Do People Still Like Secret Wars?

[Yodaman]

After hearing about this series for years, I finally spent the last few days reading the whole 12 issue Secret Wars miniseries. I mean, I wouldn't say it was explicitly bad or anything, but I was thoroughly unimpressed. The whole thing, from the basic premise, to the cherry picking of the most marketable heroes and villains, to the dialogue and the unfolding of the story came off as very "Saturday morning cartoon" to me, and not in an entertaining way. Even when stacked next to the comparable Crisis on Infinite Earths, I found it to be plodding and juvenile. Apart from some badass moments from Doom, nothing really struck me as memorable.

I'm not posting to tell anyone that they shouldn't like this series or anything, but my reaction to the series further sparked my curiosity. Is Secret Wars still considered to be one of the landmark Marvel storylines? Do most people here see it as a cheese-soaked but nostalgic classic, or do people put this on the same level as Marvels, the Dark Pheonix Saga, or other lauded Marvel stories? I honestly want to know if my opinion is unique or if many share my sentiments.

 

[Iron_Stark]

Yes, its still my favorite crossover.


Even though Tony Stark wasn't in it, thanks to that f***stick Denny O'Neil.

 

[runawayboulder]

Secret Wars was not the best crossover, it was groundbreaking because it was the first event.

For me the best ever event was Inferno. While it was technically an X-Men story, with the main plot running through Uncanny X-Men and X-Factor, it did go line-wide and produced some of the best stories to date in ASM, Avengers, DD, ect. Acts of Vengeance is a very close second.....

 

[SuperFerret]

It's still a favorite of mine.

 

[runawayboulder]

Me too, it's just since then Marvel had nailed down the concept of big events, only to go back to failure within the past decade.

 

[Themanofbat]

Also, we have to remember that it came out 27 years ago, when comics were still somewhat "light"...

 

[THANOSRULES]

Secret Wars was not the best crossover, it was groundbreaking because it was the first event.

For me the best ever event was Inferno. While it was technically an X-Men story, with the main plot running through Uncanny X-Men and X-Factor, it did go line-wide and produced some of the best stories to date in ASM, Avengers, DD, ect. Acts of Vengeance is a very close second.....

I agree Inferno was underrated. I liked alot of the SPidey Stories back then. The Hobgoblin Stuff was cool.

I kinda agree with the original poster, Secret Wars was kinda a Marvel Adventures tale.

 

[Yodaman]

Also, we have to remember that it came out 27 years ago, when comics were still somewhat "light"...

I know, but like I said earlier, this felt a bit childish to me when compared to Crisis on Infinite Earths, which came out a year after Secret Wars. And, IMO, a lot of the silliness in Secret Wars didn't have the same charm that made the 60s Marvel stuff so great.

 

[Vartha]

Yeah I think I only picked up Secret Wars because at the time I was picking up EVERYTHING.

 

[Phatman]

In the context of the 80's Secret Wars was great. It was a jumping on comic to introduce new readers interested in Marvel heroes, so that's why it featured the most popular heroes and villians. As those stories crossed over, it got new readers to pick up other marvel titles and start collecting.

At the time Marvel was selling to younger readers around 8-14 so that's why it seems simple.

Now for a great event, Acts Of Vengeance was the best cross-over Marvel ever produced.

 

[bored]

Also keep in mind that "Secret Wars" was created as an excuse to start a new toy line.

 

[moraldeficiency]

I loved secret wars, right behind acts of vengence and right above inferno in my favorite marvel events of all time.

They've played it out though sadly. Now I'd love to see a new acts of vengence or inferno again. That I would dig the hell out of.

 

[roach]

Also keep in mind that "Secret Wars" was created as an excuse to start a new toy line.

exactly

 

[JewishHobbit]

You know, to this day I've never read Secret Wars or Secret Wars II. I don't know why I've just never gotten around to it. I own a couple of the issues but I won't bother until I get them all and who knows when that'll be.

 

[bored]

"Secret Wars 2" was kind dull. A lot of potential, but it kind of reads like they had no idea what they actually wanted to do with the Beyonder.

 

[THANOSRULES]

In the context of the 80's Secret Wars was great. It was a jumping on comic to introduce new readers interested in Marvel heroes, so that's why it featured the most popular heroes and villians. As those stories crossed over, it got new readers to pick up other marvel titles and start collecting.

At the time Marvel was selling to younger readers around 8-14 so that's why it seems simple.

Now for a great event, Acts Of Vengeance was the best cross-over Marvel ever produced.

Agreed. Let's not forget the cool secret wars toy line.

I like Secret Wars II better, Beyonder looked dumb..but it was a pretty cool concept at the time for a villian.

I look at IG as my favorite event ever. Loved how that book was set up in SS at the time, loved the format of the main book.

Crossover's were somewhat interesting as the book began.

 

[MucasMan]

The Beyonder was a great villian. kind of like Q from Star Trek, who was so powerful, he didn't know what it was like not to be omnipotent, so he walk around the different worlds of these comic book heroes, to get a taste. I would love to see him on the big screen as a villian for either the X-men or the Avengers, and a reluctant Molocule Man.

 

[Themanofbat]

There's a great moment in ASM #274 where Peter Parker has to teach the Beyonder how to pee...

 

[runawayboulder]

There's a great moment in ASM #274 where Peter Parker has to teach the Beyonder how to pee...

Then Pete lost track of him and the Beyonder ended up becoming a pimp!

I loved the tie-in when he turned the skyscraper into solid-gold.

 

[Mee]

I've never read the original


But the Bendis/Del Otto one was pretty good, mostly just cause I'm a sucker for Del Otto's art.

 

[MucasMan]

Just going off memory, I think that Molocue Man was the only one that could come close to defeating the Beyonder, but MM gave up the whole superhero/villan lifestyle (afread of his own power), and married another retired supervillian and settled down. That's when the superhero alliance recruted him.
I also remember Dr. Doom tricking the Beyonder into obtaining his powers.
This kind of stuff would be good for an Avengers, X-men, and/or FF team-up on screen.

 

[UltimateJustin]

Secret Wars is a good display of the main characters.True the storyline is Saturday morning-ish and it was made to hype a toyline that failed to reach the popularity of the DC Superpowers line, but the clashing of all the greatest heroes is still fun. And you get a good sense of their personalities in the way they react to the ridiculous situation their in, with good moments like Spider-Man battling the X-Men, seeing other heroes fall under Cap's natural leadership abilities, and allegiances questioned.

I liked it and Crisis on Infinite Earths equally, though one is light-hearted and fun and the other is a little too ponderous.

 

[moraldeficiency]

Just going off memory, I think that Molocue Man was the only one that could come close to defeating the Beyonder, but MM gave up the whole superhero/villan lifestyle (afread of his own power), and married another retired supervillian and settled down. That's when the superhero alliance recruted him.
I also remember Dr. Doom tricking the Beyonder into obtaining his powers.
This kind of stuff would be good for an Avengers, X-men, and/or FF team-up on screen.

Nope, Puma actually is mystically tied to being able to kick the beyonder's ass with relative ease. As the mystical protector of earth he can reach a state that allows him to take down incredibly powerful beings, but this only applies when they directly endanger the earth. He almost killed him until Spider-Man stopped him.

 

[Justkidding]

I found it to be a fun read when I discovered it all in a 25 cent bin when I started out. It and WWH are the only events books from Marvel I find enjoyable.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Still love it!