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‘Secret Wars’ #6: A Bunch of Wanders with Nothing to Do

‘Secret Wars’ #6: A Bunch of Wanders with Nothing to Do

Secret_Wars_Vol_1_6

 

Secret Wars #6
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Esad Ribic
Colors by Ive Svorcina
Published by Marvel Comics

After an almost two month setback, Secret Wars is back with issue 6 (of 9 now).  This newest issue of Marvel’s biggest event (ever!) is a mixed bag with some intriguing moments, but little explanation or exploration of the pieces being moved across the chess board.  The long wait between issues certainly didn’t help, but the newest issue reads as if there was a chapter missing between issues five and six.  Readers finally see what happened to the heroes scattered after issue four, however, most readers will scratch their heads wondering how they got into their respective circumstance—Especially Ms. Marvel as there is absolutely no context given for her situation.

The biggest problem plaguing the sixth issue of Secret Wars is the assumptions that it places on readers.  Readers are simply expected to know everything that occurred off panel and accept them as integral, without any background information or context.  On their way to a major discovery, both Namor and Black Panther comment on their perilous journey to make it to Doctor Strange’s sanctum sanctorum, when instead, it would have been much more beneficial to actually show that journey.  Likewise, Peter Parker and Miles Morales are both conveniently whisked away to the actual source of Doom’s power and readers are just supposed to accept the Spider-Men’s placement there.  Because Hickman chose to have the characters spontaneously appear where they need to be, instead of showing readers how they got, Secret Wars #6 reads more like the second half of some missing installment, as opposed to the next part of a linear series.

For the sake of completion or maybe for pacing purposes, it would have been better had Hickman placed some of the journeys or even some of the events in this issue, in the previous issue.  Seeing Earth-616 Reed Richards interact with Earth-1610 Reed Richards is a nice way to contrast such antithetical characters, but readers need more than just a three page cutaway.  Readers need to know how they got there, and what they’re working on beyond cryptic notions.  Given the previous issue’s ominous ending, there were such high hopes that issue six would be the issue where the plot was starting to come together.  Now with the additional ninth issue, issue six is relegated to firing the opening shots.

This is never more obvious than the scene with Thanos.  Last time readers saw him he had a devious look in his eyes when confronting the Shield.  The next time readers see him he’s already been captured and imprisoned.  How did this happen?  Why did this happen? And is this a part of Thanos’ plan are never shown on panel leaving readers scratching their heads trying to fill in the missing blanks.  All it takes Thanos to introduce subterfuge is about a two page conversation with the true power behind the Shield who instantly believes the words of this tyrannical stranger.  In an otherwise fluid and logical (given the circumstance) issue six is plagued with gaps in reason and asks readers to nonsensically suspend their disbelief by accepting all the major events that seemed to have happened between issues five and six.

Another major flaw of this issue is the introduction of this mysterious Prophet, a mysterious rebel-rouser trying to unite the various kingdoms against Dr. Doom.  Six issues in and this is the first time readers have even heard of this character, although he’s casually mentioned as if he’s been a major player the entire time.  Who is this guy and what are his plans for Battleworld?  This is something that is dropped almost as quickly as it was brought up.  Writer Jonathan Hickman is never this sloppy of a writer, so something tells me that this Prophet character was a late addition to the miniseries.  Maybe whatever changes to the story that necessitated the long gap between issues and the extension of the series warranted the inclusion of such a character so late into the game, or vice versa.

Even the artwork took a step back this issue, another indicator that maybe the creators of Secret Wars didn’t benefit from the extended layover.  Six issues in and Esad Ribic still can’t properly draw human faces.  Peter Parker and Mr. Fantastic have the same body type as Val Kilmer in a black wetsuit, Bentley-23 looks like a cross-eyed elf in one panel, and Valeria looks more like Jason Mewes than a little girl.  Even the colors seem much more drab and boring in this issue as the backgrounds don’t ever come alive and grab the reader’s attention.  The biggest attention grabber is the continuously distorted faces, a flaw of Ribic’s that is starting to hinder the movement of the art from panel to panel.

Common knowledge would dictate that with the announcement that Secret Wars was being stretched out to include a ninth issue, it would give writer Jonathan Hickman much more space to expand the story.  Such is not the case with this latest installment however as too much detail is left missing from the pages.  Readers are told what has transpired instead of shown the actual events, and because of this are tasked with blindly accepting everything that has happened between issues five and six as casually as if they happened on panel.  Secret Wars #6 is a letdown in this miniseries that has otherwise been a fun and justified event.  Here’s hoping for lucky number seven.

 

Rating: 6/10

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