Young Avengers v2 #1 Discussion

[jetdragon]

So I said I wanted a discussion post with comment threads, which I guess means I get to make it, but I'm lazy so I'm just crossposting from my tumblr.

Comments

[ardatli]

I mentioned most of this on tumblr already, I think; I have quite a few issues with the fight scene specifically. The pacing was the first thing that struck me as very off (the emotional highs and lows come too close together for any sort of realism). Billy seems very off to me, and I'm not entirely clear on how the guy who held Teddy while he cried at his mother's funeral has suddenly become the guy who never thought about it twice. Sure, Billy can be self-absorbed at times, but that seems really over the top

[jetdragon]

the static-with-exaggerated-expression look

Thank you for describing it exactly! I don't mind it, because if I'm completely honest there's not that much comic book art I really like so unless something's truly hideous I just accept it. I do wish the art had more movement, though.

I'm taking Gillen's word for it that we'll know what we need to about Loki as it's revealed in this series. I read the first two trades of JiM, and it didn't grab me at all. Does anyone else find the Asgardian font really hard to read?

I'm torn between thinking that the Kaplans are dead, and maybe bodysnatcher-style replaced, or maybe they'll just be mind-controlled or something! That wouldn't be so bad! Billy, if they are dead, please do not try to resurrect them.

[ardatli]

I'm married to an artist, so I've become a lot more attuned to style differences and what's going on behind the lines, as it were. There's a huge variety in comic art style, of course, but Aja's got this fluid life to his stuff that blows my mind. It feels a lot less... purposefully ironic/hipster? And more about telling a story. Here's a panel from an old Iron Fist book he did:

[jetdragon]

I vastly prefer the former as well. Ah well, I'm just determined to accept the YA art for what it is.

[redshirtdiary]

I know I am literally the only one who cares, but Billy lives in Chelsea now? Why does Billy live in Chelsea? Is this something that showed up in other YA books (Children's Crusade, maybe? I read some of the later books through my fingers.)? When Billy is introduced, he lived on the Upper West Side, which made complete sense despite being just a touch on the nose. Billy and Teddy living in a known "gay neighborhood" is...not bad, really. I'm not upset about the sudden switch. But I can't get over the feeling that it was supposed to be some inside reference to The Chelsea Boys, and I do kind of roll my eyes because we don't always live on the same block, writers, and I definitely am suspicious about his parents' motives.

Oh God, can you imagine that conversation? The Kaplans sitting the kids down and telling them they've decided to move from the UWS to Chelsea so Billy and Teddy could be surrounded by gay culture. Meanwhile, Billy's younger brothers plot to burn all of Billy's action figures in protest.

[jetdragon]

I have absolutely nothing to contribute to this, but the last sentence made me lol.

From the perspective of someone nowhere near NYC, I had the vague idea that "Upper East/West Side" = affluent, but I have no associations for Chelsea.

[redshirtdiary]

I've been wanting to write either that ficlet (titled Hi, Mom, We Exist Too) or Teddy and Billy being a little weirded out by the change in neighborhoods (titled We Now Live Two Doors Down From the Cockhead Bar and Grill

[traincat]

I know I am literally the only one who cares, but Billy lives in Chelsea now? Why does Billy live in Chelsea?

THANK YOU. You are not alone.

Billy's younger brothers must be so sick of all his superhero shenanigans. First aliens blow up a wall of their apartment, now they've moved to Chelsea.

[redshirtdiary]

Also! Continuing discussion on Teddy pretending to be superheroes when he should know better and maybe starting a new "Skrull Invasion" panic. What the hell, Teddy?

[redshirtdiary]

...though I have to give him props for nailing Spider-Man's voice. That is a true geek at work.

[jetdragon]

I think the "Skrull invasion" was just hyperbole. One Skrull isn't that much of an invasion. And he's very sweet, for a Skrull. So how long ago *was* Secret Invasion? Do average citizens panic at the sight of Skrulls?

No, though, it is such a terrible idea! If he had any common sense he'd just shift into a brand new superhero identity. He could come up with a new and better name while he's at it.

[redshirtdiary]

But if the Avengers saw the footage (and if Billy saw it, it's a good bet some Avengers did) of Spider-Man using obvious Skrull shifting (assuming that the footage was of the punch and not Teddy shifting on the roof, which would have been away from any cameras) wouldn't there be some kind of Not Good reaction? The Secret Invasion really fucked a lot of people up, and they have no reason to think this Skrull is nice-Skrull Teddy.

I don't think it is going to go anywhere, but I was immediately going, "Oh my God, Teddy, the Avengers are going to come and KICK YOUR ASS." Also, I wonder if them seeing that would have them eyeballing each other again. Because one Skrull definitely isn't an invasion, but don't you think Iron Man has been acting really weird lately and Thor never takes milk in his tea but now he is and now they are seeing imaginary Skrulls EVERYWHERE. All because of Teddy.

...I actually wish that was where this was going.

[suyari]

Read this on Tumblr first, but I still agree. I spent most of this issue going "Dammit Kaplan" and "No! NO!!!" There's no one thing that I can narrow it down to. This whole issue is a train wreck and sadly the most damaged victims are Billy and Teddy. I'm okay with characters making the rounds through writers. That's what comics are about. The various contributions that grow these characters into the icons they become. But, I feel like Gillen played a little too fast and loose with this one. There wasn't anything cohesive about the characterizations. Yeah, they can't all be Heinberg, but some others have done really good jobs with the YA cast in other books. Arguably more so in keeping them alive for us throughout Heinberg's hiatus. And he paid attention to that when he came back for Children's Crusade. He didn't just write out everything and wave a creator key at everyone. Which is what it feels like Gillen is doing here. "They're in my playground now, bitches

[jetdragon]

I wasn't nearly as pleased with this as I was hoping to be. I certainly didn't think it was predictable, though - I was not expecting Billy to try to do anything about Teddy's mother! I'm kind of glad he's going there and giving Teddy more on-screen emotional development, but you're right that Billy and Teddy seem off. I'm looking forward to more of the rest of the team though.

[luminum]

There is no help. :/ Gillen did an interview with Comics Alliance and in it, Billy was compared to Kurt. And considering how annoying Kurt and Blaine are in general, it probably means Billy and Teddy will be a wash.

[luna_ashes]

In spite of a few pacing here and there, I was actually really pleased with this issue. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but then I was never certain of what to expect (outside of the preview pages anyway). In general it's a pretty good starting issue, there's some really nice (re)introductions

[wake_the_dragon]

I basicly agreed with everything you've said.

I enjoyed this issue (despite some of the Teddy and Billy mishandling) and I especially love the Kate scenes. I'm shipping her and Noh-Varr already.

(Hey! Skrull's attacked Kate and Noh-Varr, right? And later on Billy mentions a new Skrull invasion. Is this connected/foreshadowing Kate and Noh-Varr crashing down onto Earth in the middle of a battle? It'd be a kickass way to reunite old friends. : p)

That would be awesome.

[luna_ashes]

NGL, it would be really amusing if, after trying to deal with whatever's going on with Teddy's mom, Billy and Teddy have that cliche "Wow, it can't get any worse, can it?" moment right before the night sky lights up, like BAM, SUDDENLY SKRULLS. Talk about a wild night!

[luminum]

I don't think they've been too mishandled. I think Gillen is picking up on some massive problems with Billy since the original run through CC. If he fails to call him on it, then I think he'll have really missed the boat.

Kate's scene was great, and Gillen and McKelvie were really clear about making a sex-positive book where female gaze and sexuality that isn't sexist was well handled.