Written by Alan HeinbergIllustrated by Jim Cheung
Marvel
Young Avengers started off really well, but this one kinda gets off the point. First we had Iron Lad as Kang, now we have another team member who's not all he claims to be, either. After establishing that this team isn't going anywhere despite Cap's doubts (and don't you think he's trying a little too hard to discourage this team? A little un-Cap like...), we find that the Super Skrull has designs on their person. At this point, things start to escalate and the next thing you know, both the New and Young Avengers are trying to stop an inter-galactic conflict. Can they prove their mettle to their elders? After all, as Peter notes, some of them started when they were that age.
I like the idea of a team of kids trying to be as idealistic as they think the heroes should be. But rather than run with this point, Heinberg starts down the dangerous road of Avengers history, dragging out Captain Marvel, the Kree-Skrull War, and for God's sake--Wanda's kids. By the time we get to the end of this one, there's so much clutter--much of which are things better left alone--that I'm not sure how they were going to resolve it. Of course, now we'll never get to know.
Young Avengers had a lot of good ideas that may have worked, may not have worked. The trouble with trying to do things within a complex continuity is that it can trip up the writer. I think that's the case here. This was not the Teen Titans, and that was a good thing. Unfortunately, we'll probably never know what would have happened had there been no Civil War.
Final note: There's more proof in this that Cap's not cap--he doesn't fight a single skrull. I'm telling you guys... [Editor's note: I was positive in 2008 that Brubaker's Cap was a Skrull. Turned out just to be Brubaker's decision to neuter Cap's effectiveness in the name of a good story. Oh well. Was a fun idea!]
