Secret Empire #2

   As I've been reading the buildup to this event book, Secret Empire, I keep having the same thought: at some point, this story will turn the corner. Something really clever will happen and I'll realize I was wrong to doubt this one.

   That's the optimist in me talking, but so far, that guy has been disappointed - and this issue doesn't help at all.

   Attacking on several fronts, Hydra has managed to take over the world (or most of it) - most of Marvel's heroes are trapped in the Darkforce in New York, plunging them into a hellish struggle for existence with an army of demons.

   The Avengers Underground team has narrowly avoided destruction - but Las Vegas wasn't so lucky.

    It's a nightmarish story, as death and despair are the order of the day.

   But to make matters worse, the story is just sloppy. Characters appear and I wonder, "Who is that?" (They aren't always identified clearly.)

   And the shocking final page would probably be more shocking if it made any sense - it just seems to pop up out of nowhere.

   I still believe this series can right itself - but it's going to have to deliver a pretty amazing plot twist to manage it. So far, I'm not seeing it - and that voice of optimism in the back of my mind is fading fast.

Grade: C+

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