Writer: Allan Heinberg Artist: Andrea DiVito (p), Drew Hennessy (i)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Plot: After defeating Kang the Conqueror and restoring the damaged time-stream, the Young Avengers continue their struggle against the forces of evil, this time battling the long-time Avengers foe, Mr. Hyde. Things however, quickly escalate out of control when the heroes’ parents discover their secret identities, and the team learns that one of their own is not quite what he appears.
Comments: Whoever said that youth will never surpass age and experience has obviously not read the latest batch of Avengers related comics. The truth of that matter is that Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung’s Young Avengers is dollar-for-donuts, a far better read than Brian Michael Bendis’ routinely disappointing New Avengers. Logic dictates that it should of course be the other way around. Bendis is after all a phenomenal veteran writer, who has done some fantastic work in the past, and New Avengers features some of Marvel’s most beloved and iconic superheroes, from Spider-Man to Captain America. Conversely, with Young Avengers, Allan Heinberg is a newcomer to the comic book industry and the series features a group of unknown teen heroes who at first glance come across as cheap imitations.
Yet, time and time again Young Avengers outshines its parent-title, with superior art work and storytelling. The reality is that it’s hard not to draw a comparison between the two series when Young Avengers is so damn good.
Fortunately, Young Avengers #8 is no exception. The issue picks up with the heroes taking on Mr. Hyde in a do-or-die battle at an abandoned warehouse. At the same time however, Wiccan learns that Patriot’s powers are not derived from his super-soldier grandfather, but are, in fact, the result of injecting himself with a Mutant Growth Hormone. Meanwhile, Captain American and Jessica Jones are confronting the teen heroes’ parents and reveal their children’s secret identities. After learning the truth about Patriot’s origins in particular, Captain America quickly rushes to the aid of the Young Avengers in their battle against Mr. Hyde. The situation however, has grown even more drastic as Patriot injects himself with a massive dose of Mutant Growth Hormone and ends the confrontation with Mr. Hyde in a rather resourceful fashion. In the aftermath of the battle, the heroes are again confronted by Captain America and the newly reborn Vision, with Patriot vowing to hang up his costume once and for all and the future of the team hanging in the balance. It’s a phenomenal end to a brilliant issue and Heinberg’s sharp script is consistently entertaining with his ability to balance action sequences with character development. Heinberg definitely played his cards right in terms of the series. By slowly developing the heroes’ personalities and revealing their back stories, he has created a far more dramatic and satisfying series than the usual tactic of bombarding the reader with rushed origin stories. Heinberg is a major talent and Young Avengers is one of the best new comics to hit the shelves in years.
Regular readers of the series will of course notice that the issue itself lacks the artwork of co-creator Jim Cheung, but fill-in artist Andrea DiVito does a wonderful job here and his work is elaborate and highly expressive, complimenting Heinberg’s script beautifully. DiVito has a style reminiscent of Mark Bagley, yet it remains distinctive with a kinetic and detailed style that works for both the action sequences and the more subdued moments.
In the end, Young Avengers #8 is yet another great read in a consistently brilliant series proving that when it comes to the Avengers, “New” is old and tired, and “Young” is where it’s at.
