I had a glimpse of this world when I'd read Old Man Logan last year. It felt like a strange world, with the series diving deep within and showing Wolverine's struggle to fit in. I was awed by the different barons, especially the Hulk dominion.

Having read Secret Wars, I must say this was a great idea executed quite well. Although Doom is the antagonist in the story, he doesn't really feel like one. He did what he thought was best, though his being Doom is his ultimate downfall. This was very much a Mr. Fantastic vs. Doom storyline, but it never felt overbearing at any point.

I loved how they made use of the characters, especially Thanos, Spider-Men, and Dr. Strange. They work really well, pinging off each other with grace. I loved the cameos by certain characters ("I am Groot!") and how they fit into the story.

It was, overall, a great read with an interesting ending. I can't wait to see where they take it in the future. ( )

Maybe because I'm a few years late in reading this Graphic Novel, then when it first came out, but I enjoyed Secret Wars. It was way better than Time Runs Out and some stuff leading up to this event.

There were many Secret Wars tie-ins and I have about 10 of them and some were just okay. I got/read some of them because I thought they would have some significance on what was going on in Secret Wars, but they don't. They are just mostly what if story's or show what's going on in this new world that Doom created.

Some were great and others were bad. You don't need to read them at all, just this book. The tie-in books that I liked, and I didn't read a lot of them, were "Amazing Spider-man: Renew your Vows," "A-Force," and "Old Man Logan." I read some of the other X-men tie-ins but they were just okay.

I am pleased with the outcome of this run. Not all events end with a way I like. ( )

Hickman gets epic, cosmic, universe altering storylines in a way that just stuns me. He has been building this storyline since his run on Fantastic Four, slowing shaping the events that brought us to the most epic mash-up / crossover event in the Marvel Universe; one that brings every multiverse into play in one massive 'Battleworld' setting. All hail Hickman and God King Doom. ( )

Pretty pictures can't make up for the fact that this is a fractured story impossible to understand unless you've been following Hickman's long-gestating epic through Fantastic Four and Avengers for the last several years and are willing to read dozens of crossover and tie-in titles released in conjunction with this series. It's everything that was wrong and wonderful about Crisis on Infinite Earths thirty years ago. But in the '80s I was a teenage DC fanboy who bought everything and relished all the obscure references. Today I'm a Marvel dabbler who wonders why the hell I should care about any of these characters, especially when so many major developments happen off-screen in comics I haven't and will not read. I'm just left on the outside looking in and the best thing I can think about this work is that I hope the Marvel fanboys of today are at least getting a little of the payoff I enjoyed thirty years ago. ( )

While reading Jason Aaron’s new Avengers series, I saw references to “Legacy” and decided to go back and catch up on events that have happened since Axis (the last Marvel event I read). I stopped reading Hickman’s Avengers run, where the Incursion storyline originated, about halfway through because it was AWFUL. Secret Wars is the aftermath of the final two Earths colliding (616/Prime and 1610/Ultimates), but the title is misleading. This is nothing like the first Secret Wars event. This should have been called God Doom, or something.

Doctor Doom is God on an unrecognizable, patchwork planet he “somehow” created in the aftermath of the multiverse’s destruction. The planet is divided into fiefdoms controlled by formerly powerful villains like Sinister and Apocalypse. Doctor Strange is Doom’s sheriff, leading a police force composed of Thors. No one seems to remember that Doom wasn’t always God, and Reed Richard’s family is now Doom’s family. When two life rafts are discovered with characters who know what existed before Battleworld, Doom’s reign is threatened.

If this sounds like one of Marvel’s “What If?” stories, that’s because it is, for all intents and purposes. I think the main reason for this event was justification for bringing super popular Miles Morales into the main continuity (there had to be a less tedious way, right?!). Because other than him, this “event” has no consequences, and the plot is nonexistent.

*slight spoilers*The new characters lead a revolt against Doom, they discover the source of Doom’s “power” and then Reed Richards rebuilds the multiverse after winning a fist fight with Doom. Seriously. The most brilliant characters in the Marvel Universe resolve this with a physical fight. And, it literally wraps up that quickly.**

Not every event has to have far-reaching consequences. Infinity and Age of Ultron were standalone events that were very good, with solid stories, lots of action, and character exploration. Secret Wars is nothing more than a missed opportunity of exploring Doom’s motivations and the nature of his rule: the very reality of Battleworld is dependent upon him, how would that affect him? he saved millions of lives with its creation, but had to choose who lives and who dies, how did that impact his rule? Overall, this was a big disappointment. ( )