Unity vs. Secret Wars

Knob · Post by **Knob** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:49 am

I just read through Unity again and I love it every time. What are people's opinions on Shooter's work on Secret Wars? If I like Unity will I like Secret Wars? Would I recognize the same things I love about Unity and the pre-Unity Valiants in SW?

I started reading Marvel as a kid with The Infinity Gauntlet, I liked it and still do. How does Secret Wars compare to that? I'm thinking of picking up the somewhat recent trade as opposed to hunting down issues or finding a collected lot on ebay so any specific opinions on that collection vs. the actual issues are helpful too.

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:55 am

I like Secret Wars a lot. I wouldn't compare it to Unity, though, it's good on its own merits.

Funny thing about SW is that it was done solely for the purpose of selling toys (Shooter made a deal with a toy company to make toys and then made a comic around them), but that has no bearing on the actual story.

When I read it the first time I had no idea about how it came to be (all that mattered was that it was a story with characters I like), so if you like the Marvel characters then you'll like the story too.

BloodOfHeroes · Post by **BloodOfHeroes** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:06 am

I didn't like Secret Wars, even when it first came out. I suspect I'd like it even less today.

I wouldn't even compare it to UNITY. Unity was a very ambitious work with integrity & atistic merit. SW was a marketing deal first and a plot second. With the exception of the black Spidey costume, I'm not aware of any other lasting repercussions on the MU that came out of the Secret Wars.

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:10 am

Unity is still probably the best crossover in any company ever.

Dr. Solar · Post by **Dr. Solar** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:11 am

Unity does not compare to Secret Wars.

If you are going to read Secret Wars, you have to just enjoy it for what it is, an 80's superhero vs. supervillain super slugfest.

The scene where Spider-Man takes out all of the X-Men is pretty cool though.

Drift · Post by **Drift** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:20 am

didn't even make it to issue 3 of Secret Wars, I disliked it that much..

I will usually read anything (and that has been known to be the back of a cereal packet if there is nothing else around) but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Second_Death · Post by **Second_Death** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:20 am

Secret Wars was published at the end of my interest in comics in the 80's. Didn't think it was too bad at the time but it didn't blow wind up my skirt either. Looking back now, taking into consideration what it was designed to do, it was a very good effort. Sure it doesn't compare to Unity but very little does.

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:21 am

Let's be honest.

Who here doesn't wish that Shooter had done a deal with Mattel to make action figures based on Unity?

IanAlexavier · Post by **IanAlexavier** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:12 am

As long as the toy deal was AFTER he had written EVERYTHING!

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:13 am

IanAlexavier wrote:As long as the toy deal was AFTER he had written EVERYTHING!

See, that was my point earlier.

I don't think that the toy deal had any negative effect on the quality of the writing in SW.

I enjoyed the series for the story long before I knew how it came to be.

When I saw the toys I didn't think "damn, Shooter sold himself out" or something like that, I thought "cooooooool!!!!!"

Elveen · Post by **Elveen** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:33 am

I've never read Secret Wars.......

But I want to.

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:37 am

Elveen wrote:I've never read Secret Wars.......

But I want to.

Get the trade

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:38 am

I'll say this,

SW is in no way comparable to Unity, but Secret Wars II is comparable to Shooter's Solar as it's the story of a God looking to understand what it means to be human.

Donovan · Post by **Donovan** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:58 am

With a name and avatar like mine, I think it's safe to assume that I can't stand Secret Wars!

Not to pimp my upcoming site, but if anyone enjoyed Secret Wars II (all zero of you!

), I've started a petition asking Marvel to collect it - feel free to sign it, if you're interested!

http://www.secretwarsii.com/reprint_petition.htm

Oh, and yes, I'm fully aware of how exceedingly sad it is that I have a Secret Wars II fansite...

Elveen · Post by **Elveen** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:00 am

ManofTheAtom wrote:
Elveen wrote:I've never read Secret Wars.......

But I want to.
Get the trade

I will have to do that. Is it collected in one TPB?

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:02 am

Elveen wrote:
ManofTheAtom wrote:
Elveen wrote:I've never read Secret Wars.......

But I want to.
Get the trade
I will have to do that. Is it collected in one TPB?

The original Secret Wars is. The sequel, far as I know, hasn't been collected.

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:04 am

The Beyonder wrote:With a name and avatar like mine, I think it's safe to assume that I can't stand Secret Wars!

Not to pimp my upcoming site, but if anyone enjoyed Secret Wars II (all zero of you! ), I've started a petition asking Marvel to collect it - feel free to sign it, if you're interested!

http://www.secretwarsii.com/reprint_petition.htm

Oh, and yes, I'm fully aware of how exceedingly sad it is that I have a Secret Wars II fansite...

Secret Wars II was my first English-language comic (that and DC's Who's Who), so I for one really like it.

I started with Jim Shooter and biography comics. Spoiled from the get-go,

Knob · Post by **Knob** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:05 am

While my enthusiasm is a bit tempered I think I'll still get the SW trade, just maybe push it back a bit behind some other purchases.

I could have swore I saw a SW II trade already, maybe I'm confusing it with something else.

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:06 am

Knob wrote:While my enthusiasm is a bit tempered I think I'll still get the SW trade, just maybe push it back a bit behind some other purchases.

I could have swore I saw a SW II trade already, maybe I'm confusing it with something else.

SW has been collected a couple of times and the collection has been reprinted, so maybe that's what you saw

Donovan · Post by **Donovan** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:11 am

If you're looking for a Secret Wars II trade, I would recommend waiting. There's been rumours from David Gabriel over at Marvel that an upcoming Omnibus would be a "Secret" - speculation leads many to think it'll be Secret Wars. Highly unlikely it would be SWII, as I don't see them Omnibussing the sequel without doing the original series first.

That, and the current printing of the Secret Wars tpb suffers from poor reproduction, if you value that!

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:14 am

The Beyonder wrote:If you're looking for a Secret Wars II trade, I would recommend waiting. There's been rumours from David Gabriel over at Marvel that an upcoming Omnibus would be a "Secret" - speculation leads many to think it'll be Secret Wars. Highly unlikely it would be SWII, as I don't see them Omnibussing the sequel without doing the original series first.

That, and the current printing of the Secret Wars tpb suffers from poor reproduction, if you value that!

I have the printing with the Larroca cover.

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:22 am

I liked Secret Wars, but I would have to say Unity was much better.

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:25 am

Daniel Jackson wrote:I liked Secret Wars, but I would have to say Unity was much better.

Donovan · Post by **Donovan** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:47 am

SWII ranks high for me on nostalgic value, but I'll admit, Unity is a better story.

Actually, Unity IS a story - Secret Wars was just a big fight scene!

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:53 am

The Beyonder wrote:SWII ranks high for me on nostalgic value, but I'll admit, Unity is a better story.

Actually, Unity IS a story - Secret Wars was just a big fight scene!

Well put

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Unity vs. Secret Wars

Unity vs. Secret Wars

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