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Secret Empire Is Not Over, Even Though Marvel Are Pretending It Is – US Avengers #10 And Avengers #11 (SPOILERS)

Published Wed, 20 Sep 2017 07:00:26 -0500

Last updated Wed, 20 Sep 2017 07:11:06 -0500

It appears to have been decreed that Secret Empire is over, so that comic books that were specifically solicited as Secret Empire crossovers have had any such trade dress removed from the covers. It appears to be seen as a taint now, something to damage rather than increase sales as Marvel seems to be entering a period of denial that the Secret Empire comics happened at all. Take two books out today,

US AVENGERS #10 SE
(W) Al Ewing (A) Paco Diaz (CA) Paco Medina
SECRET EMPIRE AFTERMATH!
•  In the aftermath of SECRET EMPIRE, A.I.M. elects a brand-new Supreme Leader – but Roberto Da Costa has one last mission for the U.S.Avengers.
•  No one ever found Cannonball's body – and we all know what that means…
•  "The Search for Sam" begins here!

AVENGERS #11 SE
(W) Mark Waid (A) Mike Del Mundo (CA) Alex Ross
SECRET EMPIRE AFTERMATH!
• Not every Avenger came out of the Secret Empire's regime the same as going in.
• One of Earth's Mightiest, in particular, will either step up to lead the team – or retire altogether!

And despite the other Secret Empire crossovers having cover livery to point this out, on publication, these two do not. The comics themselves are very Secret Empire Aftermathy, Avengers illustrating conversations between Sam Wilson as he gives up the Captain America role for Falcon, talking to Jane Foster's Thor who is still holding her hammer. The Vision talking to Herculed about immortality. And Spider-Man talking to the Wasp about why she's not a fan. At some point some circus animals escape. For those allergic to superhero comics that feature people doing nothing but talking, this is your nadir. But Mike Del Mondo can make most everything look pretty pretty. And there's even conversation about why Spider-Man stays popular…

Has Jane Foster seen Spider-Man? Black and red, red and blue, black and white, big eyes, little eyes, spider armour, iron spider, plus all the spinoffs, Miles Morales, Spider-Woman, Spider-Woman in the black, Spider-Gwen, Silk, and the lookalikes, Venom, Carnage, Toxin, Spider-Boy, Scarlet Spider, hell all of the clones…

But I guess there is a focal Spider-Man which the main series has stuck to of late. Is this Mark Waid, through Jane Foster, making a case for the appeal of Marvel Legacy over recent design changes?

US Avengers also has a focus on diversity. With a voice that sounds familiar to those who browse certain websites, as the post-Secret Empire US Avengers is disbanded before Marvel Legacy kicks in. And yes, including the membership of Squirrel Girl.

Just to remind you, yes someone did see. The someone who sees all.

And yes, despite her own protestations, Squirrel Girl did fight in the Secret Empire battles! And she's still going for it.

USAvengers was one of the titles that went full Secret Empire, its job is now to disengage from that completely before wrapping itself up in a nice tidy bundle of cancellation. Not so much from sales, but as a new envisioning of the Avengers, post-Legacy. So the toys all have to be put back in their box, as they were when the creators vcame to them. But with Al Ewing, master of ceremonies when it comes to Marvel continuity, writing the book, you can expect something as neat an tidy as the most perfect of puzzle toy boxes. And you get to see him put it all together…

Oh and they fight more than escaped bears too.

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