Marvel releases BattleWorld map and cryptic Secret Wars message

“When everything ends, there is only Secret Wars”…

So a bit of a mystery there, but there are some tells that you can infer some pretty massive stuff from. For starters, the slate of Marvel’s usual monthlies will not be seeing publication in the time of Secret Wars. I had originally assumed that that meant they’d just be on hiatus for a short time, but could it be that the “when everything ends” quote means something a lot more final?

Are we seeing a reboot of sorts from the publisher, perhaps something in line with the ‘New 52′ DC Comics event from a few years back that saw their universe get a complete overhaul?

Could be. In the last few years, Marvel has been hinting that there’s something massive coming, something that would tie-up all the loose ends from the myriad of time-ripping, universe-altering stuff that’s become the norm in the Marvel U. Secret Wars (and maybe the series’ original heavy, the Beyonder) could represent a critical mass of sorts and a final event that leads into reboot.

Personally, while I don’t love reboots, I do think that Marvel kind of needs one. The Marvel U has seen so many changes recently that some of the core characters are almost unrecognizable. The various threads and story lines are so convoluted and overly-complex that streamlining them and, at the same time, modernizing everything just might be what the doctor ordered.

Heck, it more or less worked for DC, with better numbers coming after the reboot than before when it comes to sales, even though there are still plenty of people who still like the original DCU better than the New 52 version.

Any way you slice it, Secret Wars is going to be a big time event series that no Marvel fan should be missing out on, and how it wraps up should be very interesting indeed. For a sneak peek at what’s in store, and a look at what the new Battleworld will look like, check out the image below. There are a few pretty cool little surprises in there.