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As Hydra Bans Fargo, How Emperical Are Today's Secret Empire Comics? Secret Empire #4, Secret Warriors, United, Uncanny Avengers, Deadpool, Captain America: Sam Wilson

Published Wed, 14 Jun 2017 06:44:47 -0500

Last updated Tue, 18 Jul 2017 19:57:45 -0500

Last week, Marvel Comics published no Secret Empire comics. This week, they appear to publish all of them.

Secret Empire #4, Secret Warriors #3, Secret Empire: United #1, Uncanny Avengers #24, Deadpool #32, Captain America: Sam Wilson #23, a total of $24.94. So what are essential, what make strong contributions to your Secret Empire experience and what are just filler? We mark them out of 10 Hydra skulls, not for quality, but for relevance to the whole schebang.

Though I have no explanation as to why Secret Empire #4 is just $3.99 but Secret Empire: United (which is sadly not about a Hydra football league team) is shorter and thinner at $4.99.

Onwards.

Obviously Secret Empire #5 by Nick Spencer, Rod Reis, Leinil Francis Yu and Joshua Cassara and is the most Imperial of them all. But, as well as carrying on the race to get fragments of the final Cosmic Cube, it also reprises a classic Avengers trope.

It has been observed that Brian Bendis is not playing in the Secret Empire. Despite Civil War II setting up som of the plot points, and Nick Spencer adding much that made Civil War II make sense, Bendis is not reciprocating for Secret Empire. He left Guardians Of The Galaxy before it could crossover and none of Spider-Man, Invincible Iron Man, Infamous Iron Man, Defenders or Jessica Jones are crossing over with Secret Empire, despite featuring many characters who appear in it, and one of the books at least actually featuring Hydra.

But that's okay. Because Nick Spencer has Ultron/Hank Pym recreate something that became a trope for Bendis' Avengers, which is all the Avengers sitting around the kitchen table bickering. Expect, divided as they are by Hydra loyalties, this has to be forced – indeed that becomes part of the theme, free will vs indentured duty.

We'll come back to that.

Oh and also the danger in holding someone accountable for their past crimes, long after they have sought forgiveness for them. Hmm. Moving on, Nick…

I thoroughly enjoyed Secret Empire #4. Thoroughly. And it even reflected Rick Remender's plans that evolved into Hydra Cap… more on that in a separate article I think. As for Hydra heads, well, it's the full gamut.

The issue also sees kids speak up against adults committing acts of torture.

You might have expected it of Black Widow and Karnak but also in Secret Warriors #3, Quake has joined the Al Grahib squad.

With the Inhumans team facing attacks from Hydra and from the mutants of New Tian, and turning to torturing the Dark Beast for information. And discussions betwene the adults and the teenagers over what is acceptable, with the adults definitely on the torture side.

Oh also, Quake Vs Rictor.

So it's fairly Empirical, taps into the themes of the main series, but it's not essential.

Deadpool #32 continues the decision of Wade Wilson to follow Steve Rogers whatever, but even he shows signs of rebellion.

While still making terrible jokes.

It does successfully map out the world of Secret Empire better than many other books, as well as the moral compromises made. And why Quicksilver may have had enough of it all over in Secret Empire #4.

So given that, it's worth a small bump.

In Secret Empire: United #1 Deadpool he shows no such qualms. In front of others, at least.

Naturally this series is all about division and betrayal. Turns out no one is actually united, whether the Secret Empire or New Tian, everyone is working an angle. And confirmation exactly how Scarlet Witch was turned – by possession.

And you know how Emma Frost was originally on the cover, but then it was changed to Ilyanna. Because the does actually have a role within the comic, and in New Tian after all. And exposing a betrayal within Hydra..

So, yeah, fairly important in the scale of things. Is it worth that extra dollar though?

Uncanny Avengers #24 has the Uncanny Avengers, minus Deadpool, trapped in New York fighting monsters.

That's about it. While making sure that those who have other roles to play in the crossover, like Deadpool and Quicksilver are out of it.

He never catches a break, does he? Still a good day if you like Quicksilver.

While Captain America: Sam Wilson #23, tying in directly with the main series, shows how certain folk managed to escape the Hydra USA – even though teleportation was actually meant to be banned. But in doing so, rewrote Captain America history yet again. With Brother Wonderful and the people of Zero Street, created by Jack Kirby for Captain America #201.

Yeah… that's not what happened.

Yeah, that's not what happened either.

There was a story that involved Sam Wilson.

And Brother Wonderful and the Night People of Zero Street. But it wasn't a subway train that got transported, but an entire asylum for the insane.

And they genuinely went to another dimension full of monsters, not Montana. Not only the physical residue left behind…

But the stars above.

Since this is written by Secret Empire's Nick Spencer, who has read a lot of Captain Americas, is this another intentional rewriting by Koblik? A post Secret Wars rewriting of the universe? Or just something Marvel fancied doing?

And we discover that even though Hydra kept the internet, they do have some limits.