The Good

This issue is nuts, and that is meant in the best way possible. There is a ton revealed here about the world all of these characters live on and how everything was created, and again, nuts. What really works here is that writer Jonathan Hickman spends the first couple issues exploring this world, which helps if you read the tie-ins as well, and the third issue gives you a peek into how this all came together.

Doom was set up as the ruler and god of Battleworld, but issue three gives the reader a ton of insight is to why he is held up in this way by the other people. According to him, he created the world, and while I still don't trust that as the truth because I read Marvel comics and villains tend to lie, it's a really great concept. However, is Doom really the villain here? Sure, he's the ruler and supposed creator, but can the reader consider him to be the villain that everyone knows? I'm leaning towards yes.

This issue continues to drop shocking bombs as it's revealed what happened to Johnny Storm. I won't spoil that here, but it's pretty crazy, and the fact this issue is revealing little bits and pieces here and there about this world and its characters makes the reader want to move forward with the book. SECRET WARS is a puzzle and we only get a few pieces each week.

Considering I'm a huge Miles Morales fan, I was super-pleased with this issue, since Miles pops in and gets to come face-to-face, once again, with Peter Parker (from the 616). What's even cooler is that no one remembers the world previous to Battleworld, except for the 616 characters here and Miles Morales. Why is that?

Esad Ribic and Ive Svorcina do an amazing job on this book. This is the art team this event and issue deserves. The scene with Doom taking off his mask is haunting and will stick with the reader. The lighting and colors are perfect and there's this real sense of calm there as well. Ribic nails a lot of facial expressions throughout the issue and makes this issue very exciting, without there being and action sequences.

The Bad

Yes, it's slow and dialogue heavy, but the dialogue is solid and what this issue does is set up the world and give insight to characters. The excitement isn't always within the actions, but within the words said by the characters.

The Verdict

You don't need to have large-scale action sequences in order to have an exciting issue. Hickman, Ribic, and Svorcina open up the doors to Battleworld and let the readers know this more to all of this than previously thought. Again, we get pieces of how this all came together but not the whole picture all at once. It will make you want to continue forward with the book. SECRET WARS #3 is a solid event issue that's going to lead to bigger things.

I need to pick this up

Great series

Can't wait to read this. So glad we're finally getting an event that isn't just all crazy action and poor / non-existent characterization (looking at you AXIS!). Build up the characters, drama and tension before stuff 'splodes.

Fantastic event with some awesome tie-ins so far IMO.

@inferiorego: What's even cooler is that no one remembers the world previous to Battleworld, except for the 616 characters here and Miles Morales. Why is that?

Wait, what ?

It's hard to write Battleworld fan fiction when you don't have all the details :(

@thor_parker82: Only survivors in the Life Rafts (and Strange) remember how the world used to be.

I continue to be imperssed how much I am liking the main Secret Wars title. Most of these big event books are just plot driven bombastic messes wishing they're Bayhem. Instead Hickman with his episodic-esque chapering within the book itself creates physical breaks so that there is no overwhelming action, so far on BAttleworld.

Cheap Plug to User Review

This issue was crazy! I loved every minute of it! I hope we see God Doom vs Phoenix Cyclops.

This and Darkseid War have me so excited.

Same here. Great week for comics

Man oh man was this good. Stellar work

Haven't been reading Secret Wars but I had to buy this for that cover.

So for example, 616 Thor, Storm, Captain America, Hulk, they don´t remember they used be heroes on earth and that kind of stuff ?

From what I read above, I am guessing Peter Parker does remember how the world used to be, right ?

I love the Phoenix Cyclops scene

This event is so, so great so far. I've loved every issue.

My only question right now, is Sue, Valeria, Franklin, and Johnny the actual 616 characters we assumed died in the life raft incident in issue #1?

@thor_parker82: Those 616 characters no longer exist. They only 616 and Ultimate characters that still exist as they were before are the ones on the two life rafts.

Captain Marvel

Black Panther

Spider-Man

Miles Morales

Thor

Reed Richards

Starlord

Cyclops

The Cabal

And, God Doom & Dr. Strange remembers too.

The Life raft protected them from the worlds being erased.

What if Doom was just like one of us?

Just a slob like one of us..? Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Just a slob like one of us, just trying to make his way home...

Doom is great, yeah, yeah, yeah....

@captainhoopla: Either they somehow survived (Thanks to Franklin (Elder version of whom as i remember before told that he lived through Big End of All) or God Doom) or were recreated by God Doom. Side effect of this recreation it seems is loss of memory about previous life not on Battleworld.

I'm happy to see Miles get to team up with Peter again.

I'm confused by some of the characters I saw in ultimate end and this issue of secret wars....

Well deserved rating.

Thanos will be the boss soon

@hiddenlight: but he would first have to get past an army of thors

Reed:Victor Von Doom is a God and rules over everything in the world, and yet you had to weigh that against other considerations? What in the world could matter so much that you left us there, buried alive, Stephen? Explain it to me.

Dr. Strange: It's easy to explain Reed..... He is very good at playing God.

That line, and Phoenix Scott made me happy. All n all this series has been solid, and the thing with Johnny was insane...

@the_stegman: Cyclops NEEDS to die.

Miles was the best part of this book.

Now I will have a lot of feats for him :3 Those Thors are the worst, they got knocked out by fiery rocks thrown by Hulks, Thanos will but them in their right place.

@mrkareemruiz: And be reborn ;)

Reed Richards 616, Dr Doom, and Reed Richards 1610 have to meet, it will be crazy.

This was a fan-damn-tastic issue. It's looking to me like the main Secret War series is going to be one of the best event miniseries in a long time, really great. And all the tie-ins seem like they will be almost uniformly a waste of time. Quite a contrast!

@the_stegman: All right, thanks.

Great Issue. God Doom is a great and facinatning character

It reminds me of the Secret war/battle world Spidey episodes from that one spiderman show ( not the issue but the event )

Great issue! But I think the reviewer glanced over the fact that Doom AND Dr. Strange are responsible for Battleworld, and that some of it was saved, some created. Pretty much confirmed my belief that this wasn't some complete Doom construct, that there is a reason why crossing domains is illegal.

Heavy is the head who wears the crown...all hope lies with Doom!

Fantastic issue, it was nice to slow things down a bit and get to know the state of affairs. This is shaping up to be an event worth remembering already.

i didnt get the human torch part? and are the characters in ultimate end the real 616 ones?

Amazing issue. I'm not gonna lie, that moment when the surviving heroes react upon learning Doom is God was priceless! Poor Reed, cause when he finds out about Doom's family...oh boy.

I love that this event is almost in complete honor of Doom. It's poetic justice since 1984's Secret Wars was the event that made Doom the amazing villain he is today (or at least shot him into superstardom). I can't wait for the rest of it

This series continues to deliver on an epic scale. Can't wait for the next issue!

This event has been worth the wait for those 2 plus years of build up. Can't wait to see the battle between you know who and who next issue.

@testament You mean "SuperstarDoom" :p

I hope the Cabal kill Thordis (Jane).

Great issue, not sure which i loved more this one or Future Imperfect this week. Both where excellent.

@stmichalofwilson: Yeah, Reed is going to schvitz!

Really glad Cyclops made it through, and really like the "team" of surviving 616 characters we have left here.

This issue did cement, for me at least, how absolutely underwhelming and dissatisfying "Ultimate End" started... and I don't see it getting much better. It was just a confused and directionless mess... particularly when compared with just how MUCH got revealed in this issue, AND how in depth it went as well.

My current theory/prediction is that the finale will see a repentant Doom sacrifice himself to recreate a new universe that is "whole", carrying over and tying together all the bits and pieces of various continuities that Marvel want to cement in place as the "prime" universe... whilst also cleverly removing Doom from their publishing schedule (until they get the rights back, or REALLY need him again for a story).

i didnt like how only reed was upset about losing his family.
All them lost their loved ones. Peter of all people should have shown some form of sorrow

I think none of the characters from tie-ins are the original 616 versions, so they don't remember. They look like them, but they are not them.

There are two Peter Parkers. The Peter Parker from Ultimate End and Renew your Vows was created by Doom based on the original 616 Peter Parker, and the Peter Parker you saw in Secret Wars #3 IS the original 616 Peter Parker.

A lot of intrigue and myth\universe building. I love it.

Also this just kind of confirms what Doom, Nathaniel Richards and the Panther God all said. All Victor wanted was peace on earth and in every universe he looked at only one managed to achieve that and it was the one ruled by him. All Hope Lies In Doom.

Reed literally saw his family fade away from existence, tried to stop it and failed.

All the others barely had the time to think about what was going on, and are still very confused about what happened. When they actually realize everything, I'm sure all of them will try to revert the situation.

Am I the only one who doesn't like miles?