Retro Review: 'Young Avengers' #9-12 looks back at Teddy Altman's secret origin in 'Family Matters'
Spoilers for 'Young Avengers' #9-12
The Kree and the Skrull empires have been at war for a millenia before Teddy Altman united both empires underneath his command; a united army that he is bringing to Earth in the upcoming 'Empyre' story arc. This week, in lieu of the regular comics being released, we look back at the storyline that truly began 'Empyre' and tells the story of the half-Skrull, half-Kree superhero who would bring both of his peoples together under a single, badly-spelled banner in 'Young Avengers' #9-12, 'Family Matters.'
This four-part arc was written by the 'Young Avengers' co-creators Allan Heinberg (writer) and Jim Cheung (Penciler). They are joined by Dave Meikis and John Dell on inks, and the late Justin Ponsor on colors. The 'Young Avengers' are set in a strange time of Marvel history. Brian Michael Bendis had shaken the Avengers up in a big way with 'Avengers: Disassembled,' during which the Scarlet Witch went mad, used her reality-warping powers to attack the Avengers, killing some of them and effectively disbanding the team. In their wake, new teams arose and even more teams arose post-Civil War. Starting with the New Avengers, you soon had the Mighty Avengers, the Dark Avengers, the Young Avengers, and even, for a brief while, the Pet Avengers. Of these teams, the Young Avengers were perhaps the most interesting.
The premise for the initial 12-issue run was an interesting one. Each of the young heroes had a distinct connection to the older generation of Avengers, though what that connection was tended to be initially misleading. For instance, Billy Kaplan, 'The Asgardian,' appeared to have a connection to Thor, but actually turned out to be the soul-displaced son of the Scarlet Witch herself. Patriot, at first assumed to be connected to Bucky Barnes, was in fact the grandson of the first black Captain America, Isiah Bradley. Through the series, more legacy characters joined the team, such as a teenaged version of the Vision, Kate Bishop as Hawkeye and the daughter of Ant-Man, Cassie Lang. The teen heroes are met with resistance, however, from Captain America and the New Avengers.
Captain America believes that the teenagers are too young to be superheroes and after discovering that Patriot had been using drugs to give himself superpowers, the team was effectively disbanded. 'Young Avengers' #9 sees the team trying to convince Patriot to lead their team and return to a life of crimefighting...just as Teddy is grabbed by Kl'rt, the Super Skrull, on behalf of the Skrull Empire.
What happens next is a series of escalations, as Teddy finds out about his Kree-Skrull heritage, how his parents are Captain Mar-Vell and a Skrull princess, making him next in line to the Skrull throne. He discovers his adoptive mother has always been a Skrull, and as both the Skrulls and the Kree come to claim Teddy at the same time, the New Avengers must intervene to stop an intergalactic war between both empires happening on Earth, again. In the meanwhile, we also meet Tommy Shepard for the first time and discover his and Billy's connection to the Scarlet Witch, as well as adding the new Vision to the team.
It's a chaotic story, but in the best way. The Young Avengers barely have time to breathe, as one event after another keeps happening to them, leading to a glorious battle in #12 that sees the Young Avengers and the New Avengers teaming up in the midst of a three-way battle between them, the Skrulls and the Kree. Jim Cheung draws iconic superheroes, and his action scenes fill every moment with a shiny sense of importance. His character designs are also standout, giving the Young Avengers costumes that are just as cool as they are iconic, fresh and vital in a way that stands out from the more classic costumes of the New Avengers.
The four issues have a huge cast and it's impressive that every one of them has a unique voice, and their own moment to shine as the series progresses. It's a series that's absolutely worth a reread, especially given that it introduces a ton of Marvel continuity whose effects are still being felt to this day. 'Young Avengers' is an iconic comic about teenaged superheroes, exemplifying the youth who want to do good despite every adult they know telling them to go home and be safe. The 'Young Avengers' are an oft-overlooked part of Marvel history and absolutely deserve more time in the spotlight.
'Young Avengers' Volume 1 is available wherever comics are sold. Quite a few stores are now providing home delivery and curbside pickups. You can also check this list compiled by Morgan Perry of Boom Studios to see if your local store provides mail subscription services. Stay safe and happy reading!