John,

Thanks for the response.  It seems you sparked an interesting topic bringing up Secret Wars.  First, why do you think this series was so successful (the toy tie-in, fanzines, new Spidey costume, etc.)?  Do you think a crossover (such as DC's Infinite Crisis) is the key to bringing back readers (or gaining new ones)?

It was, needless to say, a blow to all us writer types who were carefully constructing character and story arcs --- which apparently mattered not one whit to the readers, as long as somebody was hitting somebody else!

I got the 12 issues of secret wars as a Christmas present and my sister had to pay top dollar for them. So I treasured them. The UK version was cool too and I loved Mike Zecks art.Personally, I loved them. I hated SWII though.

I loved New Mutants, the characters were great and the plot about the Hellfire club in issues when the X-Men were at the war were fab, especially Illyanna. Personally for me, the day Jean Grey came back from Jamaica Bay was the day that the mutant explosion started and I got fed up.

Loved the JB FF issue though, even though I liked Jeans sacrifice in X-Men 137.

Finally, I'm sure Rob Hewitt was worth it.  After all, the more the merrier.

JB, you did spin a great arc out of SW. Johnny and Alicia. Ben and Rocky Grimm. Reed and Sue and the Baby tied in well. I love that period and as I've said a thousand times, your introduction of She Hulk was great. So even if you didn't like the concept, you sure made it work in FF.Seamless.I was addicted to your work at this stage.

It's funny that JB didn't like Secret Wars, since it seems his Fantastic Four was the most effected by.    The cross-over with the first Secret Wars was pretty seamless (except for the dead Dr. Doom popping up).   However, the crossovers with Secret Wars II were pretty intrusive, especially on the Hate Monger storyline, which requires one to actually read the horrible second issue of Secret Wars II to find out what happens.  As part of rereading my Byrne FFs, I went back and reread SW II as well.  Man, that really has to be the worst comic series ever published.  By the way, given the success of the first Secret Wars, couldn't they find a better artist for the sequel than Al Milgrom, probably the worst artist Marvel had at that time?

Not only was SECRET WARS II abominable as a series, I would imagine it was a nightmare logistically. Imagine planning out a series, then having to plan out all of these crossovers in the other titles and have everything mesh. Not a job I would want.

JB, did Shooter have all the interactions with the other titles planned out, or did he take some of what you and the other creators were doing and work it in to his series?

The concept of Secret Wars reminds me of the little rascals shows where they would put on a musical.

Their premise was that they didn't have talent but they had a barn so why not put on a show.

That is the single best description of Secret Wars I've ever heard in my life.

Full disclosure, though:  I was about 7 when Secret Wars came out and I really loved it at the time.  I went back and re-read it two years ago and for all of its flaws, I had fun reading it even as an adult.  But by no means would I ever hold it up as an example of how to do a superhero comic "right". 

I absolutely love his P.P. Spectacular Spider-Man, but each time I see SW II... I don't know if I should cry or just go berserk.

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Perhaps it's the Leialoha inks that you don't like?

'Scuse me -- head aching -- must lie down. . .