This series has been building for years, and it's great to see those storylines paying off - though I have to admit, I have no idea how the creative team is going to manage to wrap this all up in the final issue. Read Full Review

Only one more issue of Secret Wars left, which, hopefully, we'll get next month, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that. Still, even with the release schedule making it impossible to gather momentum, this book is still an incredible voyage and really underscores that Hickman has cultivated something so ambitious and rewarding, that it will be hard to not compare other long form stories to his. Read Full Review

Secret Wars #8 is about as big as an event comic can be. Sure, most of the rest of the Marvel Universe has moved on past Secret Wars but when you view some of the events of this comic you can't help but be blown away. Hickman, Ribic and Svorcina are priming to go out with one hell of a bang and I will certainly be there to watch Battleworld go down in flames in issue #9. Read Full Review

Yet, Secret Wars #8 returns the excellence of both Hickman and Ribic's respective narrative and artistic games to ensure the (hopefully) majestic battle royale between the company's intellectual rivals, and the finale of the writer's tenure as one of Marvel's architects and the event as well. It is hard to swallow indeed that there are already spoilers around in the new ongoing titles primarily due to the event's sluggishness and/or accommodations to fulfill the writer's true vision; but this penultimate chapter somehow returns some shreds of optimism that the final Secret Wars chapter is as, say, epic as it must be"the End of the "Old" Marvel continuum. Let's wait until January next year (sigh)". Read Full Review

With one chapter remaining of Marvel's biggest event ever, Hickman and Ribic give readers their very best effort and provide the best issue of the series since the opening issues. The most important aspect of this issue is that every single thing that occurs on these pages matter. From Thanos' confrontation with Doom, Galactus vs. Thing, and the cliffhanger, readers are equally rewarded with great moments, but left eagerly awaiting the final issue of this great event series. Hickman and Ribic opened up this series with a bang, and by all indications, they aim to close with an even bigger bang in Secret Wars #8. Read Full Review

Secret Wars continues to be engaging in its own way, even if it feels like we're getting a Cliff's Notes version of what's going on in this main series. As we hit the penultimate installment, the overwhelming array of forces at work here brings a lot of things together that we've seen pieces of before. Having not read most of the side series I find myself looking at it from a distance, not connecting with it on a bigger level. I love the way it's unfolding and the scale of it all, but there's something that continues to feel like it's a big opportunity that was just missed. I'm thoroughly enjoying it for what it is, and it's beautifully put together, but as an event it feels so unlike others that I can't quite figure it out. It doesn't help that it's all been delayed as well and that the relaunch has already happened, making this all feel even more awkward in a way. Read Full Review

Secret Wars #8 offers more wide-scale superhero spectacle for those who felt the series was moving too slowly. This issue is crammed with great moments, some revolving around God Emperor Doom himself. There's just enough character drama mixed in between these moments to keep the series on course for a truly memorable finale in January. Read Full Review

The spectacular action more than makes up for the usual story flaws, and the art, while showing some storytelling that appears too cramped or nonsequitor in places, has a better hits-to-misses ratio overall. Read Full Review

Its hard to tell if any of this would be a problem if the series had stuck to its monthly schedule and avoided long and frequent delays. When we get one issue of Secret Wars every couple months, maybe we hold it up to more scrutiny. The writing and the art are still for the most part fantastic (no pun intended), and I still believe in the future this event will be looked back upon very favourably when judged as a whole and not by its individual parts. Read Full Review

"Secret Wars" #8 has enough drama and excitement that makes me wish it had had a different publication schedule. However, if Hickman and Ribic can build off the events here, issue #9 should be quite a memorable conclusion. Read Full Review

While there are some cool moments and see the story progressing, it doesn't feel like its moving forward a huge amount. Originally the series was set at eight issues. An extra issue was added to fully tell the story. While I'm grateful we get to see some of the moments that occur here, it almost feels like we're not much further compared to where issue #7 left off. Read Full Review

Readers have been understandably frustrated with Secret Wars all throughout its run. From the inaccessible early issues to its seemingly neverending solicitation delays, Secret Wars has drawn more than its fair share of complaints. However, this penultimate issue shows that even though Marvel has moved onto other things, Secret Wars still has an important story to tell. Jonathan Hickman, Esad Ribic and Ive Svorcina go big and loud for #8, proving that Secret Wars still has some fireworks left before its long-awaited finale. Read Full Review

Secret Wars #8 is pure chaos as Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic take a quick inventory of all of the pieces on the board, which includes a few fun surprises along the way. Read Full Review

Previous issues of SECRET WARS always had just enough going for them to give readers a justifiable glimmer of hope for the following chapter. At this point, the only thing to look forward to about the final chapter of SECRET WARS (which has been delayed again until January 2016) is that we'll finally know how the MU goes back to ‘normal', though the longer we continue to live in a post-SECRET WARS Marvel the less that information matters. Though there is some good in this issue, none of it outweighs the fact that something went horribly wrong with this series, and there's no longer a reason to believe that Hickman will nail the finale. Read Full Review

A lot happens in this issue which will make fans happy since some of these installments have read like filler at best. It's easy to see things are concluding to make way for the big finale which means less of a dramatic focus on key characters; overall this is fun, bombastic action done pretty well. Read Full Review

Getting past the eye candy, "Under Siege" is a frustrating yet necessary piece of the Secret Wars puzzle. Despite a few stand-out character moments, overall pacing suffers from its formerly-conjoined status with the previous issue. Read Full Review

Wow, hardcore. I am Groot.

There are many things to love about this issue. A brawl between a giant Thing and Galactus is great. Adding Groot to the mix is better. Doom coming face to face with Thanos showed what this version of Doom can really do. The only thing bothering me is that now that we have the All New, All Different titles coming out it feels like this should have ended by now. It is hard to care what the outcome of the event will be when you are already seeing the aftermath. Context should probably not influence the enjoyment of the story but it is hard to ignore.

Wow. Giants everywhere. It's like the Royal Rumble, someone dies and a new contender enters the arena. It's truly well orchestrated chaos and Hickman does a superb job navigating us through it. The art is crisp and that last scene where Doom shows off his power is CLASSIC! I just wish we could get #9 already and roll with the All New All Different drama!

With everything going on it's pretty chaotic, but manages to not be a big mess. I'm eagerly awaiting the final showdown.

We get nearer to the finish line and "Secret Wars" delivers once more a delightful issue, with incredible art by Esad Ribic and a good story on Hickman's side. The idea of introducing Groot was honestly unexpected and appreciated, there were some memorable deaths (which won't last any longer than another issue I guess) and a little fun. What doesn't make me feel like this was a top level issue is the unavoidable fact that the final fallout was clearly set up and expected, losing some momentum and possibility for a jaw-dropping ending.

If you like comics with a lot of action, you're going to like this issue. 8

The action is big and bad-ass but it's largely coming from the various tie-ins, or at least I assume it is. This is annoying because it is difficult to know what is going on without reading the two dozen crummy tie-ins out there and it degrades Secret Wars's own narrative integrity.

Like smashing your action figures together. Maximum Meh