Axel-In-Charge: Navigating the "Secret Wars" Landscape, Responding to a Challenging Week

[ViewtifulJC]

There is literally a gadzillion X-Men books during Secret Wars, what more do you want?

Some x-fans see conspiracies in everything now. They literally said "we got big plans for the X-Men!" and it reversed into "YOU SEE! THEY'RE DESTROYING THEM BECAUSE SOMETHING SOMETHING FOX! YOU SEE!"

[Derek Metaltron]

What do you think Alonso meant by his pizza analogy? I personally interpreted it as a soft reboot...

Yes but that doesn't mean they would do the thing no one wants which is erase the characters memories and default everything as a result. It could be a soft reboot in the sense that the location changes, but if the characters from 616 and Ultimate remain the same that is nothing as generally hated or drastic as the New 52 did.

[solletaire]

but how do we know that???

haha... well we can't know that for sure yet, but haven't you noticed that most domains on Battleworld prominently feature X-Men characters. That's a pretty good indication that the X-Men will be an integral part of Marvel in what's to come.

[krisis]

I'm happy Alonso thinks this is all very straightforward and enticing, but to a person who has managed to map out collecting the entirety of X-Men, ever, it seems like a complete mess. Plus, the words "616 Finale" to me are the equivalent to "stop buying our comics here."

[Derek Metaltron]

Some x-fans see conspiracies in everything now. They literally said "we got big plans for the X-Men!" and it reversed into "YOU SEE! THEY'RE DESTROYING THEM BECAUSE SOMETHING SOMETHING FOX! YOU SEE!"

And with Secret Wars highlighting the Fantastic Four characters as some of the central focus, in the sense we have both 616 and Ultimate Reed and Doctor Doom as major players, likely seems to some that it automatically means they're getting disposed of. I guess ultimately we need some level of faith and trust that Marvel knows how to approach things.

[Bluebolt1967]

Sure, but how many of them continue after this stupid event? I really hate trying to figure out what to put on my pull list when I have no idea what the Marvel universe will look like after Secret Wars.

Personally, I did decide to buy the Secret Wars mini but I'm skipping all of the other tie-ins. I've read many of these original stories when they first came out and am not going to be giving Marvel any additional money to see them re-hashed. I'll see where the Marvel Universe is after this event and decide what comics if any that I'll buy at that time. Can't believe Marvel is soliciting so many different mini-series. Are there actual fans out there that want to read a lot of "What If?"-type stories and can actually afford a bunch of re-treads? I still don't understand this.

Convergence and Secret Wars are two of the oddest, most insular events that I think I've ever heard of. Not a good way to expand the audience.

[solletaire]

Yes but that doesn't mean they would do the thing no one wants which is erase the characters memories and default everything as a result. It could be a soft reboot in the sense that the location changes, but if the characters from 616 and Ultimate remain the same that is nothing as generally hated or drastic as the New 52 did.

This is the way I think it will work.

Nobody will lose their memories. But certain things will not have happened: Aunt May dying twice, Pepper Potts having adopted children, Jane Foster having a son, Professor X being a manipulative bastard. Cloak and Dagger might resemble their Ultimate counterparts more e.g., they are younger and Dagger was never blind, etc.

[Derek Metaltron]

Convergence and Secret Wars are two very different things, the former much more of a nostalgia trip (though the series might well be great) but ultimately it means nothing to the titles commencing in June aside from Earth 2. Secret Wars however has been confirmed that the numerous tie-ins would have at least some impact of what will transpire from Sept.

And I definitely want to read a lot of these.

[solletaire]

Personally, I did decide to buy the Secret Wars mini but I'm skipping all of the other tie-ins. I've read many of these original stories when they first came out and am not going to be giving Marvel any additional money to see them re-hashed. I'll see where the Marvel Universe is after this event and decide what comics if any that I'll buy at that time. Can't believe Marvel is soliciting so many different mini-series. Are there actual fans out there that want to read a lot of "What If?"-type stories and can actually afford a bunch of re-treads? I still don't understand this.

Convergence and Secret Wars are two of the oddest, most insular events that I think I've ever heard of. Not a good way to expand the audience.

I don't think Secret Wars is insular. Quite the opposite. It takes familiar characters and does completely unexpected and new things, things that are not related to a single scrap of continuity. You have to have 0 knowledge of who Devil Dinosaur or what his history in comics is to understand Planet Hulk.

Convergence is 100% insular, but that is it's sole purpose for existing. Not to attract new fans, but as a love letters to older fans who read DC before the New 52.

Plus, if a "What IF" story is amazing why would I not want to read?

[CZor]

Personally, I did decide to buy the Secret Wars mini but I'm skipping all of the other tie-ins. I've read many of these original stories when they first came out and am not going to be giving Marvel any additional money to see them re-hashed. I'll see where the Marvel Universe is after this event and decide what comics if any that I'll buy at that time. Can't believe Marvel is soliciting so many different mini-series. Are there actual fans out there that want to read a lot of "What If?"-type stories and can actually afford a bunch of re-treads? I still don't understand this.

Convergence and Secret Wars are two of the oddest, most insular events that I think I've ever heard of. Not a good way to expand the audience.

Because as explained before in many places, they aren't "What-If?" stories....Secret Wars IS the Marvel Universe during that period of time and what comes next will be build FROM all of that....of course we have no idea (as expected as the solicitations have reached half way the story) if is a new Earth with stuff from this books, a new Multiverse that will have some of the series continuing there OR Battleworld will remain for a longer while making those series canon and the MU.

And I want to read some of these because they sound interesting and they aren't telling the same story, some are borrowing just the name (like Planet Hulk), some are continuing or expanding the original event (like Old Man Logan) or some are making a mix of both the first ones (like Age of Ultron vs Marvel Zombies)....others are just original stuff we haven't seen before (like 1872). So yeah, there is an explanation why some of us would be excited about this....I buy the codes for most of my books so I can afford more books than normal, if I didn't had that option I would pick and choose what I want to read more and is part of a set budget rather than waste money OR wait until the first issue hits and heard how good it was to decide whether or not I pick it up.

[berserkerclaw]

I knew they would dance around answers and yet I still read these things lol.

I really do believe that battle world in some form sticks around. Every series is important and the one getting a last days probably aren't cancelled and, will just continue. Same with Spider-Gwen and howard. Unless kinda like his hint on ant man sounds like a late SW series or something.

It does make me wonder how long series starting in July will be and if hydra is actually coming. Or what books will continue. I have, a felling some just might.
old man logan being one, possibly thors I'm not sure lol

[Vic Vega]

I don't think Secret Wars is insular. Quite the opposite. It takes familiar characters and does completely unexpected and new things, things that are not related to a single scrap of continuity. You have to have 0 knowledge of who Devil Dinosaur or what his history in comics is to understand Planet Hulk.

Convergence is 100% insular, but that is it's sole purpose for existing. Not to attract new fans, but as a love letters to older fans who read DC before the New 52.

Plus, if a "What IF" story is amazing why would I not want to read?

That's about the best explaination for the difference between these two series that I've seen. Kudos.

[caiomadsantos]

Personally, I did decide to buy the Secret Wars mini but I'm skipping all of the other tie-ins. I've read many of these original stories when they first came out and am not going to be giving Marvel any additional money to see them re-hashed. I'll see where the Marvel Universe is after this event and decide what comics if any that I'll buy at that time. Can't believe Marvel is soliciting so many different mini-series. Are there actual fans out there that want to read a lot of "What If?"-type stories and can actually afford a bunch of re-treads? I still don't understand this.

Convergence and Secret Wars are two of the oddest, most insular events that I think I've ever heard of. Not a good way to expand the audience.

The idea of the writers and artists can go crazy and have more creative freedom, for me is the best thing that could happen. Do you see how much work they're putting in the 10 page stories Secret Wars: Battleworld and Journal anthologies? I think in the future even these one-shots deserve minis too for how great they look like.

[Bluebolt1967]

Convergence and Secret Wars are two very different things, the former much more of a nostalgia trip (though the series might well be great) but ultimately it means nothing to the titles commencing in June aside from Earth 2. Secret Wars however has been confirmed that the numerous tie-ins would have at least some impact of what will transpire from Sept.

And I definitely want to read a lot of these.

I think you're generally right about Convergence vs. Secret Wars. Sounds like DCU will go back to the same old, same old after Convergence and that, if the Marvel folk are to be believed, Secret Wars will have lasting implications on the Marvel Universe. But my point is that both rely on past events that a general audience or a new audience have no real attachment to and I don't see the attraction even for a more well-versed audience. How is a new version of the Old Man Logan story going to rock my world? Why should I presume that a new Infinity Guantlet story, without Starlin, would be more interesting to read as opposed to just re-reading the original?

Seems like both events are ways to get various interpretations of the characters to interact with each other but it all just seems like 1) a big money grab and 2) a misguided money grab because both events seem targeted towards a very select group of potential comic buyers. I hope both events succeed, and I am interested in where the Marvel Universe goes after the event, but I don't understand how these actual events are interesting. DC using characters that they turned their backs on and Marvel soliciting tons of mini-series based on tales that have already been told and that were probably better told in their original incarnations.

[Spidey616]

Guessing Remender's Secret Wars related book he mentioned before will soon be announced.

Hope Secret Wars doesn't cut short or interfere with the current Hydra plot he's building within Cap.