“There is nothing wrong with typical Stan Lee hyperbole“. That was the line I’ll remember most from Executive Editor Tom Brevoort as far as today’s press conference goes. Why? Because today they officially announced and detailed the upcoming Marvel mega event, Secret Wars. In a press conference that took place at New York City’s infamous Midtown Comics, Brevoort and Marvel Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso attempted to break the internet with plans for the upcoming event and the future of the Marvel Universe. Immediately afterwards I spoke to several other journalists, retailers, and fans. Immediately after the video below, showing the entirety of the press conference, I’ll share my thoughts and why I think that quote is so important to keep in mind.

The Marvel Universe Is going to end! They’re doing a NEW 52 style reboot to Marvel! These were the things I first heard people clamoring about immediately after the guys at Marvel said it was the end of the Marvel Universe as we know it. I think fans forgot the second half of that line or the lead in with commentary on Marvel/Stan Lee’s classic hyperbole. Everything marketed through Marvel is the biggest thing ever, the end all and be all, or earth shattering. Why? Because it gets everyone excited, afraid, and talking about the event. But do I truly think this will be a hard reboot of Marvel’s long running universe they so proudly point out is ever aging? Hardly. Marvel Now wasn’t, All New Marvel Now wasn’t, nor were any of those previous events like Age of Ultron or House of M. At craziest we might get something comparable to the Days of Future Past movie that sets things back on the right track. But if you’ve actually been reading Avengers and New Avengers (which you honestly should be, as they’re brilliant), you can tell the future is getting dark for our heroes and a bit of Age of Ultron style time altering might be in order. Sure the Ultimate Universe will likely come to an end, with its better parts left in the main 616 Universe, but that was a long time coming, with several threats.

Secret Wars is to be an 8-issue event running from May through December of 2015 and kicking off in Free Comic Book Day’s Secret Wars #0. Secret Wars #0 not only starts the event, but also includes the first official English release of the Japanese Attack on Titan/Avengers crossover. Manga fans will undoubtedly be diving all over that, so shops better order heavy and fans better arrive quickly on May 2nd. From that point the incursions we’ve been seeing in Avengers, and the multiverse storylines that Jonathan Hickman has been hinting at since his Fantastic Four run, will all come to a head on Battle World. What is Battle World? Well, it’s a lot like DC Blood Moon in Convergence, oddly enough, as it takes some of the crazier parts of the Marvel Multiverse and puts them all on one planet to battle it out. Is this what happens when a planet is destroyed by an incursion? Or was this the saving grace that prevented Earth 616 from being destroyed or destroying another planet? We’ll certainly find out in the event. But when all is said and done our heroes will likely return to Earth in a way Marvel so often does, humbly changed and continually aging, but not too much worse for the wear. I mean, think about it fanboys and fangirls? When was the last time a major Marvel event truly ended with people not complaining that hardly anything changed? Secret Invasion’s Dark Reign? House of M? Sure those shook up the status quo, but comic shops were still filled with fans complaining very little truly happened. Think of it as a blessing, because change is often frightful…just look at the New 52. One way or another I expect we’re in for a great ride under the very skilled hands of Hickman and artist Esad Ribic, and it all starts this May!

Oh, and if you wanted a closer look at those comic teasers for Battle World? Here you go: