Jimmy Attempts To Read All Of Secret Wars XXVI

Not that we need more Secret Wars tie-ins (they are at over 200 and counting), but I feel like Marvel has wasted most opportunities with their Last Days branded books.  None appear to be of consequence (Silver Surfer is making an attempt to be, but likely won’t), few deal directly with the events of the multiverse ending incursions (Magneto, Ms. Marvel) and the rest either use it as an unnecessary framing device or completely ignore it (Punisher, Black Widow).

After the cut I will have a quick look at the following:  Ant-Man: Last Days #1, Silver Surfer #13, Silver Surfer #14, Black Widow #20, Ms. Marvel #17, Ms. Marvel #18, Magneto #21, Loki Agent Of Asgard #17, Spider-Woman #10 and Silk #7.

That’s a lot more issues than I usually cover in an update, but they should be short as I really only cover them in regards to Secret Wars, and most of them had little relevance. Note, this way be spoilers.

Related links:
Secret Wars Power Rankings
Tom’s Road To Secret Wars: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7.
Other parts of this series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

Ant-Man: Last Days #1

I don’t read Ant-Man as a general rule, but this was pretty good.  Unfortunately it really has nothing to do with Secret Wars.  There is some talk of it being the last night on Earth, and the issue ends with the final incursion subtly happening, but otherwise it is just an Ant-Man adventure.

Silver Surfer #13

This is one of the few Last Days books that had me somewhat excited.  If you remember, the first time we did the Secret Wars Power Rankings we included Last Days and this issue was ranked 14th overall.

It starts with some Dan Slott/Mike Allred zaniness that probably means something to those already reading Silver Surfer.  Halfway through though the final incursion occurs and the Surfer and his companion Dawn Greenwood escape the end of everything by slipping through a tear in the fabric of reality.

At that point it seems to turn more into a Secret Wars tie-in than Last Days.  The cosmic entity Eternity is there and has the face of Doom.  The Surfer learns of Doom taking the Beyonders powers, the creation of Battleworld and the other surviving 616 and 1610 characters.

When the duo meet up with Glorian The Maker Of Miracles, The Lowly Zee and The Shaper Of Worlds they are told they have the means to remake the universe!  See…exciting!

Silver Surfer #14

Silver Surfer and Dawn Greenwood get to work remaking the universe.  But, not unexpectedly there is a problem.  They can only rebuild what they know.  So while the Surfer is well versed in the entire universe and creates huge volumes of things, Dawn is limited.  For example, when she recreates France it is only two dimensional as all she knows of it is from postcards from her sister.

Surfer has some issues of his own.  Instead of creating everything the way it was, he begins to pick and choose what he wants to include in this new universe.  First to go, surprise, surprise…Galactus.  (Ya know, they never did explain how Galactus (and Thor) escaped from the Negative Zone where he was last seen after Cataclysm, but I guess now they don’t need to with the Marvel U hitting the big Reset button.)

But all the picking and chosing and 2D France’s has caused the Shaper Of Worlds to angrily declare that “THE SHAPE OF EVERY WORLD IS WRONG!”  (He talks in all caps.  He’s a jerk like that.)

Black Widow #20

Sorry Jenny, but ugh, I hated these two issues.  Mainly because they suckered me into reading them with the whole Last Days bit and all we get are two pages of Widow flying around saving people she probably shouldn’t be saving at the end of the world and the rest of the book is a flashback.  Nothing even to do with her last days.

Ms. Marvel #17

If I’m a Ms. Marvel fan I’m probably pretty excited for this issue.  It has the first (I believe) team up between Kamala and her hero and former Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers.  This issue is all about that team up as the two help clean up and take back control of New Jersey in the shadow of the final incursion.  Oh, and someone has kidnapped Kamala’s brother.

Ms. Marvel #18

Ms. and Captain Marvel continue their team up and rescue Kamala’s brother.  Kamala also confesses to her mother that she is Captain Marvel…which her mother admits she already knows.  The only real Secret Wars mention is when Carol flys off back to help the heroes over in Secret Wars #1.  She is not very confident in their chances.

Magneto #21

One of the few Last Days books that are smack dab in the middle of the battle between the 616 and 1610 during the final incursion.  Unfortunately since it has been months since Secret Wars #1, we already know Magneto fails to save the Earth.  But as a wise man once said “success is in the journey, not the destination”.  I suppose this can be viewed as a redemption tale of sorts for Magneto as he gives his life in an attempt to save everyone.  Mutants and humans alike.

Loki Agent Of Asgard #17

Zzzzzz…zzzzzz…zzzz..huh?  What?  Oh, right, Loki.  Is this series over yet?  I’m sure Loki fans are digging it, but these 4(!) Last Days issues were plenty painful.  The only joy I took out of this was that in the end Loki and friends ended up in the “white void” after all has been destroyed and a reference is made to the events going on in Silver Surfer.

Spider-Woman #10

In much the same mold as Black Widow, this issue uses Spider-Woman’s recruitment to fly the ships in Secret Wars #1 as book ends to the conclusion of whatever the current Spider-Woman storyline is.  They even go out of their way to give her her old duds back for no particular reason other than she was wearing them inexplicably in Secret Wars.

Silk #7

It’s the end of the world and Silk has her hands full dealing with disaster after disaster on her way to finding her long lost brother seconds before the final incursion destroys them.