Broken Frontier

Siege: Young Avengers shows us what happens to the Young Avengers after the fall of Asgard.   I really enjoy the Young Avengers team.  However, since their initial run, they’ve only really served to support other teams and have lost a bit of their identity because of it.  Recently, they’ve teamed-up with the Runaways and supported the New Avengers against the Skrulls and H.A.M.M.E.R.  Then there was the Dark Reign story, which focused on the “evil” Dark Avengers, who wanted to work with Osborn.  This issue is the first in a while where the actual members of the team are the focus of the story. 

After the Sentry destroys Asgard, the Young Avengers get scattered in the rubble.  Patriot and Hawkeye find themselves buried underground; Wiccan and Hulkling wander around, contemplating the madness as Speed races across the battlefield, helping survivors.  Stature and the Vision, who are part of the Mighty Avengers, are only mentioned in passing.  While this is meant to be a team book, there isn’t much uniting them.  Perhaps this is a conscious decision on writer Sean McKeever’s part to address the recent disjointedness of the team and reunite them. 

While I appreciate this notion, as the Young Avengers have the potential to be a great team (and if this issue and the Dark Reign mini-series are any indication, one of the most powerful), this issue just made the characters seem relatable, but unlikable.  For instance, as Patriot and Hawkeye find themselves trapped under tons of debris Patriot becomes passive and scared, while Hawkeye keeps suggesting he push their way out or they blow their way through with arrows.  The two bicker about why Patriot is being such a pansy.  Apparently it’s because Patriot wants to kiss Hawkeye.  Luckily, after this, a way out presents itself, and the two work together to get free.

Outside, Hulkling and Wiccan wander around thinking about how hard all the destruction is hitting Wiccan.  They have an emotional conversation, which culminates in Wiccan confessing that his dad used to read him bedtime stories about Asgard until he got mad and hurt his dad’s feelings.  They stumble across the Wrecking Crew, who are in the process of looting the throne room.  Hulkling asks Wiccan to go with him to help the wounded, but instead, Wiccan dives in and attacks the Wrecking Crew, defending the sanctity of Asgard’s culture.  Shouldn’t he be helping the living (or dying) people instead?

Meanwhile, Speed, who is known for being the irresponsible one of the group, is the only one racing around helping people.  He is literally at his limit and almost gives up when Ronin appears and inspires him to keep going.  He bounces back, and unites the team, bringing them back into the fight. 

Regardless of how I feel about the character decisions, the story did accomplish what it set out to do, which is unite the Young Avengers.  Although I think the dialogue is too emotional, Mahmud A. Asrar’s art does a good job conveying the emotions behind the words.  While I don’t agree with the character decisions, I do believe that this book is solidly constructed and the characters are highly developed.