Secret Wars #1
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Esad Ribic
Hickman's Avengers run has highlighted his penchant for slow-building storylines. Since his firsts issues, Hickman has planted seeds, and worked with character and exposition throughout for the majority of his run. There were certainly some very big events, but generally Hickman’s stories don’t pay off until the final act. Secret Wars is the final act of Hickman's mega-run and just with this debut issue, it feels like the payoff we all deserve. Events tend to be lackluster but Jonathan Hickman breaks that trend with Secret Wars #1, one of my favourite comics of 2015.
Jonathan Hickman is notorious for weaving a myriad of plotlines throughout his stories. Time Runs Out had so many players involved and so many plot-lines that each issue would have an individual focus. The way that Hickman uses his buildup in this issue is simply astounding. All the groundwork he has laid comes to a head in Secret Wars #1 and it all feels so smooth and natural. This all adds to the sense of scope of this series. Hickman does not leave out one character he has worked with, making them all feel completely relevant to his story.
Though, what Secret Wars does best on top of everything is with the characters. This is a chaotic and dreadful sendoff for the Marvel Universe and Hickman conveys that so well in his characters. He writes everyone in the MU perfectly and it’s so great to see him show that talent off here. Rokect Raccoon gets an amazing portrayal, the villains of the MCU get a small moment to shine while the Punisher has the greatest final moment he could possibly ever get.
But at the emotional core of all of this are the Fantastic Four and most importantly Reed Richards. Hickman uses his affinity for these character to give us a fantastic human perspective on the end of the world. The scale of this event is so big that Hickman could have lost an emotional anchor in the mix of the huge battles. With a great focus on characters that he loves so much, Hickman is able to make Secret Wars more than just an epic battle. He also makes it an emotional one.
Esad Ribic reunites with his former collaborator to pen this marvelous script and all he does is bolster it. Ribic draws with the incredible sense of scope needed for drawing a comic like this. His painted style adds a necessary feeling of dread to the comic. Which is also where he shines with the characters. Ribic is extremely talented at portraying the fear of characters through their eyes and their facial expressions. I am beyond thrilled to have Ribic joining Hickman for this epic story. Especially after the artistic inconsistencies of Time Runs Out.
A lot of people were worried that Secret Wars was going to fall under Marvel’s trend of mediocre events. I never doubted it, because I have learned to trust Jonathan Hickman. Secret Wars #1 may be the end of everything but it is also the beginning to what will undoubtedly be a fantastic event. Hickman writes with an impressive sense of scope, while portraying the chaos of the situation so adeptly by constantly moving from character to character. And with all of that, Hickman still manages to bring us small moments that give this book a lot of personality. As of right now, Secret Wars truly is the payoff Avengers fans have been waiting for.
Artist: Esad Ribic
Hickman's Avengers run has highlighted his penchant for slow-building storylines. Since his firsts issues, Hickman has planted seeds, and worked with character and exposition throughout for the majority of his run. There were certainly some very big events, but generally Hickman’s stories don’t pay off until the final act. Secret Wars is the final act of Hickman's mega-run and just with this debut issue, it feels like the payoff we all deserve. Events tend to be lackluster but Jonathan Hickman breaks that trend with Secret Wars #1, one of my favourite comics of 2015.
Jonathan Hickman is notorious for weaving a myriad of plotlines throughout his stories. Time Runs Out had so many players involved and so many plot-lines that each issue would have an individual focus. The way that Hickman uses his buildup in this issue is simply astounding. All the groundwork he has laid comes to a head in Secret Wars #1 and it all feels so smooth and natural. This all adds to the sense of scope of this series. Hickman does not leave out one character he has worked with, making them all feel completely relevant to his story.
Though, what Secret Wars does best on top of everything is with the characters. This is a chaotic and dreadful sendoff for the Marvel Universe and Hickman conveys that so well in his characters. He writes everyone in the MU perfectly and it’s so great to see him show that talent off here. Rokect Raccoon gets an amazing portrayal, the villains of the MCU get a small moment to shine while the Punisher has the greatest final moment he could possibly ever get.
But at the emotional core of all of this are the Fantastic Four and most importantly Reed Richards. Hickman uses his affinity for these character to give us a fantastic human perspective on the end of the world. The scale of this event is so big that Hickman could have lost an emotional anchor in the mix of the huge battles. With a great focus on characters that he loves so much, Hickman is able to make Secret Wars more than just an epic battle. He also makes it an emotional one.
Esad Ribic reunites with his former collaborator to pen this marvelous script and all he does is bolster it. Ribic draws with the incredible sense of scope needed for drawing a comic like this. His painted style adds a necessary feeling of dread to the comic. Which is also where he shines with the characters. Ribic is extremely talented at portraying the fear of characters through their eyes and their facial expressions. I am beyond thrilled to have Ribic joining Hickman for this epic story. Especially after the artistic inconsistencies of Time Runs Out.
A lot of people were worried that Secret Wars was going to fall under Marvel’s trend of mediocre events. I never doubted it, because I have learned to trust Jonathan Hickman. Secret Wars #1 may be the end of everything but it is also the beginning to what will undoubtedly be a fantastic event. Hickman writes with an impressive sense of scope, while portraying the chaos of the situation so adeptly by constantly moving from character to character. And with all of that, Hickman still manages to bring us small moments that give this book a lot of personality. As of right now, Secret Wars truly is the payoff Avengers fans have been waiting for.
A Look Inside
