The Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor – those guys – have never had sidekicks. Not since Captain America’s teen sidekick, Bucky, got killed behind enemy lines during World War Two. But now there’s a new teen team in town, and the press is calling them “Young Avengers.” And other things that aren’t so nice. See, they’re not exactly trained yet. And when they try to break up a hostage situation, they accidentally set fire to a cathedral, doing as much damage to each other as to the bad guys, and end up getting rescued by a plucky bridesmaid. So the real Avengers decide the kids aren’t ready for the big time and try to shut them down. But it’s not that easy. There’s a threat from the future, and mysterious secret identities, and heroic legacies to live up to. So the Avengers have to get serious and bring out their ultimate weapon. The Cosmic Nullifier? The Gem of Cytorrak? The Infinity Gauntlet? No: the only thing that can strike true terror into the teen heart: “Do your parents know what you’re doing??”
Young Avengers is written by Allan Heinberg, the writer of teen angstfest The OC. If a bunch of real high schoolers got superpowers and had something to prove, they’d sound and act just like Iron Lad, Hulkling and Stature. The team’s girls are the best part: Cassie Lang, determined to live up to her father’s legacy, and that bridesmaid, who pins up her skirts, picks up a sword, and never looks back. This book is good clean fun, and gives us real – if superpowered – teens stepping up and showing skeptical adults what they’re capable of. Avengers Assemble! Just don’t call them sidekicks.
Reviewed by John Carter McKnight
John Carter McKnight is named after a fictional character who runs around naked waving a sword - John Carter of Mars. Unlike his namesake, John tries to keep his pants on in public. John's traveled across Siberia, watched Russian tanks come back from Afghanistan, is a certified rescue SCUBA diver, has hung out with people who've walked on the moon, and is now leading a quiet life as a graduate student and undercover agent for the Galactic Emperor. He likes cats, comic books, science fiction and running around naked with a sword. Whoops - scratch that last part!