Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Fresh Faces for a Fresh Appeal: Young Avengers #1

Life has been kinda rough for "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" lately. First, the Avenger's Mansion got blown up and so did some of the Avengers who were unlucky enough to be hanging out there. Then, a whole bunch of crazy Scarlet Witch-related weirdness went down, and the team finally decided to call it a day and disband. Now, a bunch of upstart kids in wannabe hero costumes show up and get themselves named the "Young Avengers."

Young Avengers #1 is the start of a new series written by acclaimed TV writer Allan (The O.C.) Heinberg and drawn by Marvel Young Gun Jim Cheung. This title is spun out of the events of Avengers Disassembled but it can be enjoyed even if you have never read any other Avengers comics. Though the idea of teen heroes is certainly not a new one, Heinberg and Cheung are clearly going to be putting some pretty fresh ideas into this book. The Young Avengers are (as the cover says) "NOT what you think."

On the surface, the Young Avengers are four teen super-hero fanboys who have somehow gotten powers and gadgets that are quite a bit like those of some well-known Avengers. Their names (which everyone in the book thinks are just a bit goofy) are Iron Lad, Hulkling, Patriot and Asgardian. These youngsters are new to the super-hero scene, and their inexperience shows in their first public outings. Even though this is a group of kids with some serious cases of hero-worship, the group does have a purpose, a very surprising purpose considering the shocking and perplexing revelation on the last page---

Heinberg is new to comics (as a writer, not as a fan), but he starts off strong with this first issue. There is a lot of humor in Young Avengers, and much of that humor comes from Heinberg's clever dialogue. There is plenty of action, and plot twists galore. And the surprising ending (Don't turn to the back of the book first!) will leave readers anxious for the next issue. Heinberg was also a huge fan of Bendis' Alias series, so this book features a big role for one of Marvel's coolest characters-Jessica Jones.

Young Avengers #1 could be the start of Marvel's Next Big Thing. It is a fun read, with pretty pictures and some very intriguing new characters. Don't miss out on the first issue, or you might find yourself paying 20 bucks for it on eBay 6 months from now. Besides, you can't go wrong since it comes with Four Color Fantasies' Book of the Week money-back guarantee!

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