Young Avengers 2, Avengers Arena 5

Young Avengers 2
Gillen (w) and McKelvie w/ Norton (a) and Wilson (c)

BOY, this book has a different feel than Uncanny Avengers. I tried to tell myself I wouldn't compare the two (that's why I didn't include this review with UA) but I guess that's where I had to go. It's still not a bad thing for me to say (yes, well done, me). This is still a pretty excellent book. The tone is incredibly different and it one hundred percent should be. This is the kind of stark contrast that should overwrite every non-comic fan's feelings about comics. Just because they fall in the same medium doesn't mean they're all the same thing. They're like, you know, books. Or any other sort of media. One book is designed to be dark and ask questions about prejudices and hate and people, another is meant to examine teen people and alternate dimensions and is therefore considerably lighter. Neither book was bad. In fact, both were pretty spectacular in their own way. I feel most non-comic fans scoff at the idea of comics because they're all viewed the way they once felt; like every book is essentially the same with different characters. Of course, that's not how all old books were to the people reading them, but I know I can at least see their point in the assumption. These books couldn't be more different while also leading us to similar places.

This issue focuses mostly on Wiccan and Hulkling, then brings in Loki to aid the two. Wiccan and Hulkling, fresh off Wiccan bringing Hulkling's alternate dimension "mom" to their dimension, are startled to find that she is not at all what Hulkling remembers and has made Wiccan's parents similarly gooey (physically gooey) and dissimilar. It's a shock to the two of them, compounded by her impossible to solve physiology and the fact that, when the two Young Avengers turn to the Uncanny Avengers for help (surprise appearance that justifies my earlier comparison!), this impostor seems to have corrupted more than just their household. The UA don't assist in any way and Billy and Teddy are sent to their new "room," which resembles a blank comic panel. As Wiccan tries to figure out what to do next while trying to piece together what's just happened, Loki turns up and rescues the two, bringing them to his favorite diner to illustrate their various problems. The two well-learned young superheroes know better than to outright trust Loki and suspect he might, in fact, have something to do with this impostor so they bring him to Asgardia to make sure he has no tricks up his little sleeves. There, they're confronted by Loki's father (geez, more parents confronting their kids in unlikely manners, I think we have ourselves a THEME), the previously dead frost giant Laufey.

There are many things happening in this series. As Gillen is a master at making and tying together a story, there's absolutely no way we have all the facts to piece together what's happening just yet. There is some weird thing happening with all the adults of this world (and, for all we know, everyone in general outside of our heroes) that is reverting them to some sort of weird 1950s sensibility. It ties in very nicely with the fact that these are the YOUNG (18 year old or so) Avengers and that they are so in touch with the youth of today. So far, the way Gillen's creating the contrast between the families and kids of today and those of the idealized 1950s world is coming along really nicely. I'm excited to see where he wants to go with it and where this is leaving our three unseen members (Hawkeye, Miss America, and Noh-Varr). Very interesting book.

Avengers Arena 5
Hopeless (w) and Walker (a) and Martin (c)

Boy, this series just keeps getting better and better too. Just REALLY happy with all the Avengers-related offerings right now, from Assemble to Avengers to U and Y A to New Avengers to this. Across the board happiness from that corner, which, pretty recently, wasn't true. Like in the last few issues of this book, I didn't know much about the focus characters, this time Kid Briton and the Braddock Academy. By now, we've gotten a look into just about every group so Hopeless feels more comfortable shifting within the issue between groups. Kid Briton, apparently, is the Captain Britain of another Universe, one even more unstable than ours, where he was raised from birth to be a fighter. As a result, he has far more skills at his young age than Captain Britain had and he has the arrogance of a highly-powered teenager. For those who know a bit about Captain Britain, you already know that his powers come from his self-confidence.

This issue starts off with Kid Briton wondering how fair it is that he's nearly invincible with his powers, as opposed to everyone else and, in particular, certain members of his own group. We also see some flashbacks from the Braddock Academy where our Brian confronts young Brian to try to make him understand why his arrogance is misplaced and unhelpful. He could (and really should) be so much more but he often comes off as a bully with crazy powers. It's a great idea and we get a huge sense of his arrogance in this quick flashback. We also learn that he's cheating on his nice and compassionate and probably too kind for him girlfriend Apex (also of the Academy) with other Academy member Nara, an Atlantean. Back in Murderworld, Kid Briton bullies group members Anachronism and Bloodstone and delights in their falling from a cliff into a river (the two seem relatively safe after the fall). Nara joins in laughing and Death Locket, the little girl Deathlok the group took in during issue two (I believe), blasts Nara off the cliff herself. Apex protects Death Locket from Kid Briton's anger and reveals that she knows Brian had been cheating on her all along but that's over now. Kid Briton's "health bar" drops as his confidence wavers.

This book is both really interesting and really fun. I wonder how non-gamers view the layout of some of these things. Arcade has clearly taken a turn from pinball machines and death-bumper cars (that probably happened) towards new gaming equipment. Each participant in Murderworld has their own health bar and there are med-packs and food items hidden around Murderworld in ways that very much resemble video games. It's another great idea in a book full of them. The health bar is also a very straightforward way to keep the audience up to date and to show subtle changes that might not have the same impact otherwise (i.e. Kid Briton's confidence falling hurts his health, even though nothing physical has happened to him, because his powers are now downgraded). It's unique to Marvel, for sure, and I might say it's unique to most comics in general. I have to say again, though, that this has been a really fun series so far with a lot of punch to it. In total, between this, Young Avengers and, earlier, Uncanny Avengers, I'm not sure I've had a day of reviews that were this firmly in the "buy this book" category. Nothing makes me more pleased than that.