What most people know as Marvel Comics has used a shared universe since the beginning. All the major Marvel characters were created in the early ’60s by artists like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, under the direction of editor Stan Lee. Like the MCU did during its early phases, the continuity whipped up a sense of awe for young readers, teaching them every issue was just a tapestry of a larger story.
The culmination of that, and the biggest crossover yet, was 1984-1985’s “Secret Wars” (by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton), where all the A-List Marvel heroes and villains are transported to “Battleworld” for a 12-issue epic smackdown. Every subsequent comic crossover has been chasing “Secret Wars” — it’s to Marvel Comics what 2012’s “The Avengers” was to the MCU.
Those Marvel crossovers long ago hit diminishing returns; there have been a couple of bright spots, like Chip Zdarsky’s 2021 “Devil’s Reign” or Kieron Gillen’s 2022 “Judgement Day,” but those are the exceptions. I promise as someone who does read comics, crossover “tie-in” issues that disrupt pacing are pure frustration.
The inescapable conclusion is that any series with this much story inevitably becomes inaccessible, which is a problem when you want a mass audience.
The return of Marvel Television is the first step toward correcting a problem that has been plaguing comis and the MCU for years. Read More