The New Marvel is a series that looks at the changes that the mega-comic empire made following the events of Avengers vs. X-Men and the impact that those changes have on the stories of Marvel NOW! Six issues (or more) into each Marvel NOW! title, we see what our favorite characters are up to and what to keep an eye out for in the future.
Once upon a time there was a team of teenage heroes called the Young Avengers. They fought off time-traveling warlords, dark avengers, and Skrull Invasions alike until one of them was killed and they disbanded. #Necessary backstory #Quitting the team
Despite good intentions, Wiccan tries to solve Hulkling’s problems the only way he knows how – with magic – but there’s no such thing as a spell without a cost. #Oh, Billy #Magical mayhem
Now facing an enemy like never before, six young heroes, Wiccan, Hulkling, Hawkeye (not the Hawkguy), Miss America, Loki (in a child’s body, it’s a whole thing), and Noh-Varr must come together as Young Avengers. #New team, same problems
MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
Covering Issues #1-6
It’s good to have the Young Avengers back. YA was a short-lived, but brilliant, series from several years ago, and now they’re back with a new line up! Three original Young Avengers and three new ones make up the new team. The returning founding members: Billy (Wiccan), Teddy (Hulkling), and Kate (Hawkeye) have all grown up somewhat since the last time we saw them. Rightfully so, Billy and Teddy have been the focus in these first six issues. The gay superhero duo have always been one of my favorite couples and even characters in the Marvel universe. Prepare for a lot of growth, angst, and adorableness from them. Noh-Varr and Miss America are both excellent additions, bringing some much needed power to the team. America fills in as the jaded hero, providing a necessary point of view and Noh-Varr’s obliviousness to Earth culture and attachment to Kate are adorable and the way that boy moves . . . (You know what I’m talking about.) But, readers’ adoration and focus should be squarely on Loki. It’s a long backstory but, in summation, it’s the same Loki with phenomenal god powers but in an itty-bitty body. Loki is funny, clever, and completely untrustworthy. Based on his actions alone, you never know what you’re going to get in an issue of Young Avengers.
Young Avengers has a pop-culture awareness and style to it that alone makes it well worth reading. References get dropped here and there (Loki’s Game of Thrones reference is perfect). This series has a levity and sense of humor to it, which is prevalent even over top of the teenage angst. Loki adds a lot to this in that weird pseudo-villain/pseudo-hero role. Every issue opens with a recap over “Yamblr” which is handled in a Twitter-like fashion (like the one up top, only much, much better). The use of hashtags and different accounts are funny and so creative each and every issue. Same goes for the creative team page which is always stylized in a different manner such as an ad for a rock band, or as an employee manifest.
Both artists on Young Avengers have been incredible. I adore Jamie McKelvie’s mastery of these characters, and I love that the art has been as creative and stylized as the rest of the book. Young Avengers isn’t afraid to play with panel design as a means to show another dimension, and when it comes to action scenes, well, I’ll refer you to the example of Noh-Varr doing his thing. Every action scene has been different, but they all make use of heavy dividers and tell the action in a cinematic fashion. More simply put, Young Avengers is one of the more creative and original additions to the Marvel NOW! line.
