Writer: Tom DeFalco
Art: Pat Olliffe, John Kalisz, VC’s Joe Caramagna, Guiseppe Camuncoli, and Paul Mounts
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price:$4.99
Release Date: November 22nd, 2023
AFTER NEARLY FORTY YEARS, THE MYSTERIES OF THE SECRET WARS DEEPEN as Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 by Tom DeFalco kicks off! Get ready for an ALL-NEW cataclysmic battle from when SPIDER-MAN first got his ALIEN COSTUME, when a mysterious being called the BEYONDER assembled super heroes and villains from Earth to do battle on a patchwork planet – yes, witness now an untold adventure set during the original SECRET WARS! MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS set the standard for Marvel Comics events (as well as action figures and the characters existing on the forefront of pop culture), and this new story will at last reveal some secret connections and MISSING CHARACTERS going back to the 1984 original series, just in time for its 40th Anniversary! What SECRET TEST are the BEYONDERS conducting…and how will SPIDER-MAN, the HUMAN TORCH and the whole cast determine the fate of the universe? (PLUS: Surprise super-villain appearances inside!)
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 Review.
THE DISPATCH
The easiest explanation of this opening installment would be that it takes place in the middle of the original Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars. While Reed Richards attempts to find a way home, our heroes take a break. In the meantime, Spider-Man decides to look for a snack and somehow gets sucked into another test by two other unnamed, close to omnipotent, beings like the Beyond. Could it be the Beyonder? Sure. But it’s not directly stated. From frost giants and wolves to zombies and other supervillains, Spidey finds himself doing his best to survive this new test.
Ultimately, fans don’t get much in terms of plot. The main objective of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 was simply to reignite the longtime comic book fan with some nostalgia. The story itself lacks depth, stays on the surface, and provides little to no clues, conjectures, or reasonings towards why any of this is happening. The story is solely to pull at the fans’ comic book heartstrings. It’s truthfully what drew me towards the issue in the first place and I fear it will do the same to many others.
However, what’s the point? Was anything new discovered? And did it enhance the original in any way? As of right now, no. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 comes across as more of a scattered hodgepodge of random moments than a story built to reinforce and further develop the original. As for the illustrations, they are a highlight of the issue. Pat Olliffe and John Kalisz do a perfect job of offering an updated look to the classic.
FINAL THOUGHTS
With series like Maestro and X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday which have been reasonably successful, I think Marvel thought it would reach back into its toy box and take another stab at a classic. However, this time around, I feel that Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 may have missed the mark. Sure, DeFalco hits the sentimentality. However, I feel like it was more the art team that provided those feelings than the writing. Nevertheless, together this creative team certainly delivered on the “memory lane” aspect of the issue. But that’s about it.
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 had no real plot with no real direction. This story offers nothing new and furnishes no real cliffhanger. Issue two could literally go in any direction with any new character joining the fold for any reason. What’s the real point of this comic? Right now, it’s sad to say it intends to snag money from the old hats that remember the original and want to relive a comic from their childhood, which is not an awful idea… if this creative team planned on adding more purpose and depth to the series. However, after one installment, that remains difficult to see. Fans, I wanted to love this so bad. The original Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars was right in my childhood wheelhouse. But there’s little authentic action and substance to this tale. I’m personally going to give it one more issue before I make the call but it’s not looking good for Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!