Writer Kieron Gillen

Artist Filipe Andrade

Color Artist Rachelle Rosenberg

Double Page Spreads Andrade & Rosenberg; James Stokoe; Jorge Coelho

Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles

Before I get too far along, am I the only one who thinks of Karen Gillan, when I think of Kieron Gillen and vice versa? Anyways.

10 Years Ago.  20 Years Too late.  Abigail Brand defeats Ord, of Breakworld, in a Secret War.  Doing so, puts her in charge of the Shield.  She is a Shield-Maiden.  It is exactly what she wanted.

Now.  Abigail Brand’s War Journal.  Day 3682.  Which is 10 years and a month later.  I like Gillen’s world building here.  The Shield is 250 feet high and circles the entire southern hemisphere of Battleworld.

The Shield keeps back the Marvel Zombies, the Alien Symbiotes and the Army of Ultron robots.

I also like the logic of this series.  In the main title, we learn that it has been eight years since the universes collided so there is some room to believe that characters could have aged in that time.

Leah, we get her name later, wakes up Brand.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Leah_(Earth-616)

Leah is from Gillen’s time with his Kid Loki saga – from Journey to Mystery to Loki’s solo title.

Leah informs Brand that there were no big attacks, during the night.  Actually, we do get her name on this page, I just missed it.  Brand implies that Leah is leaving, more on that later.  Her replacement is someone Brand is not looking forward to.  Leonardo da Vinci comes into the room.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Leonardo_da_Vinci_(Earth-616)

They head to the top of the Shield.  Scott Summers, one of many as they have a slew of him as clones.  Far as I can tell, no Mister Sinister, in sight.

Lady Katherine of Bishop, who I first saw over in Secret Wars Journal 1, is here – so now I know that the team that protects the Shield, comes from all over Battleworld.  She introduces herself to Ms. America Chavez.

http://marvel.wikia.com/America_Chavez_(Earth-TRN366)

They seem to be fast friends.

Thing, who appears to be both, wearing tighty whitiess as well as being able to merge with the planet surface.  He is their main source of transportation.

War Journal.  Five years ago, Pym-Phalax went into the Deadlands (where the Zombies live).  They were hoping to learn from the Zombies, to better combat the Ultrons.  They lost contact with Pym after two months.  A year later, attacks from Giant Ants (Man) started.

I love the detail of the line, that on their DNA, is a message – Kill Me.  I’m sorry.  I was wrong.  Kill Me.

So intense!

Their solution to this threat is to hook up the Endless Summers to a lense created by Leonardo Da Vinci and they just blast the dudes.

Later.  Brand comments on the name “Giant Ant-Men Zombies” which is a threat one can only find a comic book.  Brand took this position from Fury.

Leah implies that Fury left six months ago and Brand has outperformed him.

Apparently, a group of people went down the Shield and into one of the regions.  Fury was leading them, and Leah is leaving her post to go after them.  She’s leaving as Illyana is out there.  Which leads to me buying this issue and tracking the series.

Leah is a Hel-Ranger and a Shield-Maiden, she will not leave Illyana out there, alone.  I’m not sure why Leah didn’t go in the first place.  Maybe it was more of a routine trip down to the region and things got out of hand?

Brand tells Leah (and us) that Illyana has been gone for a week, so she could still be alive (I hope).

Leah reveals that Beast and Brand were a couple (I do like them together).  It is implied that he died, the same way, going to the surface.

Leah has been the best Second that Brand has had.  Leah finally confirms it, her and Illyana are a couple.  Not an unfamiliar concept with Illyana.  I am, assuming, that Illyana is Magik – as there is only the one character named, Illyana, in the Marvel Universe.

We see who is Leah’s replacement – Kang!  He is going to take charge of the Hel-Rangers.  Kang has experiences fighting Hulks.  Which seems impressive until Brand says that fighting Hulks is nothing like what they have to fight on a daily basis.

I could go for more proper history lessons of Battleworld.  Brand tells Kang about what happen 30 years ago.  There were seven major breaches and the Shield came down.  The regions of Perfection (Ultrons), Deadlands (Zombies) and the Bugs – had a feast of death.  God Doom allowed this to happen, allowed all of the destruction, to happen – until it got to the southern border of Fortress Doom.  Then Doom, with a wave of his hand, fixed the situation.  He allowed millions of deaths and reformed the Shield.  That is one insane decision!

There was another region, Breakland, that doesn’t exist anymore.  Brand was only nine years ago, so she is now 39 – which is older than I thought she was.  Brand swears that she isn’t going to let that happen, ever again.

Brand does not like that Kang isn’t concern about the obstacles.  His carelessness, is going to get millions killed.  I do like Brand, as a character.  She describes the best case scenario – that you fight back a threat on Monday, and they don’t come back until Tuesday.  In the meantime, there are other threats to deal with.  She underlines it for Kang – there is no win, they just can’t fail.

To further emphasize this, Future Kang shows up with a warning.  He thought he could do it but he was wrong.  In 20 days, the Shield will fall.  Secret Wars 2015 is all about countdowns.  Thanos is coming!  This is the Proper Thanos, as no one knows that name.  Makes sense that Doom wouldn’t create another Thanos.  Though he did create Zombies and Ultrons, so who knows what he is willing to recreate.

Issue ends –

Time Before The Fall of the Shield :

20 Days and Counting.

There Is No Hope.

I’m so excited about this series!