Tag Archives: Wiccan

Jul 2 2013

Young Avengers 6

young avengers 6Today, Drew and guest writer Julien are discussing Young Avengers 6, originally released June 26th, 2013. 

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Drew: I used to think jobs were for grownups. Now I understand that jobs are for everybody — careers are for grownups. That may sound like a stupid distinction, but anyone who’s heard twenty-somethings ask each other about their jobs will understand that young people aren’t as ready to be defined by their jobs as teachers, mailmen, bakers, or any other characters from Richard Scarry books. This is just as true in the superhero world; Clark Kent might be happy to call himself a reporter, but his younger counterparts are still questioning their course in life — hell, many of them can’t even stick with a single name (I’m looking at you, former Robins). I’m used to seeing that uncertainty addressed in the overt angstiness we often associate with narratives featuring teens, but Kieron Gillen gets a great deal of mileage by toning it down to a more relatable level in Young Avengers 6. Continue reading →

Jun 3 2013

Young Avengers 5

young avengers 5

Today, Shelby and Ethan are discussing Young Avengers 5, originally released May 29th, 2013. 

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Shelby: I’ve read a few team books, some which have worked and some which haven’t. Personally, I think a team book fails when the author focuses establishing the team as a character before establishing the individuals which make up that team. If the members of the team can’t stand alone as characters, how can they form a cohesive group? Kieron Gillen so effectively establishes the characters in Young Avengers, it didn’t even occur to me until five issues in that he’s been secretly building a team this whole time.

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May 1 2013

Young Avengers 4

young avengers 4

Today, Spencer and Patrick are discussing Young Avengers 4, originally released April 24th, 2013. 

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Spencer: Tricksters are a common archetype in most works. They spread chaos, disregard authority, and cheat, con, and lie in whatever ways they can to get what they want. We all feel like we know better than to trust them, and so do our protagonists, but the best tricksters find a way to get past our defenses and bend us to their whims anyway. Kieron Gillen knows exactly how to write an effective trickster, and his Loki — one of the oldest and greatest — somehow manages to keep surprising both the Young Avengers and the readers; he might just be proving himself a greater threat than even that pesky interdimensional parasite.

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Apr 2 2013

Young Avengers 1-3

young avengers 1-3

Today, Shelby and Drew are discussing Young Avengers 1-3, originally released January 23rd, 2013, February 27th, 2013, and  March 27th, 2013. 

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Shelby: My sister used to work at Barnes and Noble, in the Young Adult section. It’s been a long time since I was what the publishing world considers a “young adult” so I didn’t have super high hopes when she told me I absolutely had to read The Hunger Games. Like Harry Potter before it, however, Suzanne Collins’ dystopian trilogy transcended the age of the “intended” audience to deliver strong and sympathetic characters and an engrossing plot line. I feel similarly about Young Avengers. It may not be billed as a book for teens, but  Kieron Gillen has taken the concept of “teen versions of characters you already know” and crafted something much more meaningful than I initially expected.  Continue reading →