Secret Wars heralds the end of the Marvel 616 Universe as we know it...

So it may have made more sense to post this before the All-New, All-Different Avengers post but I am still dealing with a bit of a drafts backlog. Anyway in the middle of last week Marvel's David Gabriel, their SVP of Sales and Marketing, announced 33 Marvel titles that will be coming to an end during Secret Wars. Now that is a lot of titles and considering they do not want this to be seen as a re-vamp creates more questions than it does answers. The full list of titles that see themselves coming to an end during Secret Wars can be found below.

Now looking at the below titles several of these had already been coming to a conclusion and are no surprises. The question I have is will some of the below titles Secret Wars replacements, for example "Guardians of Nowhere", "Thors", "A-Force", be there on-going replacements for the foreseeable future or will we see whoever survives Secret Wars and Battleworld getting their own titles come its conclusion, so lets say September, because right now Bleeding Cool's previous post highlighting "All-New Marvel" on the Diamond Distributors Retailer Calendar. We're already being teased of a possible Avengers line up that will be around post Secret Wars in the Free Comic Book Day issue.

Which of the below titles are you sad to see end and which do you think will most certainly be back come the conclusion of the Secret Wars event and whatever Marvel Universe is left in its place? For more check out the link below;

http://comicbook.com/2015/03/18/marvels-david-gabriel-clarifies-secret-wars-plans-hints-at-what-/

All-New Captain America
All-New Ghost Rider
All-New X-Men
Amazing Spider-Man
Amazing X-Men
Angela: Asgard’s 
AssassinAvengers
Avengers World
Captain Marvel
Cyclops
Deadpool
Elektra
Fantastic Four
Guardians 3000
Guardians of the Galaxy
Hulk
Inhuman
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon
Legendary Star-Lord
Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man
New Avengers
Nightcrawler
Nova
Rocket Raccoon
Secret Avengers
Spider-Man & The X-Men
Spider-Man 2099
Storm
Superior Iron Man
Thor
Uncanny X-Men
Wolverines
X-Men

The All-New, All-Different Avengers... Let the teasers begin...

Today Marvel has released an image for there Free Comic Book Day offering, "All-New, All-Different Avengers, revealing two members of this new Avengers team. Ms. Marvel and current Thor, so there are two things to take out of this image. This is reportedly a peak at what is to come in the post Secret Wars Marvel Universe. If this is true then we have confirmation that both Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, and Thor will survive whatever happens and will be heading to become on of the World's Greatest Heroes. Now for the Rest of the images in the cover that have been blacked out into Silhouettes here's my best guess as to who they may be. Front and centre, this looks like a Spider-Man pose, but I strongly believe this will be Miles Morales, I also really hope it is. To finish the front row, bottom right I imagine will be Nova, Sam Alexander. Moving to the middle row and beginning from the left, taking into consideration current story lines going on running into Secret Wars I will say the armour clad silhouette may be Rescue, Pepper Potts. The middle figure looks clearly to be Sam wilson a.k.a Captain America. Finally the far right, this one has me a little stumped and after some time thinking about this I have come to the conclusion that this must be Doctor Strange, his profile needs to be raised with the film in coming, what better way to do this than put him into the new Avengers team. Whether I am right or wrong with any of these, I really am looking forward to the team being released through the week or weeks.

Marvel's Secret Wars well and truly arrives this May... Here's what caught my eye...

Well this post has been in draft form for about a month now and with Marvel's June solicitations to hit this week we'll have even more Secret Wars to talk about. Here are the Secret Wars titles that I am most looking forward to in May and also every other title coming out for Secret Wars in May. First off and easy to choose I will be grabbing both issues 1 and 2 of Secret Wars coming out in May and I will certainly be grabbing the Alex Ross covers, they are beautiful.

Ultimate End by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley brings us the final events of the Ultimate Universe during the final incursion and Secret Wars. The original creative team who kickstarted the Ultimate Universe with Ultimate Spider-Man return to bring the universe to an end, well as much of an end as anything in comics. David Marquez has illustrated a variant cover for the first issue (check out the image to the left). My only real experience with the Ultimate Universe has been with Miles Morales' Ultimate Spider-Man and if any character is to survive the series should this truly be its end it is him, although the Marvel 616 Universe is getting fairly full of Spider characters. There have been many events heralding the possible end to the Ultimate Universe so will this finally be their time up? Ultimate End is solicited as a 5 issue series so I guess we will certainly know by the final issue. Will you be looking forward to Ultimate End? This ones been added to my pull list.

Old Man Logan,  so it was announced last month that Andrea Sorrentino, previously on Green Arrow at  DC Comics and recently on X-Men with Brian Michael Bendis, has signed an exclusive contract with Marvel. The culmination of this seems to be his teaming up with Bendis to bring us Old Man Logan. It's worth noting that this is not solicited as a limited series so hopefully this will be on our shelves for some time. Old Man Logan is a series I finally read thanks to a Comixology sale that I thought was fantastic, if I'm honest much like most of Mark Millar's work this did not disappoint. Could this be the Wolverine we'll get moving forward in the Marvel Universe after his earlier demise during the "Death of Wolverine" series by Charles Soule and Steve McNiven. With a great promo by McNiven who originally illustrated the Old Man Logan issues this was immediately added to my pull list. Do you look forward to the return of Old Man Logan?

A-Force the all female Avengers team coming this May from G. Willow-Wilson and Marguerite Bennett with art by Jorge Molina. This has the ability to be one of the stand out titles to come out of Secret Wars. This made my May 2015 pick of the solicits and was saved as my last highlight for May's Secret Wars titles as this is the title I am most excited to arrive come May from Marvel. The team line-up has currently been announced but it has been confirmed the team is not confined to its original line-up and other popular and not so popular female characters will join the team during the series. I know there have been many calling for fan favourite character Ms America, from Young Avengers, to feature in the series. Also to my surprise Ms Marvel has not featured or been mentioned to appear in the title considering she is the brain child and incredibly popular character from Willow Wilson. I will be grabbing the Russell Dauterman variant, as pictured to the left, when this hits the shelves and I can't wait to start reading this series.











Others I will be looking out for are Infinity Gauntlet by Gerry Duggan and Dustin Weaver giving us an alternate version of the Infinity Gauntlet story featuring a slightly different take on Thanos and a new team or family to take on the role of Nova's in the series. With Duggan on writing and Weaver illustrating this has the team to be an incredible book and is one I will be looking to at least give it a read to make a decision on whether I will add it to the pull list. Finally the only other title that really caught my eye was Planet Hulk by Sam Humphries, one of my favourite writers, and illustrated by British artist Marc Laming. This sees Captain America riding atop Devil Dinosaur taking on a Planet of Hulks. This will no doubt be an interesting series with Humphries writing which is why I may give this a chance before making my final decision.

Those 6 titles are just a taster of what will be coming in May and further for Secret Wars the other series to come out with their various connections to the event are below.

Last Days;

Captain America & The Mighty Avengers #8

Loki: Agent of Asgard #14

Magneto

Battleworld;

Inhumans: Attilan Rising #1

Master of Kung Fu #1

Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 (of 4)

Secret Wars Journal #1 (of 5)

Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars #1

Warzones;

Inferno #1

Secret Wars 2099 #1 (of 5)

Where Monsters Dwell #1 (of 5)

Spider-Verse #1

M.O.D.O.K. Assasin #1 (of 5)

There have been many more titles announced since to come out in June which will be fully announced an confirmed once the release of the June solicits take place this week. It certainly seems Marvel are not holding back with what this event will mean to the future of the Marvel Universe. Will you be picking up any of these titles? Even if I had the money to be able to I don't think I would be picking them all up. Fingers crossed I can get the June Secret Wars titles highlighted a little sooner than I did these. Until next time...

Marvel Comics: Secret Wars... Universes Collide... Universes Combine... This is not a Re-Boot!!... This is the future of the Marvel Universe...

This has been typed up and ready to post for quite some time so sorry if some of the info seems a little out dated... I hope to get more Secret Wars info up soon.

So last week we received more info on the Marvel's upcoming Secret Wars. The conclusion to Jonathan Hickman's run as Avengers lead writer and the epic conclusion to 'Time Runs Out' that has been ongoing since last September in his issues of Avengers and New Avengers. 

The announcement to end all announcements was the long predicted be unsurprising collision of the Marvel 616 Universe and the Ultimate Universe. The most important character for me to survive this collision is Miles Morales who has become a firm fan favourite since his creation by Brian Michael Bendis. 

Not a lot more was given away during the announcement. We will begin to learn more over the coming weeks as we presumably head towards May's solicitations which see the first two issues of Secret Wars reach comic book stores. 

This still seems a lot like a "re-boot" of sorts to me, but I suppose the argument is nothing is ending and re-starting is all just moulding together in to one hopefully stream-lined, rewarding Universe. 

Since the announcement three separate Secret Wars banners have been revealed, 'Last Days', 'Battleworlds' and 'Warzones'. These banners will accompany titles linking into the event, to get a better idea of what each one means check out the official press releases below. 

There will be plenty more to be revealed over he coming days and I will be keeping my eye out for any more news on this. Although I'm slightly apprehensive of what the final outcome of this event will be in still quietly excited for what the future will hold.

Oh and also one last thing, Secret Wars #0 will be released on Free Comic Book Day, May 2nd, this will also feature the Attack on Titan Marvel Crossover so that's something to look forward to. The cover for this is at the far far bottom of the post.

Official Press Release

The skies go dark and the world begins to fracture. Secret Wars is coming, and with it the destruction of the Marvel Universe as we know it. Today, Marvel is proud to announce LAST DAYS, the first of three different types of series taking place during the upcoming, highly anticipated Secret Wars!

“What would you do if you learned today was your last day on Earth?” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. “That’s the question your favorite Marvel heroes are going to ask themselves in their LAST DAYS story lines as they brace for Secret Wars and the end of the Marvel Universe.”

Battleworld is set to transform the Marvel Universe as you know it. But before Secret Wars can begin, this chapter must come to a close. What will our heroes do with their final hours? What secrets will be unearthed? Who will they want to spend their LAST DAYS with?

“LAST DAYS is the first of three new brandings for series unique to Secret Wars,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “Each branding will bear its own unique trade dress and logo treatment, clearly defining its relationship to the main Secret Wars story. This will make it easier for fans to experience the full scope of Secret Wars. Don’t dare miss these epic tales as our heroes face their impending obliteration!”

Before Secret Wars can begin, the Marvel Universe must end. And it all starts this May as the entire planet faces their LAST DAYS!

Official Press Release

New York, NY—January 22, 2015— The Marvel Universe has been destroyed! One by one, each and every universe across the cosmos has been eliminated. All that exists is a new, patchwork planet made up of the remains of decimated universes. Today, Marvel is proud to announce BATTLEWORLD, which joins LAST DAYS as two of the three unique umbrella brands of titles launching during Secret Wars!

“If you want the full story of what’s happening across the surface of this new planet, BATTLEWORLD branded titles are for you,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. “Who polices Battleworld? How do the various domains interact? What happens when those domains go to war? What strange, never-before-seen creatures inhabit this world? What familiar faces will make appearances? Fans who want to fully understand how each sector interacts with the others can’t miss out on these books!”

Titles carrying the BATTLEWORLD banner will focus on the interworking and interaction of all the domains now fused together throughout the one and only remaining planet! The Secret Wars are waged as the last remaining fragments of dead universes fight for survival. Who rules these domains? Who comes out on top? Who lives? Who dies?

“The inner machinations of Secret Wars happen here,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “BATTLEWORLD branded titles will be clearly marked through the Marvel Previews solicits as well as with well distinguished cover trade dress, this way both retailers and fans will know what they’re getting. Think of these as the new core monthly titles. “

What secrets are about to be revealed? Find out this may as Secret Wars enters BATTLEWORLD!

Official Press Release

The future begins here! When everything ends, there is only Secret Wars. Today, Marvel is proud to announce WARZONES!, the final umbrella of titles launching during Secret Wars! WARZONES! joins LAST DAYS and BATTLEWORLD as the three different categories of titles launching throughout Secret Wars, each with their own unique type of story to tell!

“If you want a glimpse of what the future holds, you’ll find it in the WARZONES titles,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. “Our creators let their imaginations run wild as they lay down the foundations for the future. Whether we’re revisiting the most popular events from Marvel’s past or telling completely new stories, you won’t believe what we’ve got in store for you.”

All that remains in the cosmos is Battleworld, the strange, patchwork realm playing host to countless realities, all existing side-by-side, fused into a single planet! Titles carrying the WARZONES! banner tell stories of the individual dominions of Battleworld. What happens within their borders? What heroes guard their skies? What villains conspire within? How does over 75 years of Marvel’s epic history play out now that Battleworld is all there is?

“To be clear, WARZONES! titles are NOT fill-ins. These are the event caliber books, magnified to the Nth degree,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “Secret Wars has afforded us a completely unique opportunity to tell huge, epic, event-sized stories within the framework of this new, patchwork planet – events within events. These titles will lay the building blocks and groundwork for what’s next, if that gives any indication of how important they are!”

While the Secret Wars rage on, the foundation of a new Marvel Universe take shape within the war-torn domains across Battleworld. The future of Marvel begins in the WARZONES!