Breaking Down Secret Wars #2

After the tear jerking masterpiece that was Secret Wars #1, Jonathan Hickman had a lot to live up to in these issues. As Marvel's golden boy, chosen to lead the Marvel heroes into their new home, Hickman has become the master of sleight of hand storytelling. In the one hand he shows you grand, masterful storytelling, while in the other he keeps the high stakes mechanisms of his Battleworld hidden behind the people's fear of this world's one true ruler and God, Doom.

That's right. Doctor Doom, of all people, is the one who managed to save as much of existence as he could. As of the end of issue #2, Doom is the only person that we know of who remembers the old world. His typical vanity remains, as seen in the names of regions of his domain, such as Doomsgard (instead of Asgard). In Doomgard, Doom's personal police force, the Thors, reside. While there are a couple Thors we recognize here, such as Beta Ray Bill, and what must be a version of the Jane Foster Thor. However the vast majority of their ranks seem to be new creations, made purely to help protect Doom's role as the All-father of Battleworld.

In Battleworld, if Doom is the judge, Doctor Strange is the jury. Known as the sheriff of Agamotto, Strange ultimately is the highest authority, as Doom only intervenes when it directly interests him, mentioned as "divine intervention." Strange seems a very different man from when we last saw him at the edges of Beyonders' space, although it is unsure what has changed about him.

This issue continues Hickman's drastic re imagining of the Marvel universe, not by providing answers about the formation of this world, but by posing all the right questions you'll need to ask moving forward. When the issue builds to its climax, we find one of the two life-rafts from the old multiverse still intact. I won't ruin which one here if you haven't yet read it, but my Issue #3 review will follow shortly.

All said and done Secret Wars #2 builds a new world on the ashes of countless destroyed realms, and does while we're still recovering from the previous issue. A one week release gap was not enough time to be done mourning our old world, especially with various on-goings still working on building to the end-times scenario that has already been played out. Those books notwithstanding though, Battleworld is our set piece for at least the next few months of Marvel comics, and it's time to get used to it.

4 Multiversal Life Rafts out of 5