.


I am more concerned with how well something reads than how closely it relates to the main event.

Siege also is quite relevant to the main series. Interesting art too.

"the Seige" is one of the prettiest things I have read in years.

[JKtheMac]

But, Ewing's "Last Days" story for "Mighty Avengers" was one of the better tie-ins. And, while Edmunson's "Punisher" arc actually contradicted "Secret Wars" #1, it was still a damned good read.

I thought the Punisher story was the absolute worst SW tie-in, so our tastes may not align. Not because it contradicted anything, just because it was a terrible premise for a comic. The next worst was the messy and contradictory Ultimate End, which paid no real attention to which characters should or shouldn't be around and effectively had to be handwaved by editorial as something other than Bendis was claiming it was.

[CentralPower]

Edmunson's run on "the Punisher" was a weak cross-over. But, mortality and vigilantism are about as close to perfect as a premise for a comic can get.


I do no recall anything in "Ultimate End" that was egregiously contrary with "Secret Wars". "Age of Apocalypse" and "Future Imperfect" were more out of step. (Not that it much mattered, as both read well enough on their own.)

[JKtheMac]

Perhaps because I am obsessed with Secret Wars I was only just commenting upon this in another thread. I will adapt my quote:

The idea that Secret Wars was merging the 616 and the 1610 was supposed to have been reflected in Manhattan on Battleworld. BUT Bendis confused continuity in Battleworld Manhattan, having some characters there that couldn't be there because they were on the raft, such that the official line is now that this ream was composed of worlds similar to the 616 and the 1610 and not the realms themselves. Which is frankly a mess. But that story reflected the issues that were supposed to be being explored, that the 616 and the 1610 were competing and ultimately similar worlds that were becoming mixed and confused.

Early readers started to point out the inconsistencies and the problem with the Bendis's assertion that this was a story about the actual Manhattans of 616 and 1610, and the standard answer was "it will become clear as we go on" but it didn't become clear it became even more messy. The official 'similar universes' line can now be found in the ANAD handbook because it is pretty obvious that they cant be the real ones, and that spoils the premise of the story.

[Pav]

You gotta read WEIRDWORLD.

Fun story with amazing art. Like, the best art ever.

-Pav, who treasures the 11 issues we got...

[JKtheMac]

You gotta read WEIRDWORLD.

Fun story with amazing art. Like, the best art ever.

-Pav, who treasures the 11 issues we got...

Yep. It was a phenomenal mini and demanded the short lived follow-on through sheer artistic talent. Mike Del Mundo may not be everyone’s cup off tea but I have made a point of following anything he does ever since. I loved his work on Avengers which seems to have divided the audience.

[Mike_Murdock]

Here was my list. My goal was to find stories related to the main story, stories that explored the dynamics of Battleworld, and stories that embraced the Multiverse aspect of Battleworld (also, stories people liked):

Ultimate End (frankly, not a great story, but I felt I needed to include Earth-1610 in the list)
A-Force
Planet Hulk
Attilan Rising
MODOK Assassin
Old Man Logan
Inferno
Secret Wars Journal
X-Men 92
Years of Future Past
Renew Your Vows
Marvel Zombies
Ghost Racers
Weirdworld
1602 Witch Hunter Angela
Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps
Thors
Runaways
Squadron Sinister
Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies
Korvac Saga
Red Skull
1872
Siege
Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders
Guardians of Knowhere
Hail Hydra
Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde

If you don't have Marvel Unlimited, I would recommend getting that to read these stories.