By Nick Spencer, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan, Rod Reis, Joshua Cassara, Rachelle Rosenberg and Sunny Gho
What do I want out of a comic book event? If it’s a crossover event then those issues need to be solid; they need to serve the event but also stay true to the original title. I want to care about the characters; I don’t need to know who the characters are but there are obviously going to be some major stakes involved and I want to care what happens to these people. I want there to be a clear goal in mind; why is the event happening and how do we get through it? I was a big fan of Secret Wars, the tie-ins were tight and the main title was brilliant. I skipped Civil War II because it felt like been there done that. This year’s Marvel summer event is Secret Empire. Although we have a Cap vs Iron Man plot which, believe me, should definitely feel like been there done that, shows why this event is so much more. Cap is bad. He has the likes of a possessed Scarlet Witch, a Mjonirless Thor and a compliant Punisher fighting alongside him. Honestly, it’s a little confusing. In a time when there are so many amazing comics, reading them can become somewhat reflexive. I know when I pick up a Marvel book that Cap is good and Ultron is bad. But, Secret Empire takes advantage of that reflexive reading and turns it on you; it makes you think. Secret Empire is out to tell a story that on the surface looks familiar but in the pages is nothing you have ever seen.
