Spotlight: Young Avengers

The Ronin here,

Welcome to the spotlight, a new series were we examine some part of comic books further, and hopefully introduce people to some new stories and characters. Today we are putting the spot light on Marvel's Young Avengers.

J. Jonah Jameson has asked a very good question. Who the fuck are Young Avengers? The Young Avengers were created by Allan Heinberg and drawn by Jim Cheung. It is awesome.

However this was a series that did not sound like something I would be interested in. The Young Avengers sounds like a DC concept, it sounds like Young Justice, or the Teen Titans. Outside of the golden age, the kid or teen sidekick is not a concept that sounds like it would fit into the Marvel Universe. So why would it be good? J. Jonah Jameson said it best when asked if he wanted to be Bucky as a kid.

Ouch. Which is not to say there have not been great books about teen heroes, Hell I even loved the 2003 relaunch of 'Teen Titans'. The legacy characters fit better in DC, and the writing was fun. Marvel has also had its share of teen heroes, the X-Men, and obviously Spider-Man come to mind.
So why do I bring it up? I bring it up because I was wrong.

The Young Avengers is one of the best books Marvel has ever put out. I was introduced to the characters in the Civil War: Runaways/Young Avengers crossover. Which was wonderful.

So, obviously the Avengers do not have kid sidekicks, so as J. Jonah Jameson asked, 'Who the fuck are the Young Avengers?' The series starts when a young man from the distant future, clad in futuristic armor, travels to the past to escape his dark destiny. While there he adopts a look similar to Iron Man's and calls himself Iron Lad (again wonderfully silver age DC), he seeks help from the Avengers only to find the mansion in ruin and the Avengers disbanded following the events of Avengers: Disassembled. His attempts to contact members such as Tony Stark also fail. However Iron Lad comes across the now discarded and damaged Vision.

Uploading the Vision program into his armor he discovers that Vision had a contingency program. Should the Avengers ever fall the program would attempt to find the next generation of Avengers, each with a close tie to an original Avenger, even though these ties aren't quite apparent at first. The first few issues introduce us to the struggling super team.
 

The before mentioned Iron Lad, with a secret about the future.

The lightning summoning Asgardian, dressed in a way that resembles the 'God of Thunder' himself.

The green goliath and muscle of the group Hulkling 

And finally The wannabe super soldier Patriot.

As the first story arc progresses the Young Avengers meet Cassie Lang the daughter of the recently killed Ant-Man, and Kate Bishop, a non powered girl who was 'rescued' by the Young Avengers. Both of who join the team. In the first few issues several secrets are revealed about these 'Young Avengers', Patriot is the grandson of Isaiah Bradley, an African-American man, and survivor of an early super soldier test project. Asgardian's true power is simply magic, not lightning control. Also Hulkling is actually a super strong shape shifter with as little to do with the Hulk as Asgardian has to do with Thor or Asgard. Cassie has also inherited her father's growing and shrinking abilities. It is also hinted at (and later fully embraced and confirmed) that Hulking and Asgardian (later renamed Wiccan) are more then friends.

And perhaps most importantly, Iron Lad fled the future because he was being pursued by the dangerous time traveling Avengers enemy known as Kang the Conqueror. Iron Lad reveals to Captain America and Iron Man that he is Kang, or rather will become Kang. He does not wish to grow up to be one of the greatest villains of all time, and wishes to be a hero.

After the first arc the team regroups, with slightly modified names and costumes, Asgardian becoming Wiccan, Kate Bishop taking the name Hawkeye after being given his name and bow by Captain America. Iron Lad is gone, the team is joined by a newly activated Vision, controlling Iron Lad's armor. This Vision is related to the first but is a new entity, a new person. The team is also joined by a familiar looking super speedster with white hair and a attitude problem named Speed. Other then the white hair is a essentially a twin to Wiccan.

The original arc was 6 issues in length, and so is the second. The second arc looks into the true origin of Hulklings power and introduces a possible explanation for Speed and Wiccan's. Rereading it for this review revealed a large amount of wonderful foreshadowing in the book.

After the end of the second arc Young Avengers was canceled. However the characters reappeared in the wonderful Civil War: Runaways/Young Avengers crossover. The now underground Young Avengers witness super human registration forces trying to bring in the Runaways, who do not understand what is happening. The Young Avengers interfere and the two teams come to blows before realizing who the real enemy is. (This is how these things go you know). The dynamics of the two groups are the real star of the show. As well as the enemy they are up against who seems to have no trouble tearing through both teams like they aren't there.

It is a brilliant crossover, as the two teams have some superficial similarities, but very different goals and motives. (By the way If you have not read Runaways, then start. they are available for purchase in wonderfully inexpensive digest sized trade paperbacks. It was created by the wonderful Brian K. Vaughan. Think Y: the last man, pride of Baghdad and others)

The Young Avengers also appear in a less stellar Secret Invasion tie in, again teaming up with the Runaways.  However fans of the Young Avengers should check out the 6 issue "Young Avengers Presents" series, each issue focusing on one (in one case two) of the Young Avengers. The stories vary but for the most part they are very good.

Currently the Young Avengers are staring in the 9 part miniseries Avengers: The Children's Crusade. It is so far excellent. The Young Avengers are attempting, against the wishes of their older counter parts, to do what seemingly no one else could do: Find the Scarlet Witch. Part 6 came out in June and it is excellent.

 

Now you know who the Young Avengers are, so why should you read the Young Avengers? Basically for the writing, the series is great, every issue has a surprise or climax, all of which slowly builds into something more. The series has won several awards, including a GLAAD media award for the positive portrayal of the gay Wiccan and Hulking. This is a story about young kids trying to be more then they are against any odds thrown at them. After 12 issues you will care more about these characters then most comics can get you to in years of publication.

And unlike a number of other great properties (looking at you again Runaways) Marvel is still putting out books featuring the Young Avengers.

Most of the Young Avengers series can be currently found in trade paperback, The current limited series can be found on the shelves in comic book stores.