'Different strokes for different folks'. 'To each their own'. 'You're just mental and my opinion is definitely better'. One of these three statements doesn't quite belong, and here's a hint: it's the exact same one that gamers most love to utter. We really are a surly, self-important bunch, at least we can be, provided players believe strongly enough in their own video gaming verdicts. One player's 'massive pile of slag' is to another 'the sweetest culmination of a thousand euphoric truths'. Defy a Zelda devotee at your peril. Defend a critically-panned cult hit at your own personal risk. It certainly doesn't take much for the long knives to come out when a fan's deepest convictions are questioned.

So then, what kind of games are we talking about? Which titles produce the most volatile of forum fracas, the most bile spewing of debates? Just what are the most polarising, the most massively divisive games of all time? Click that there page turner and find out.

Supporters see - An interactive Twin Peaks, complete with compelling, if altogether nonsensical, cast and an ambitious open-world design. Atmospheric, richly layered and boasting a self-effacing, humorous charm, Access Games' epic remains the veritable grand wizard of cult hits. In choosing to criticise its lacklustre mechanics, detractors only emphasize their own skewed perspectives - this is an experience so much more than the sum of its parts.

Detractors see - An insufferably tacky and horrendously realised title that lacks even the basic semblance of playability. Controls are atrocious, the visuals are worse, and the game's much-touted storyline reads like a teenager's pained attempts at eccentric edginess. Fans of the narrative forgive far too much, lauding its story while forgetting about every other element that makes up a game - a bit like persevering with a broken laptop because you find the particular tint of the blue screen of death to be soothing.

Let's settle it - Twin Peaks marathon. First one to question the nature of reality loses.

Supporters see - Endlessly creative, visually engrossing and buoyed by the same brand of gentle, enjoyable gameplay as its famous forebears, Wind Waker succeeds on almost every level imaginable. Its story is more absorbing, its content more diverse and its challenges more numerous and more finely honed than ever before. TWW represents the absolute perfection of an already magnificent formula. How sad that some players cannot overcome their graphical bias.

Detractors see - A needless reinvention of a time-honoured visual tradition. Just imagine the uproar had TES: Skyrim switched to cutesy characters, or Metal Gear Solid gone kawaii crazy. Not only that, but the game employs numerous unadorned fetch quests, simplistic 'shopping list adventures' that themselves make use of the game's ultra bland sailing mechanics. Majora's Mask hinted at bold new moves, Wind Waker just repaints old Ocarina and calls it a day.

Let's settle it - Wooden sailboat endurance race. First one not to drown is crowned champion.

Supporters see - A novel concept tied to a challenging narrative. Gone Home represents the future of video game storytelling, weaving a multi-faceted and emotionally charged tale of everyday familial intrigue. Though seemingly simplistic at the outset, Gone Home's sparse environment actually belies a far deeper tale, one that is both horror and not-horror, mysterious and at the same time oddly humdrum. It's a tale that relies almost entirely upon the player's own fragmented perspective for effect, prompting our imaginations to do much of the heavy lifting. We're the ones who make it horror, or thriller or murder mystery. In that, Gone Home represents a brand new breed of interactive storytelling.

Detractors see - An utterly pretentious 'statement piece' lacking in any rewarding gameplay mechanics or even basic value ($20 at release). As an adventure game it lacks challenging tasks and/or puzzle elements. As a prospective horror title it foregoes any actual menace. As a thriller, it lacks thrills and as a detective title it leaves players with an utterly underwhelming conclusion. As socially and even narratively progressive as it may be, Gone Home comes off as more of a damp squib than a revelatory adventure.

Let's settle it - Toss a coin. Then inspect said coin repeatedly hoping for some sort of clue. Go bonkers.

Supporters see - A satisfyingly brutal, intensely challenging and richly detailed 'old school RPG' for the modern age,one that foregoes the hand-holding and exposition-heavy treatment of its contemporaries for a far more difficult, albeit infinitely more rewarding payoff. Dark Souls is a game that crushes you down completely, to rebuild you in its own terrifying image, and proving only as cruel as it needs to be in order to achieve that end. Souls institutes a veritable trial by fire, the completion of which yields vast new worlds of immersion, excitement and elation. This is real adventure, one in which triumphs are only ever as rewarding as its tasks are testing.

Detractors see - Needlessly punitive, consistently frustrating and altogether unfair, Dark Souls brings the coin-guzzling difficulty of old school arcade machines direct to your living room. Particularly galling are the game's many boss monsters - overpowered behemoths that utterly annihilate the player several times over before their attack patterns can be memorized. Even then, encounters often feel cheap. So, if your idea of fun is banging your head into a brick wall over and over again until finally it cracks (or you do) then this is the game for you.

Let's settle it - Slip 'n' Slide water torture contest.

Supporters see - A more visceral and immediate take on the Dragon Age formula, Dragon Age 2 ditches its predecessor's expansive settings and associated bloat for a more driven and linear adventure. That's not to say it's a short game however, as Hawke's tale still offers up a generous 40 to 60 hour run time. Combat is smoother, its mechanics more streamlined, and the game's storytelling far less grandiose or liable to meander. Naysayers may balk at the loss of needlessly obtuse menus and character creation suites, but that's no reason to slam this bloody good title.

Detractors see - A corporate-ordered sequel bereft of any new ideas, desperately pandering to the mainstream action fan. What had seemed like an amazing franchise in the making was shortly thereafter been sullied, transformed into something far more flashy, yet much less substantial. Gone are the tactical flourishes and strategic micro management of old, not to mention a narrative of any actual significance, replaced instead by a brainless brand of combat and a largely inconsequential plot.

Let's settle it - Poor quality LARP-level sword fight.

Supporters see - The Sopranos of the video game landscape. GTA 4 added a whole new level of depth, maturity and gravitas to the tried and true sandbox formula, marrying meaningful character design to realistic and vivacious environments. Liberty City is more than just a setting, it's a character, one that horrifies and entices in equal measure. Its inhabitants are every bit as complex and emotive as their city, displaying their own particular quirks, desires and demands. Added to that is a much improved combat system and a chaotic multiplayer suite. Cynics may bemoan the loss of the series' juvenile humour, but it's a worthwhile trade-off nonetheless. Every franchise has to grow up sometime.

Detractors see - A pompous, self-important and downright gloomy addition to a franchise formerly known for its sense of outlandish, satirical fun. GTA IV mistakes sullen grit for cinematic greatness, opting for chore-like realism to the detriment of the player's engagement. Cars handle like bricks, shooting is sub-par, and inter-character relationships feel forced and occasionally aggravating. Realism for the sake of realism - even the boring bits.

Let's settle it - Invitation contest. Both sides send incessant, highly annoying invitations to one another. First one to crack loses.

Supporters see - A rollicking good action franchise boasting outlandish setpieces aplenty. Blessed with grade-A production values, top quality multiplayer modes and some of the slickest shooting mechanics this side of a Halo ring, CoD is more than just some angry tween's playpen - it's a wildly entertaining slice of popcorn cinema served straight to your console. Sadly, COD's ever-present status and mammoth sales figures have turned it into a perfect target for the contrarian 'too cool to be popular' crowd. They claim the game never changes, when in fact it's really undergone all manner of tweaks and adjustments, the kind they'd probably notice if only they weren't too busy decrying the title to actually play it.

Detractors see - Unambitious, unrefined and iterated half to death, CoD represents the game of choice for the hulking 'dudebro' masses, the majority of whom couldn't spot a quality narrative if it knocked off their indoor shades before punching them square in the face. CoD is everything that's wrong with the modern gaming scene, from the scores of irate clichés screaming down their microphones, to the publisher's now seasonal exploitation of fans.

Let's settle it - Man with the Golden Gun-style duel to the death.

Supporters see - A darker, more mature interpretation of the classic Zelda mythos. Despite ringing the changes, Majora's Mask proves to be every bit as brilliant as its illustrious predecessor, buoyed up by an equally classic soundtrack, superior cast of characters, and a richer, more varied brand of gameplay. This may be a different breed of Zelda, but it's easily on par with the triumphs of Link's Awakening, Ocarina and co.

Detractors see - 'Errand Boy: The Video Game'. Majora's Mask opted to scuttle the series' dungeon-led formula in favour of an ongoing series of fetch quests and mini-games. It's also far more linear than previous entries, and a major step back from the greater accessibility and openness present in Ocarina.

Let's settle it - Run around a costume shop adopting the characteristics of every new mask worn. First to be thrown from the premises Jazzy Jeff-style is declared the winner.

Supporters see - An exquisitely crafted, sharply streamlined, and altogether more focused addition to the recent Final Fantasy canon. It also bears mentioning that 13 looks absolutely stunning, sounds fabulous, and features a deep and malleable battle system. It's linear, yes, but who needs more tiresome fetch quests or perfunctory exploration - this is a franchise about battles, character and otherworldly atmosphere. FFX13 nails all three.

Detractors see - A sizeable step back for what was once a progressive and keenly ambitious franchise. Only the bare essentials remain. Combat, now far shallower and less thoughtful. Characters, largely clichéd and unlikeable. A storyline bereft of any real scope or weight. Gone are the vibrant, explorable cityscapes, the unique and talkative NPCs, and any kind of challenge in combat. FFXIII is little more than one pretty corridor after the next, an on-rails RPG for the brainless masses.

Let's settle it - JRPG hair-teasing contest. First contestant to pass out from all of the hairspray fumes is declared the loser.

Supporters see - An epic, oftentimes moving send-off to the illustrious Solid Snake. Metal Gear Solid 4 includes everything that made the franchise so special to begin with. and then adds a whole heap more. Gameplay is as tight and nuanced as ever, allowing players to sneak or shoot past every obstacle, while the game's central storyline justifies its lengthy runtime through top quality direction and performances. Sadly, detractors just don't have the patience for this kind of complex experience.

Detractors see - An overwrought, overlong and underwhelming adventure plagued by outdated mechanics and godawful writing. Movement is wooden and unintuitive throughout, characters are tepid and unlikeable, and those damnable cut scenes go on for far, far too long. MGS has always fancied itself a bit of a blockbuster, but 8 hours of pained, non-interactive exposition is just way too much.

Let's settle it - SM sneak-athon. Both parties don tight rubber suits and crawl around their local towns. First to be arrested loses.

Supporters see - A bold new step for the Metroid series, Other M combines beautiful graphics, compelling gameplay and a much more ambitious style of narrative to create one of the Wii's most under-appreciated gems. In keeping with the series' 2D roots, Samus returns to her agile best here, forsaking the 'tank-like' movement of the Prime titles and introducing a unique and highly responsive control scheme.

Detractors see - A short, overly linear and occasionally uncontrollable mess that disregards much of the franchise's tradition. Featuring a bevy of unskippable, overlong cut scenes, starring a newly obedient Samus, Other M consistently interjects lame, cookie cutter plot beats into a franchise that has little-to-no need of them. Give us back our strong leading lady.

Let's settle it - Both parties confront MMA champion Ronda Rousey with classic 1920's sexism. First to die loses.

Supporters see - The precision gunplay of Halo meets the endless possibilities of the MMO, bonding quality levelling elements to a rewarding and consistently-varied shooter. Hype has a way of hardening some people's perspectives, but don’t be fooled, this is a highly competent and gratifying experience that’s sure to endure and expand over the years to come.

Detractors see - An unfinished, largely generic FPS title masquerading as an online game-changer. Quests are uninspired, the setting pretty but lifeless, and the storyline all but non-existent. Go here, kill this, defend that - rinse, repeat and regret. Even the mighty Peter Dinklage can't summon up any enthusiasm for this paint-by-numbers actioner.

Let's settle it - Xbox live endurance test featuring Clockwork Orange-style apparatus. First one to devolve into casual racism and juvenile mic tirades loses.

Supporters see - An emotional roller coaster unlike any other game before it. Beautifully realised, both in terms of its graphical fidelity and authentically mo-capped performances, Two Souls ably continues Quantic Dream's stunning run of unique and challenging titles. This is the 'interactive narrative' writ large, delicately measured and consistently thoughtful throughout - certainly not one for any knuckle-dragging action fans.

Detractors see - A barely interactive 8-hour movie that scarcely deserves consideration as a game. Beyond's narrative aims for high art and misses by some margin, its runtime racked by numerous instances of dreary tedium, and all despite being almost completely linear in nature. Gameplay where it does exist proves to be just as tiresome, clunky and unfocused, with the game more than happy to press on without you, essentially relegating the player to the role of inconsequential 'page-turner'.

Let's settle it - Spot the difference contest featuring Ellen Page and Ashley Johnson's in-game avatars.

Supporters see - An aesthetically sumptuous title that isn't afraid to take established RPG mechanics in brave new directions. Final Fantasy 8 is consistently challenging, its battle systems deep and adaptable and its cast of characters more richly layered and believable than ever before. Purists may loathe the lack of traditional aeon and mana use, but in their place stands a far more customisable, if initially tricky system.

Detractors see - A needlessly fiddly experience that disregards much of what worked before in favour of change for the sake of change. The central junction system is overthought and underdeveloped, as are the levelling, SeeD, 'draw' and GF mechanics. One malfunctioning element would be bad enough, but all of them? As for the game's storyline, that too quickly descends into gibbering farce, filled with criss-crossing plot holes and poorly considered motivations? It's different, but not in a good way.

Let's settle it - See Final Fantasy 13

Supporters see - One of Ninty's teresting experiments, Zelda 2 completely defied expectations, introducing a slew of new and permanent additions to the ongoing Zelda franchise. It may be the relative black sheep of the saga, but that doesn't make it any less of a classic.

Detractors see - An awkward and unnecessary shift away from the first game's iconic framework. There's a reason later games in the franchise would better reflect the original. There are hundreds of identikit side-scrollers out there, but only one Zelda.

Let's settle it - Pistols at dawn.

The Marvel Universe is dead! There is only Secret Wars. This is Marvel’s biggest comic book event in years. To put the premise as concisely as possible, the classic Marvel Universe is colliding with the newer Ultimate Universe, and both of them will be gone. For those coming into Secret Wars fresh, the Marvel Universe is the one created by Stan Lee and artists like Jack Kirby - the foundation of . The Ultimate Universe was created in 2000, to bring in new readers and debut revamped versions of popular characters, most notably Ultimate Spider-Man.

What happens in Secret Wars will apparently lay the foundation of the Marvel Universe for years to come. I think it’s a great jumping-on point for new readers because it’s a fresh start - a huge unknown with the potential to rewrite everything. Here are ten Secret Wars books that will be essential reading as this huge event kicks off.

Secret Wars is what happens when these two fictional entities collide, leaving behind a reality unlike either of them, known as Battleworld. 33 of Marvel’s most popular comics, like Amazing Spider-Man and Avengers, will end. So what’s left?

Battleworld is a landscape made of different parts of Marvel’s history, and the setting of Secret Wars. Marvel has even of it. Different storylines from Marvel’s past literally occupy parts of this world; they describe it as a ‘patchwork planet’. Think of it like this: the 2006 comic book story, Civil War, literally occupies one nation in this immense world, co-existing with many others. It’s Marvel’s history built into one mighty realm. During Secret Wars, Marvel will tell the stories of Battleworld in a host of new comic book series, which launch across the next three months.

Ready to get started with the comics? Click on, brave traveller...

First issue release date: May 6

You’ll need to read the main book to keep track of what’s going on, of course. This is a story that writer Jonathan Hickman has been building towards ever since he started writing both and New Avengers in 2012. Secret Wars has been in the planning stages for that long; it’s anything but an improvised event.

In the first issue, out now, we see the heroes of the Marvel Universe and Ultimate Universe having a climactic showdown, bringing both of their universes to an end. Then, in the second issue, we’ll get a first proper look at the Battleworld, which sets the stage of every book launching during the event and changes the course of the Marvel universe forever.

First issue release date: May 27

The superheroes are long gone, but a much older Wolverine lives on in the Wastelands, a kind of messed-up Marvel future where villains rule. Think Unforgiven with Wolverine, because that’s basically what Old Man Logan is - a one-last-job vision of the X-Man, originally conceived for the story of the same name back in 2008 (one of the best Marvel has ever published).

Don’t worry if you’ve never read it. This sequel stands alone, and sees Wolverine attempting to bring order to this chaotic world - which is now further complicated by the events of Secret Wars, and the creation of Battleworld. Old Man Logan is intriguing because in the ‘regular’ Marvel Universe, Wolverine died last year. Is this Marvel’s way of bringing him back, via the coolest iteration of the character ever?

First issue release date: July 7

You might’ve heard the name ‘Civil War’ in recent months, given that it forms the basis of the next Captain America movie, out in 2016, which will feature Cap fighting Iron Man and will force the rest of the heroes to take sides. This Secret Wars book revisits the idea at the centre of Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s hugely successful 2006 event book Civil War: Steve Rogers and Tony Stark divided over a matter of superheroes being forced to disclose their identities (Iron Man for, Cap against), but blows it up into a much bigger story.

In Secret Wars, instead of that fight being tidily resolved after a few brawls, this new Civil War reimagines it as a conflict that never ceased. It’s now a six-year war, where Tony Stark is president and Steve Rogers is a general, with the nation broken in two over their different ideologies - it’s taking the concept as far as it can go and sounds like one of the larger-scale Secret Wars spin-offs.

First issue release date: June 3

A few years ago, Marvel made the divisive decision to erase Peter Parker’s long-running relationship with Mary Jane Watson out of continuity. This caused a loud internet upset that’s never quite gone away. Since then, though, Marvel has published some of the best Spider-Man stories I’ve ever read - Spider Island, Superior Spider-Man, Spider-Verse, all of which are worthy of the character.

But some readers never forget, and it finally seems like that’s being addressed. In Renew Your Vows, we get to see Peter Parker not only married to Mary Jane, but with a child, too (in the comics, Peter and MJ had a child that died many years ago). It underlines the extent to which Secret Wars is allowing creators to explore every major storyline in Marvel’s history - and writer Dan Slott has promised that whatever happens here will affect the Spider-Man that emerges from Secret Wars.

First issue release date: May 20

As Secret Wars begins, the old Avengers team is gone. The book and the team no longer exists. A-Force is, for all intents and purposes, the Avengers in Secret Wars, composed of quite an eclectic mix of characters like She-Hulk, X-Men pop star Dazzler, the Inhumans’ Medusa and about a hundred others, judging by the cover. The idea was to create a team of heroes from various backgrounds and see how their personalities and methodologies fit together. At the start of the book, the A-Force will be protecting a small island called Arcadia on the outskirts of Battleworld, that’s seemingly one of the last peaceful bastions of civilisation in this landscape.

A-Force comes from writer G Willow Wilson, who created the acclaimed Ms Marvel book, and Marguerite Bennett, as well as artist Jorge Molina. It’s the first all-female Avengers team, an idea that will hopefully stick around once Secret Wars has ended.

First issue release date: June 10

For me, there’s been no better and more consistent Marvel book from the last few years than Jason Aaron’s Thor. In the Secret Wars series Thors (plural), gods of thunder from various Marvel realities team up to police Battleworld. In the line-up, you’ve got the newest, female Thor from the current Marvel books, Frog Thor, Beta-Ray Bill and my personal favourite: old king Thor, a one-armed, eyepatch-wearing eccentric who rules Asgard in the far future.

Jason Aaron equates Thors to something of a cosmic detective drama, where the group travels across the Battleworld, solving uniquely weird and shocking crimes. Given that various Thors feature prominently on the cover of Secret Wars #2, this will likely be essential reading for those following the main series. Aaron describes it as “basically me doing a cop story, but with hammers instead of guns.” Sold! There’s even going to be a Groot Thor, based on the Guardians of the Galaxy tree creature.

First issue release date: May 20

In 2000, Marvel made the radical and brilliant move of creating a brand new universe, where it could release stories featuring iconic characters without the clutter brought on by decades of continuity. The Ultimate Universe, as it is known, was a big success and titles like Ultimate Spider-Man changed the way all publishers thought about comics appealing to a broad audience.

15 years later and now with its own somewhat complex continuity, the Ultimate Universe is dying alongside its older brother. This is its last gasp, from two of its creators, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. What happens to the majority of its characters, like alternate versions of Captain America, or Thor, is a mystery that this book should reveal - what we do know, however, is that the newest Spider-Man, Miles Morales, will escape his dying universe and survive Secret Wars. He’s one of the stars of the All-New, All-Different Avengers roster that is coming after this event finishes - the existence of which is the only thing we know about Marvel’s post-Secret Wars universe so far.

First issue release date: June 24

In the case of a lot of these Secret Wars books, the appeal is seeing iconic Marvel characters in new, exciting situations. Age of Ultron vs Zombies is a book where I’m sold on the title alone. In this zombie thriller from brilliant veteran writer James Robinson and artist Steve Pugh, there’s a war-zone between Ultron’s part of Battleworld and the world where Marvel’s zombie population roams. Here, a pocket of mankind, including Marvel heroes like The Vision and Wonder Man, are trying to hold off both sets of enemies.

It sort of sounds like a Marvel version of horde mode from Gears of War, and it’ll feature reams of Marvel villains in undead form - the announcement alone showed off flesh-eating variants of Kingpin, Bullseye and Spidey foe Kraven The Hunter. Looks like a lot of fun.

First issue release date: June 17

It’s not just the planet that’s thriving with superpowered activity in Secret Wars. There’s a moon orbiting Battleworld: Knowhere, the giant space head world seen in detail in last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy movie. In Guardians of Knowhere, it’s the grim backdrop to a sci-fi mystery story, where Guardians Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora and Angela protect those who need it in this skeezy locale. Here, they’ll face some form of mysterious new villain, who you’d expect to be a pretty rotten apple if they’re hanging out on Knowhere.

If you enjoyed last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy, this seems like a pretty good place to jump in and see what the characters are up to in comic book form.

First issue release date: May 20

One of my favourite Marvel books of the last few years was the Spidey story Spider-Verse, which threw together every version of Spider-Man ever as they fought against dimension-travelling vampires (I know that sounds ludicrous, but trust me, it was great. Comic books!). In this Secret Wars series, a bunch of the best Spideys reunite for a mostly New York-set story that’ll feature a number of Spidey villains, too, including a version of Norman Osborn that may or may not be evil.

The specifics of this story are shrouded in mystery, but it’s the potential team dynamic of this Spidey line-up that I’m excited about the most: Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy from an alternate universe where Peter Parker died, and a brilliant contemporary reinterpretation of the Spider-Man concept), Spider UK (Spider-Man saying British things), Spider-Man Noir, the Spider-Man of India and Spider-Ham (a pig that is also Spider-Man). If it’s anything like Spider-Verse, it’ll be a fun team-up book that reaffirms why Spider-Man is a pillar of the Marvel Universe.

The Marvel Universe is dead! There is only Secret Wars. This is Marvel’s biggest comic book event in years. To put the premise as concisely as possible, the classic Marvel Universe is colliding with the newer Ultimate Universe, and both of them will be gone. For those coming into Secret Wars fresh, the Marvel Universe is the one created by Stan Lee and artists like Jack Kirby - the foundation of . The Ultimate Universe was created in 2000, to bring in new readers and debut revamped versions of popular characters, most notably Ultimate Spider-Man.

What happens in Secret Wars will apparently lay the foundation of the Marvel Universe for years to come. I think it’s a great jumping-on point for new readers because it’s a fresh start - a huge unknown with the potential to rewrite everything. Here are ten Secret Wars books that will be essential reading as this huge event kicks off.

Secret Wars is what happens when these two fictional entities collide, leaving behind a reality unlike either of them, known as Battleworld. 33 of Marvel’s most popular comics, like Amazing Spider-Man and Avengers, will end. So what’s left?

Battleworld is a landscape made of different parts of Marvel’s history, and the setting of Secret Wars. Marvel has even of it. Different storylines from Marvel’s past literally occupy parts of this world; they describe it as a ‘patchwork planet’. Think of it like this: the 2006 comic book story, Civil War, literally occupies one nation in this immense world, co-existing with many others. It’s Marvel’s history built into one mighty realm. During Secret Wars, Marvel will tell the stories of Battleworld in a host of new comic book series, which launch across the next three months.

Ready to get started with the comics? Click on, brave traveller...

First issue release date: May 6

You’ll need to read the main book to keep track of what’s going on, of course. This is a story that writer Jonathan Hickman has been building towards ever since he started writing both and New Avengers in 2012. Secret Wars has been in the planning stages for that long; it’s anything but an improvised event.

In the first issue, out now, we see the heroes of the Marvel Universe and Ultimate Universe having a climactic showdown, bringing both of their universes to an end. Then, in the second issue, we’ll get a first proper look at the Battleworld, which sets the stage of every book launching during the event and changes the course of the Marvel universe forever.

First issue release date: May 27

The superheroes are long gone, but a much older Wolverine lives on in the Wastelands, a kind of messed-up Marvel future where villains rule. Think Unforgiven with Wolverine, because that’s basically what Old Man Logan is - a one-last-job vision of the X-Man, originally conceived for the story of the same name back in 2008 (one of the best Marvel has ever published).

Don’t worry if you’ve never read it. This sequel stands alone, and sees Wolverine attempting to bring order to this chaotic world - which is now further complicated by the events of Secret Wars, and the creation of Battleworld. Old Man Logan is intriguing because in the ‘regular’ Marvel Universe, Wolverine died last year. Is this Marvel’s way of bringing him back, via the coolest iteration of the character ever?

First issue release date: July 7

You might’ve heard the name ‘Civil War’ in recent months, given that it forms the basis of the next Captain America movie, out in 2016, which will feature Cap fighting Iron Man and will force the rest of the heroes to take sides. This Secret Wars book revisits the idea at the centre of Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s hugely successful 2006 event book Civil War: Steve Rogers and Tony Stark divided over a matter of superheroes being forced to disclose their identities (Iron Man for, Cap against), but blows it up into a much bigger story.

In Secret Wars, instead of that fight being tidily resolved after a few brawls, this new Civil War reimagines it as a conflict that never ceased. It’s now a six-year war, where Tony Stark is president and Steve Rogers is a general, with the nation broken in two over their different ideologies - it’s taking the concept as far as it can go and sounds like one of the larger-scale Secret Wars spin-offs.

First issue release date: June 3

A few years ago, Marvel made the divisive decision to erase Peter Parker’s long-running relationship with Mary Jane Watson out of continuity. This caused a loud internet upset that’s never quite gone away. Since then, though, Marvel has published some of the best Spider-Man stories I’ve ever read - Spider Island, Superior Spider-Man, Spider-Verse, all of which are worthy of the character.

But some readers never forget, and it finally seems like that’s being addressed. In Renew Your Vows, we get to see Peter Parker not only married to Mary Jane, but with a child, too (in the comics, Peter and MJ had a child that died many years ago). It underlines the extent to which Secret Wars is allowing creators to explore every major storyline in Marvel’s history - and writer Dan Slott has promised that whatever happens here will affect the Spider-Man that emerges from Secret Wars.

First issue release date: May 20

As Secret Wars begins, the old Avengers team is gone. The book and the team no longer exists. A-Force is, for all intents and purposes, the Avengers in Secret Wars, composed of quite an eclectic mix of characters like She-Hulk, X-Men pop star Dazzler, the Inhumans’ Medusa and about a hundred others, judging by the cover. The idea was to create a team of heroes from various backgrounds and see how their personalities and methodologies fit together. At the start of the book, the A-Force will be protecting a small island called Arcadia on the outskirts of Battleworld, that’s seemingly one of the last peaceful bastions of civilisation in this landscape.

A-Force comes from writer G Willow Wilson, who created the acclaimed Ms Marvel book, and Marguerite Bennett, as well as artist Jorge Molina. It’s the first all-female Avengers team, an idea that will hopefully stick around once Secret Wars has ended.

First issue release date: June 10

For me, there’s been no better and more consistent Marvel book from the last few years than Jason Aaron’s Thor. In the Secret Wars series Thors (plural), gods of thunder from various Marvel realities team up to police Battleworld. In the line-up, you’ve got the newest, female Thor from the current Marvel books, Frog Thor, Beta-Ray Bill and my personal favourite: old king Thor, a one-armed, eyepatch-wearing eccentric who rules Asgard in the far future.

Jason Aaron equates Thors to something of a cosmic detective drama, where the group travels across the Battleworld, solving uniquely weird and shocking crimes. Given that various Thors feature prominently on the cover of Secret Wars #2, this will likely be essential reading for those following the main series. Aaron describes it as “basically me doing a cop story, but with hammers instead of guns.” Sold! There’s even going to be a Groot Thor, based on the Guardians of the Galaxy tree creature.

First issue release date: May 20

In 2000, Marvel made the radical and brilliant move of creating a brand new universe, where it could release stories featuring iconic characters without the clutter brought on by decades of continuity. The Ultimate Universe, as it is known, was a big success and titles like Ultimate Spider-Man changed the way all publishers thought about comics appealing to a broad audience.

15 years later and now with its own somewhat complex continuity, the Ultimate Universe is dying alongside its older brother. This is its last gasp, from two of its creators, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. What happens to the majority of its characters, like alternate versions of Captain America, or Thor, is a mystery that this book should reveal - what we do know, however, is that the newest Spider-Man, Miles Morales, will escape his dying universe and survive Secret Wars. He’s one of the stars of the All-New, All-Different Avengers roster that is coming after this event finishes - the existence of which is the only thing we know about Marvel’s post-Secret Wars universe so far.

First issue release date: June 24

In the case of a lot of these Secret Wars books, the appeal is seeing iconic Marvel characters in new, exciting situations. Age of Ultron vs Zombies is a book where I’m sold on the title alone. In this zombie thriller from brilliant veteran writer James Robinson and artist Steve Pugh, there’s a war-zone between Ultron’s part of Battleworld and the world where Marvel’s zombie population roams. Here, a pocket of mankind, including Marvel heroes like The Vision and Wonder Man, are trying to hold off both sets of enemies.

It sort of sounds like a Marvel version of horde mode from Gears of War, and it’ll feature reams of Marvel villains in undead form - the announcement alone showed off flesh-eating variants of Kingpin, Bullseye and Spidey foe Kraven The Hunter. Looks like a lot of fun.

First issue release date: June 17

It’s not just the planet that’s thriving with superpowered activity in Secret Wars. There’s a moon orbiting Battleworld: Knowhere, the giant space head world seen in detail in last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy movie. In Guardians of Knowhere, it’s the grim backdrop to a sci-fi mystery story, where Guardians Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora and Angela protect those who need it in this skeezy locale. Here, they’ll face some form of mysterious new villain, who you’d expect to be a pretty rotten apple if they’re hanging out on Knowhere.

If you enjoyed last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy, this seems like a pretty good place to jump in and see what the characters are up to in comic book form.

First issue release date: May 20

One of my favourite Marvel books of the last few years was the Spidey story Spider-Verse, which threw together every version of Spider-Man ever as they fought against dimension-travelling vampires (I know that sounds ludicrous, but trust me, it was great. Comic books!). In this Secret Wars series, a bunch of the best Spideys reunite for a mostly New York-set story that’ll feature a number of Spidey villains, too, including a version of Norman Osborn that may or may not be evil.

The specifics of this story are shrouded in mystery, but it’s the potential team dynamic of this Spidey line-up that I’m excited about the most: Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy from an alternate universe where Peter Parker died, and a brilliant contemporary reinterpretation of the Spider-Man concept), Spider UK (Spider-Man saying British things), Spider-Man Noir, the Spider-Man of India and Spider-Ham (a pig that is also Spider-Man). If it’s anything like Spider-Verse, it’ll be a fun team-up book that reaffirms why Spider-Man is a pillar of the Marvel Universe.