SECRET EMPIRE
Springtime For Hydra
RELEASED OUT NOW!
Publisher Marvel Comics
Writer Nick spencer
Artists steve McNiven, daniel acuna, andrea sorrentino, rod reis
If you’re looking for comics-related controversy, it doesn’t get much bigger than the reaction Marvel has faced over its latest event comic. Secret Empire is the culmination of a year-long plotline that’s upset a large number of people, thanks to its reveal of Captain America as a sleeper agent for the evil organisation Hydra.
Aligning the heroic Steve Rogers with a group of authoritarian fascists is a risky move for Marvel, especially since it’s insisted all along that this isn’t a duplicate or mind control – this is the real Steve Rogers, just with his personal history rewritten thanks to reality-altering Cosmic Cube shenanigans.
And now, his long-term scheming has paid off big-time. Secret Empire sees Captain America stepping out of the shadows, betraying the Avengers and mounting a takeover of the United States. Soon Hydra is in control of the country, and it’s up to an underground resistance led by Black Widow and Hawkeye to find a solution – even if it involves killing their one-time comrade.
The resulting comic is fast-paced, action-packed and often enjoyable, but it’s also nearly impossible to separate Secret Empire from its controversial themes. While Marvel has continually insisted that Hydra aren’t Nazis (despite the many parallels between the two organisations), these first four issues show a totalitarian America where book burnings, censorship and executions are commonplace.
The parallels with modern-day politics are often discomforting, and writer Nick Spencer conjures an affecting mood of hopelessness. The stakes have rarely seemed so high in a Marvel event – but there’s also the sense that not all the parallels are purposeful, and that these themes are a clumsy fit with escapist, spandex-clad action.
While Secret Empire is a significant step above Marvel’s last event comic, Civil War II, it’s far from flawless in its execution. The large roster of artists makes for a wildly inconsistent visual approach, while the story once again suffers from Marvel insisting on endless crossovers, leaving the core series feeling fractured and weirdly paced.
Ultimately, however, the biggest question is whether Marvel can possibly rehabilitate Captain America himself. Spencer’s story has pushed Steve so far into the realm of authoritarian fascism that it’s hard to see how any solution is going to avoid feeling like a cop-out.
The ambition of Secret Empire is impressive, but the series already feels in danger of exploiting provocative themes in order to give us just another superhero punch-up. Saxon Bullock
As part of Marvel’s upcoming Generations relaunch, it’s announced an 18-month hiatus from any big crossover events.
Political parallels are a clumsy fit with spandex-clad action