Avengers: The Children's Crusade - Young Avengers #1: OK, I'm going to put aside the sheer bizarreness of this issue's existence and address the issue itself first. The good news is that it's fun, with a lot of winks and nods to the original "Young Avengers" mini-series. We get an insight into the first few days of the Young Avengers. We don't see Iron Lad's initial approach to Hulkling, Patriot, and Wiccan, but we see them training together and finding themselves fighting Electro. I see here why Marvel has made the decision to only allow Allan Heinberg to work on the Young Avengers, because he adds grace notes here -- such as the boys' fanboy banter -- that I'm not sure another writer would add. Having them fight Electro was a really inspired choice, since, after all, what fanboy wouldn't chose a member of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery if he had to fight his first super-villain? It was fun to see Iron Lad back in the fold (Eli actually has a friend...) and it makes me realize that I hope Heinberg finds a way to keep him in our time permanently (despite the fact that it's probably impossible to do so without some elaborate cheat that would wind up annoying me). Also, I continue to take off my hat to Heinberg for creating a world where Billy and Teddy's teammates accept their relationship entirely. I can't think of any other comic book or, really, TV show that does that, and I really applaud him for it. Now, onto the negatives, unfortunately. First, the art's off a bit in this issue. It was occasionally hard to tell the difference between Billy and Nathaniel. Davis was juggling a lot of stuff here (including creating looks for the adult versions of the Young Avengers), so I get why some details were a little loose. But, the confusion it caused was still distracting at times. Second, I honestly have lost track of Kang and who he is and whether he's supposed to be good or bad. It's just all...so...headache-inducing. Finally, and most importantly, why does this issue exist in the first place? This mini-series has been dragging for the last few issues, essentially repeating the same plot over and over again. Moreover, the bi-monthly format has exacerbated the sense that we're just spinning our wheels. I would've preferred here an issue that actually advanced the plot as opposed to some other side show. It's time to bring this mini-series to a close and for Marvel to decide what it's doing to the franchise. We're talking about almost two years at this point for a (what was supposed to be) nine-issue mini-series. Seriously, gentlemen, it's time.
Generation Hope #5: I'm really starting to like this series. I'd actually put it up there with "New Mutants" as one of the better X-books. It's certainly better than the core X-books. This issue sees Hope flex her muscles a bit. Gillen does a great job reminding us that Hope actually has two futures in play, one as a Messiah, but also one as a destroyer. Her interaction with Emma Frost was fun, mostly because I actually found myself feeling bad for, and agreeing with, Emma, which doesn't often happen.
Superboy #5: In this issue, Superboy and Kid Flash race...[yawn]...and the Phantom Stranger [nod]...where am I? Sorry, I fell asleep there. Seriously, reviewing this issue is even more boring than reading it. I love Superboy, but "Superboy" has been just dreadfully dull. Lemire just keeps mining the same stories (the weird "Broken Silo" or whatever-it's-called attack on Smallville and Conner's troubled relationship with Lori Luthor) over and over again. It's dull. Sorry, it is. Even the physical hint that Psionic Lad's arch-nemesis is who I think he is (see last review) wasn't enough to inject some energy into this book. Plus, Conner continues to mope about Cassie, despite being the one who ended the relationship. The whole series has felt wrong, and I'm surprised by the fact that I'm really thinking about dropping the comic that features the character that got me back into comics. But, I think we're almost there. I know it's hard to make Smallville exciting in a way that doesn't defy common sense (it's not going to have the same number of villains as Gotham, for example, and still be believable), but Lemire has to do something here and soon.
Generation Hope #5: I'm really starting to like this series. I'd actually put it up there with "New Mutants" as one of the better X-books. It's certainly better than the core X-books. This issue sees Hope flex her muscles a bit. Gillen does a great job reminding us that Hope actually has two futures in play, one as a Messiah, but also one as a destroyer. Her interaction with Emma Frost was fun, mostly because I actually found myself feeling bad for, and agreeing with, Emma, which doesn't often happen.
Superboy #5: In this issue, Superboy and Kid Flash race...[yawn]...and the Phantom Stranger [nod]...where am I? Sorry, I fell asleep there. Seriously, reviewing this issue is even more boring than reading it. I love Superboy, but "Superboy" has been just dreadfully dull. Lemire just keeps mining the same stories (the weird "Broken Silo" or whatever-it's-called attack on Smallville and Conner's troubled relationship with Lori Luthor) over and over again. It's dull. Sorry, it is. Even the physical hint that Psionic Lad's arch-nemesis is who I think he is (see last review) wasn't enough to inject some energy into this book. Plus, Conner continues to mope about Cassie, despite being the one who ended the relationship. The whole series has felt wrong, and I'm surprised by the fact that I'm really thinking about dropping the comic that features the character that got me back into comics. But, I think we're almost there. I know it's hard to make Smallville exciting in a way that doesn't defy common sense (it's not going to have the same number of villains as Gotham, for example, and still be believable), but Lemire has to do something here and soon.
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