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How Imperical Are Your Secret Empire Crossovers Today? Brave New World #5, US Avengers #9, X-Men Blue #9… And Black Panther And The Crew #5?

Published Wed, 16 Aug 2017 07:56:43 -0500

Last updated Wed, 16 Aug 2017 08:36:55 -0500

There's no new Secret Empire this week, but in the next two weeks you'll get two. So there are still a few titles still crossing over with the event that has seen a fascist takeover of the USA (oh and France as well). But how essential are they to the Secret Empire reading experience? Are they Captain America #25s? Or are they the issue of Ultimates2 that didn't mention it once? Let's find out, the more Hydra heads, the more Secret Empirey they are.

Secret Empire: Brave New World #5 concludes its anthological exploration of the Secret Empire world with a Blade story by Si Spurrier, Wilfredo Torres and Mat Lopes, Domino by Leah Williams, Victor Ibanez and Jay David Ramos and The Invaders by Paul Allor, Brian Level and Jordan Boyd.

Well, in its final chapter The Invaders manages to up its relevance, with the appearance of Bucky, who has been hanging about in the background in disguise…

…and gives Namor a rather unique moment of realisation and contrition.

While Emma Frost is under attack in her secluded New Tian, away from Hydra…

And Blade takes advantage of the Darkforce Dimension takeover of New York to do a little vampire hunting – and staking of children.

So while the Invaders chapter has become a lot more Secret Empirey, the others are just doodling in the edges. Combining for a Hydra headcount of…

X-Men Blue #9 by Cullen Bunn, Cory Smith, Thony Silas, Matt Milla and Irma Kniivila is basically a chance for mutants to fight one another over vaguely defined motivations, but does at least pay lip service to what has gone before with Magneto, seemingly ignored previously…

And even Emma Frost and still-Axis-flipped Havok continue their machinations, in the knowledge that the Secret Empire storyline is coming o an end…

So, not that many. But a few…

While US Avengers #9 by Al Ewing, Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco, Alex Arizmendi, Jesus Aburtov and Rachelle Rosenberg has a lot of fighting Hydra in Paris. And, yes, making Asteric jokes in the process.

But by mirroring that comic book, itself intended to represent aspects of France during World War II, you have the most anti-fascist fighting of all the books this week. And making it the most Secret Empirey of the lot.

But weirdly Black Panther And The Crew #5 by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Butch Guice, Mack Chater, Stephen Thompson, Scott Hanna, Dan Brown and Paul Mounts may have more Secret Empire relevance than many through basic themes rather than continuity tie ins. As again the history of the Marvel Universe is rewritten. With Ezra's heroes leaving his employ as a result of "fascist pigs"…