“Young Avengers” #2, even more than the first issue, paints the Gillen-McKelvie joint as a modern book for the modern comic book reader. This seems obvious, but if you’re generally in to what that duo does with comics, then there’s nothing about this book you won’t like.
Written by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Jamie McKelvie• Has Wiccan made a horrible mistake that comes back to bite everyone on their communal posteriors? Spoilers: Yes.
• Does this guest star the Uncanny Avengers? Spoilers: Also Yes.
• A figure from Loki’s past emerges. Friend? Foe? What will it be? Spoilers: It’s Foe.
• And much more from Marvel’s most critically acclaimed book. Yes, we’re saying it’s critically acclaimed and it’s not even out yet. We are very bad.
Two issues in, this book has mostly centered around the relationship of Wiccan and Hulkling. It’s a modern relationship being told as matter-of-factly as it should be in such a diverse world. “Young Avengers” is at the forefront of creating an atmosphere of acceptance and inclusion rather than gimmickry and tokenism. They are also the victims of a bit of Wiccan’s magic gone astray in bringing back Hulkling’s mother, who has come back as some sort of reality-shifting facsimile. Who better to deal with the consequences of the dark arts than their “pal” Loki, who they soon bring into the fold. Whenever Loki is on-panel, it’s clear that Gillen is in his most comfortable of comfort zones. He writes with such a perfect flair for Loki’s Asgardian linguistics, sense of mischief, and self-unaware humor. We’ve spent very little time with the rest of the “Young Avengers”, but Wiccan, Hulkling, and Loki under Gillen is a trio that can carry a book with ease. One can only imagine where Gillen and McKelvie will take this cast when it finally gets filled out a little more.
Loki’s inclusion has also allowed Gillen & McKelvie to play around with the comic medium in ways that they haven’t tried together yet, allowing a partnership that is already known for compelling and personal storytelling to begin to transcend the medium itself just a little bit. McKelvie finds a few surprising ways to play with the form of a comic book – quite literally in fact. The creative team is mostly known for their hip sensibilities when it comes to writing and drawing the contemporary, but now they’re starting to reach beyond that. Truth be told, from cover to cover “Young Avengers” feels like a piece of work in which Gillen & McKelvie are allowed to paint every single thing with their unfiltered sense of style and humor. It’s more than a little surprising just how far off the path of the “average mainstream comic book” the duo is being allowed to take this book. If anything, mileage may vary on how much of the modern, meme-heavy humor you can take. Even just a little goes a long way. Some day a Tumblr spoof and “leetspeak” might seem dated, but here in “Young Avengers” #2, those title & recap pages are just damn fun.
Jamie McKelvie (along with contributions from the incomparable Mike Norton) gives the book the sleek modern style that the content requires. McKelvie is often celebrated for his fashion sense, which is entirely on display here. His costuming always looks practical (Captain America’s costume in this issue is just about the best its ever looked) and stylish. He even very clearly puts detail and thought into the everyday clothing that his characters wear when they aren’t flying around stopping dimension-ripping monsters. The characters expressions, as well, sell the dramatic moments of the issue in a much more subtle way than we’re used to seeing in comic books. McKelvie uses just a hint of a raised eyebrow or a subtle smirk to draw the personalities of the characters out and get them to interact in naturalistic ways. It’s a mark of a great creative team when the visuals match the subtleties in the script. Comics don’t often show the kind of focused restraint that McKelvie so often does in this series.
It’s tough to think of many creative teams that are so well matched for their characters and their potential subject matter. It’s clear that Marvel wants a youth book that could potentially reach that “confused adolescence” rather than talk down to a younger crowd. “Young Avengers” is a mature, modern, wry take on the fantasy of superheroes and the idea that these people have lives outside of their costumes. Plus, it’s steeped in plenty of Marvel history that we know and love, so there’s that. Most importantly, it seems like Gillen & McKelvie are allowed to do pretty much whatever they want to, which is usually what results in the best books. Now it’s up to the readers to support that.
Final Verdict: 9.3 – Buy. #SO MANY FEELS
