It’s been the super secret plan of the Marvel staff for more than five years. It’s been a glimmer in Jonathan Hickman’s eye for even longer. But now, Marvel is joining the “big battle changes fictional universe forever*” trend with Secret Wars, which launches in May leaving carnage in its wake.
As announced at a press conference with Executive Editor Tom Brevoort and E-i-C Axel Alonso at Midtown Comics downtown location, as part of the eight issue Secret Wars event Secret Wars #1 and Secret Wars #2 by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic, the Ultimate universe is folding into the 616 Marvel universe and “There will be only Battleworld,” promised Tom Brevoort. Issue #2 will be a huge extra sized reference staking out the new world, which ties in to the teasers marvel released last fall. Various universes form popular mini series of the past from Civil War to Marvel Zombies will return.
“We’ve never done anything like this ever, said Brevoort during the presser, which was live streamed until it crashed in the second half. What we will do to top it I don’t know. Hopefully that will be someone’ else problem. But I’ll still be employed and working.”
According to Alonso, it’s the most coordinated event they’ve ever done, with all Marvel comics division on board as well as partners Hasbro, Diamond Select, Mighty Fine, Mad Engine, Funko and Hot Wheels with Marvel Interactive working on all kinds of new elements. Secret elements.
The story kicks off in Secret Wars #0, a FCBD offering that kicks off the end of everything we know, or at least everything we suspect, as two world go in and one or no worlds come out of the “Incursion” event.
During the event the Marvel U. will be turned into the Battleworld which will also be turned into an interactive map where you can purchase products based on the worlds, which go back to the teasers released prior to NY Comic-Con back in the fall. The first to go will bt eh Ultimate Universe, which is being blended with the 616 universe. “It’s like two pizzas being stacked on top of one another,” said Alonso, showing a keen ear for phrases which bloggers will quote.
As the event unfolds, Marvel’s regular line will launch several new books and new mini series that tie in with this new combo world. “All the bits and pieces all the little sections of earths within incursions zones, all pieces that have remained, will be fused into a gigantic organism which will be Battleworld,” said Brevoort. “And this will set up all the building blocks of the New Marvel Universe. Every world we’re going to introduce you to, every piece is a building block for the MU moving forward. None of these are elseworlds or what ifs, they are not set in the past or future, and not in alternate reality. This is the reality of the Marvel Universe.”
“If we resurrect Gwen Stacy this would be the place to do it,” Brevoort went on to tease, also showing a keen ear for pull quotes. “Or it could be four Gwen Stacys!”
“This puts an endcap to decades of stories and starts a new era. When you see the scope of the event and what we’re willing to do [you’ll be amazed][.
According to Alonso this isn’t necessarily part of anything to do with the MCU, which is developing its own continuity. “It all starts on the page. We tell our own stories, this is exactly what we’re doing here. You’ll be shocked for this.”
In questioning after the live stream ended, the two explained that creative teams had known for a while that they needed to wrap things up. “Get your business done because we’re going into Secret Wars,” said Brevoort. “Everything is going to change and shift as we go.”
The size of the Marvel line will remain stable with perhaps a slight contraction, said Alonso. “You’ll see new books coming out, but we expect a lot of them to do well.”
Asked directly is this was a straight ahead reboot, Alonso was cagey. “Read and find out. Our history isn’t broken and it isn’t something we need to fix. If anything it’s something we’re building on and seeing how it comes together.”
Or as Marvel’s PR man Chris D’Lando put it, “The Marvel Universe and the ultimate Universe may be ending, but we are just getting started.”
So whew! Is it a full on reboot or not? We don’t know, but perhaps Beat ex-pat Steve Morris had the clearest take:
Basically they're moving Miles Morales into the Marvel Universe after eight issues of alt-reality filler
— Steve Morris (@stevewmorris) January 20, 2015
Another instance of long-term fans’ loyalty being seen as a marketing problem to solve?
I had a different take on the news, maybe one that’s more positive than Steve. Alas, his tweet cannot be disputed. *sigh*
Wow. Worlds lives, worlds die, nothing will ever be the same, etc.
I’ll stick with Image.
I’ve been reading Marvel comics since the mid sixties and although I only buy a handful now I welcome anything that shakes things up. As long as it’s a well told story it’s worth doing. Whatever happens isn’t going to physically phase out my back issues. Bring it on. (I’ll probably only buy the core Secret Wars comic though, not all the companion titles.)
Just please be better than the Nu52. I came to Marvel fleeing the DC reboot. I have found that I love the titles I’m currently reading from Marvel. I care about these characters more than I’ve cared about DC’s in maybe 5 years. There are few truly bad ideas, but there are many that suffer from bad execution. Please don’t let this be one of them.
Says to me “Wait for the Amazon glitch and order the Omnibus(es)”. Cause I defintely want to read and own this but I’m gonna want the whole enchilada and getting it all in one tome seems the best way to go.
Yes, this sounds similar in some ways to the original CoIE.
It also sounds like the end of the original Age of Apocalypse event where some of the characters from that timeline/reality ended up in the 616 when the event concluded. This could be much like that only on a line-wide scale as opposed to just the X-Men books.
I’m down to just a couple of Marvel books each month, so no big loss to me if this turns out to be a jumping-off point. And maybe I’ll see a few characters I liked once upon a time when the dust settles. Not spending any money on the event itself, though.
Please don’t pull a total reboot, with things like the Ultimate Captain America now being the main Cap. I quite buying DC when they pulled the New 52 stunt, I don’t want to quit buying the Marvel titles that I enjoy. It would put me down to only buying one title a month (Godzilla Rulers of Earth). After reading comics steadily for 27 years, that would be a major downer.
Wow, I also quit buying DC after the New 52 started. I wonder whether it was considered a success? I’m sure it did well at first, but has it held on? I really hope Marvel isn’t so stupid to throw out their continuity. I have always loved that there’s a real history to many of its characters that I don’t know. I don’t want to know the whole story all at once.
I bailed on Marvel years ago so I can’t comment on the quality of the storytelling there or what this might mean for it. It says an awful lot about Marvel and the business in general, though, that this isn’t a bigger story.
Mike
Here’s what I don’t understand. This is supposed to be a battleworld consisting of different Marvel “universes”, right? I saw this list of places on their battleworld map:
Planet Hulk: 1. Greenland
X-Men ’92: 33. Westchester
Age of Apocalypse: 3. Domain of Apocalypse
Armor Wars: 5. Technopolis
Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows: 8. The Regency
Years of Future Past: 30. Sentinel Territories
Attilan Rising and Ultimate Universe: The End: 20. Manhattan (a, c)
Future Imperfect: 2. Dystopia
House of M: 29. The Monarchy of M
A vs X: 17. Marville
Old Man Logan: 31. The Wastelands
Civil War: 22. The Warzone
The Infinity Gauntlet: 40. New Xandar
Age of Ultron vs Marvel Zombies: 39. Perfection & 38. The Deadlands
My problem is, most of these things happened in the SAME universe! So it makes absolutely no sense. That said, I’ll be glad that Hickman is finally wrapping up that storyline he’s been working on for what seems like a decade.
I really hoped this would never happen. I hate the Ultimate Universe, from the name to all of its flesh-eating, incestous characters. Like the New 52, this is an excellent jumping off point, and ends my lifelong love of superhero comics. Maybe it’s time anyway. I’ll always have Image and good independent books. I never outgrew superheroes, but they sure outgrew me.
This is interesting:
According to Alonso, it’s the most coordinated event they’ve ever done, with all Marvel comics division on board as well as partners Hasbro, Diamond Select, Mighty Fine, Mad Engine, Funko and Hot Wheels with Marvel Interactive working on all kinds of new elements. Secret elements.
How did they keep all of those images/stuff (sorry) secret? That’s cool. Plus a huge map at the center of the narrative?? That is NERD 101. Hickman’s New Avengers is my favorite comic since forever so really looking forward to it.
I think we have reached the crescendo of event fatigue across the big two. Between Convergence and this I am thinking it is a perfect dropping off point. I will be curious to see if Image/IDW and Darkhorse show upticks in readers after these two mega events begin.