Story Title: Untitled
Reviewer: Paul Sebert
Writer: Allan Heinberg
Penciler: Jim Cheung
Colorist: Justin Posnor
Inker: Dave Meikis with John Dell and Jim Cheung
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Editor: Molly Lazer & Aubrey Sitterson,
Publisher: The Mighty Marvel Publishing Group
You know I can’t help but marvel (pardon the pun) at how the clever this book is. During our first story arc, we were introduced to an aspiring group of superheroes moving in to fill the shoes of the recently disassembled Avengers. Initially, these super-teens very much resembled iconic superheroes like Captain America and Thor, but as we learn more about them they’re extremely different. It has been one shocking twist after another.
Following the revelation of Patriot’s lack of superpowers (and the desperate manner in which he compensated), the team officially disbarred and then another member of the group’s past comes back to haunt him in a big way.
Without giving too much away, Allan Heinberg reintroduces a classic Marvel villain, taken with absolute seriousness, and presented as a major threat, one way out of the kids’ league.
Allan Heinberg continues to grow as a writer, and this issue thankfully lacks some of the Whedon-esque snarky humor that seemed slightly out of place in the first arc. The group’s reaction to their rapidly changing world is firmly believable.
Art-wise, Jim Cheung’s pencils are getting better with each issue, as I found myself re-reading this issue just to enjoy subtle details like the characters hair and facial expressions. Meanwhile, Justin Ponsor’s colors add a realistic but still larger than life feel.
In the end, the discovery is both shocking and tragic. Just as we’ve begun to know one of the team’s most likeable characters, things fall apart. It turns out that everything HE knew was wrong.
