History YMMV / SecretEmpire

* BrokenBase: Because of the very nature of the storyline, there is a very distinct split within the base between the fans that like the story and where it may head and the fans who find it utterly disgusting that it's actually happening. There is also a third group who think that the storyline is great... for an issue of ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' and ''not'' an in-continuity story. Others think it would be better if it didn't launch when the political landscape of the world was in the state it was, passing it as something they might have otherwise enjoyed suffering from extraordinarily unlucky timing.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Despite being painted as a good guy vs. bad guy event, the fact that the event is lasting ten issues going through four months (May through August), starting the heroes out on the losing side and unable to effectively fight back, ''numerous'' tie-ins that show this and Marvel being heavily mum as to how Steve Rogers will be able to rebound on this when Nick Spencer is adamant that the usual tropes that explain away this little bit ''will not'' be used to end this, it's really hard to root for anyone. The Nazi comparisons doesn't help it at all.

** [[spoiler: The [=FCBD=] Secret Empire issue ends with Hydra Cap lifting Mjolnir easily, as if deemed worthy by the Hammer.]] This has lead to some people, upon getting the comic itself, actually ''burning it'' in protest and frustration. [[CriticalResearchFailure Nick Spencer pointed out on a tweet the hypocrisy of burning (comic) books to protest (fictional) fascism]], though a reply noted that book-burning isn't fascist when not done by the government, and is a valid form of protest by civilians.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Despite being painted as a good guy vs. bad guy event, the fact that the event is lasting ten issues going through four months (May through August), starting the heroes out on the losing side and unable to effectively fight back, ''numerous'' tie-ins that show this and Marvel being heavily mum as to how Steve Rogers will be able to rebound on this when Nick Spencer is adamant that the usual tropes that explain away this little bit ''will not'' be used to end this, it's really hard to root for anyone. The Nazi comparisons doesn't help it at all. The fact Marvel has more or less admitted Hydra Cap was a RatingsStunt to begin with decidedly doesn't help either, as it makes the whole thing feel even ''less'' meaningful as a result.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Despite being painted as a good guy vs. bad guy event, the fact that the event is lasting ten issues going through four months (May through August), starting the heroes out on the losing side and unable to effectively fight back, ''numerous'' tie-ins that show this and Marvel being heavily mum as to how Steve Rogers will be able to rebound on this when Nick Spencer is adamant that the usual tropes that explain away this little bit ''will not'' be used to end this, it's really hard to root for anyone. The Nazi comparisons doesn't help it at all. The fact Marvel has more or less admitted Hydra Cap was a RatingsStunt to begin with decidedly doesn't help either.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Despite being painted as a good guy vs. bad guy event, the fact that the event is lasting ten issues going through four months (May through August), starting the heroes out on the losing side and unable to effectively fight back, ''numerous'' tie-ins that show this and Marvel being heavily mum as to how Steve Rogers will be able to rebound on this when Nick Spencer is adamant that the usual tropes that explain away this little bit ''will not'' be used to end this, it's really hard to root for anyone. The Nazi comparisons doesn't help it at all.
* DracoInLeatherPants: Nick Spencer attempted to defy this trope, but it's heavily failed thanks to Marvel's promotion - many fans actually quite ''like'' Steve like this as it's an interesting take on the character. It doesn't help that, despite Marvel trying to portray this as a good guy vs. bad guy event, a vast majority of the stories show the bad guys trumping the good guys. Being an event that extends well into August makes it even worse

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy:
** While this is more of a straight-forward superhero vs. supervillain slugfest than most {{Crisis Crossover}}s, the fact that it's prefaced by a massive alien invasion by the Chitauri on top of [[TheParagon Steve Rogers]]' reveal as TheMole for HYDRA seems to be putting off people who are just tired of these stories.
** Connected to the TheReveal, some websites such as Bleeding Cool have cultivated this trope further by essentially claiming that [[spoiler:the universe we know has always been false, that Steve was always EvilAllAlong and that the Nazis had actually won WWII]], which has really put off readers even further.
* DracoInLeatherPants: Defied. Nick Spencer says the Cap in this story is a straight-up bad guy, not a misunderstood hero.

* BrokenBase: Because of the very nature of the storyline, there is a very distinct split within the base between the fans that like the story and where it may head and the fans who find it utterly disgusting that it's actually happening. There is also a third group who think that the storyline is great... for an issue of ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' and ''not'' an in-continuity story.

* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: Far and away, they key criticism of the storyline. While HYDRA and the brainwashed Captain America are ''supposed'' to be villains, the evil Cap is portrayed as an EvilIsCool figure of VillainousValor, in ways such as being framed as the LesserOfTwoEvils next to the Red Skull [[spoiler:and being deemed worthy of Mjolnir]], and the marketing has heavily emphasized HYDRA over the actual heroes, to the point comic store employees have been given HYDRA shirts to wear. This has caused many to question if Marvel knows [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop just what kind of message they're sending]].

** [[spoiler: The [=FCBD=] Secret Empire issue ends with Hydra Cap lifting Mjolnir easily, as if deemed worthy by the Hammer.]] This has lead to some people, upon getting the comic itself, actually ''burning it'' in protest and frustration. [[DidNotDoTheResearch Nick Spencer pointed out on a tweet the hypocrisy of burning (comic) books to protest (fictional) fascism]], though a reply noted that book-burning isn't fascist when not done by the government, and is a valid form of protest by civilians.

** [[spoiler: The [=FCBD=] Secret Empire issue ends with Hydra Cap lifting Mjolnir easily, as if deemed worthy by the Hammer.]] This has lead to some people, upon getting the comic itself, actually ''burning it'' in protest and frustration. Nick Spencer pointed out on a tweet the hypocrisy of burning (comic) books to protest (fictional) fascism.

** [[spoiler: The [=FCBD=] Secret Empire issue has been leaked and it ends with Hydra Cap lifting Mjolnir easily, as if deemed worthy by the Hammer.]] This has lead to some people, upon getting the comic itself, actually ''burning it'' in protest and frustration. Nick Spencer pointed out on a tweet the hypocrisy of burning (comic) books to protest (fictional) fascism.

** You know that the backdraft is pretty bad [[http://www.comicsbeat.com/marvel-pleads-for-readers-to-wait-until-the-end-of-secret-empire-to-pass-judgement/ when Marvel itself sends out an official news statement that pretty much asks people to stop and at least wait until the arc is over before passing judgment.]] The irony being that comics are a periodical medium, therefore it is commonplace to judge it piecemeal to begin with, not to mention that the Hydrafied Cap story has been going on for a year now.

** You know that the backdraft is pretty bad [[http://www.comicsbeat.com/marvel-pleads-for-readers-to-wait-until-the-end-of-secret-empire-to-pass-judgement/ when Marvel itself sends out an official news statement that pretty much asks people to stop and at least wait until the arc is over before passing judgment.]] The irony being that comics are a periodical medium, therefore it is commonplace to judge it piecemeal to begin with.

** On a lesser note, Nick Spencer tweeted that Secret Empire #0 was the best selling comic for its month. People who follow comic sales had a field day with this, noting that both ''ComicBoom/{{Batman}}'' #21 and ''ComicBook/TheFlash'' #21 (Parts 1 and 2 of ''ComicBook/TheButton'') beat it, because ''Secret Empire'' won on a technicality, and not one that's hard to see at that -- the lenticular covers for those DC issues were considered different items, but added to the sales of the non-lenticular covers, ''both'' issues outsold ''Secret Empire''.

** A series featuring villains aligned with Cap had a variant cover with ComicBook/{{Magneto}} on it. Given that Magneto is a Holocaust survivor and has long opposed HYDRA for their connections to the Nazis, it's not really hard to see why several fans didn't take kindly to this. [[spoiler:Neither they did when it was revealed that Scarlet Witch (a Romani) was part of Rogers' super-powered-SecretPolice "Avengers".]]

** You know that the backdraft is pretty bad [[http://www.comicsbeat.com/marvel-pleads-for-readers-to-wait-until-the-end-of-secret-empire-to-pass-judgement/ when Marvel itself sends out an official news statement that pretty much asks people to stop.]] The irony being that comics are a periodical medium, therefore it is commonplace to judge it piecemeal to begin with.

** A series featuring villains aligned with Cap had a variant cover with ComicBook/{{Magneto}} on it. Given that Magneto is a Holocaust survivor and has long opposed HYDRA for their connections to the Nazis, it's not really hard to see why several fans didn't take kindly to this.

** [[spoiler: The [=FCBD=] Secret Empire issue has been leaked and it ends with Hydra Cap lifting Mjolnir easily, as if deemed worthy by the Hammer.]] This has lead to some people, upon getting the comic itself, actually ''burning it'' in protest and frustration.

** On a lesser note, Nick Spencer tweeted that Secret Empire #0 was the best selling comic for its month. People who follow comic sales had a field day with this, noting that both ''ComicBoom/{{Batman}}'' #21 and ''ComicBook/TheFlash'' #21 (Parts 1 and 2 of ''ComicBook/TheButton'') beat it, because ''Secret Empire'' won on a technicality, and not one that's hard to see at that -- the lenticular covers for those DC issues were considered different items, but added to the sales of the non-lenticular covers, ''both'' issues outsold ''Secret Empire''. He also pointed out on a tweet the hypocrisy of burning (comic) books to protest (fictional) fascism.
** You know that the backdraft is pretty bad [[http://www.comicsbeat.com/marvel-pleads-for-readers-to-wait-until-the-end-of-secret-empire-to-pass-judgement/ when Marvel itself sends out an official news statement that pretty much asks people to stop.]]

** On a lesser note, Nick Spencer tweeted that Secret Empire #0 was the best selling comic for its month. People who follow comic sales had a field day with this, noting that both ''ComicBoom/{{Batman}}'' #21 and ''ComicBook/TheFlash'' #21 (Parts 1 and 2 of ''ComicBook/TheButton'') beat it, because ''Secret Empire'' won on a technicality, and not one that's hard to see at that -- the lenticular covers for those DC issues were considered different items, but added to the sales of the non-lenticular covers, ''both'' issues outsold ''Secret Empire''.

** You know that the backdraft is pretty bad [[http://www.comicsbeat.com/marvel-pleads-for-readers-to-wait-until-the-end-of-secret-empire-to-pass-judgement/ when Marvel itself sends out a note that pretty much asks people to stop.]]

* BrokenBase: Because of the very nature of the storyline, there is a very distinct split within the base between the fans that like the story and where it may head and the fans who find it utterly disgusting that it's actually happening. There is also a third group who think that the storyline is great... for an issue of ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' and ''not'' an in-continuity story.

&& * HilariousInHindsight: With the rage and anger going on because of this comic, one would think that, when DC revealed their ''own'' "superhero takes a Nazi-like stance" storyline, there would be an equal level of rage here. Instead, ''Nightwing: The New Order'' was actually met with praise and excitement. It probably helped that the writer, Kyle Higgins, expressively said that this was non-canon (though not exactly ''ComicBook/{{Elseworlds}}'') and was being depicted as a ''bad thing'', unlike ''Secret Empire'', which was canon and trying to boast in some way as a good thing.

&&* HilariousInHindsight: With the rage and anger going on because of this comic, one would think that, when DC revealed their ''own'' "superhero takes a Nazi-like stance" storyline, there would be an equal level of rage here. Instead, ''Nightwing: The New Order'' was actually met with praise and excitement. It probably helped that the writer, Kyle Higgins, expressively said that this was non-canon (though not exactly ''ComicBook/{{Elseworlds}}'') and was being depicted as a ''bad thing'', unlike ''Secret Empire'', which was canon and trying to boast in some way as a good thing.

* HilariousInHindsight: With the rage and anger going on because of this comic, one would think that, when DC revealed their ''own'' "superhero takes a Nazi-like stance" storyline, there would be an equal level of rage here. Instead, ''Nightwing: The New Order'' was actually met with praise and excitement. It probably helped that the writer, Kyle Higgins, expressively said that this was non-canon (though not exactly ''ComicBook/{{Elseworlds}}'') and was being depicted as a ''bad thing'', unlike ''Secret Empire'', which was canon and trying to boast in some way as a good thing.