Post by goldenfist on Feb 28, 2008 10:00:47 GMT -5
After a very respectable first issue, Young Avengers Presents takes a baffling turn by breaking its supposed modus operandi and telling a story that needs to be addressed but frankly isn't very compelling. Unfortunately for Hulkling, one of the more promising members of the team, his dad's back (in one capacity or another) and rather than getting the proper Presents treatment, he's dragged into some soap opera drama.
The second half of the first Young Avengers volume went to great lengths to establish Hulkling as the son of Mar-Vell and Skrull royalty. Since the Captain returned during Civil War, somebody must've realized he's now got a new son running around the Marvel Universe and Young Avengers Presents #2 takes up the responsibility of having the two meet. Brian Reed handles the writing duties, a good fit since he also pens the current Captain Marvel miniseries. Art comes from Harvey Tolibao, who bears a striking resemblance to a cleaner Tom Raney. In terms of a stand-alone story, YAP #2 works. There's a reasonable amount of drama between Hulkling and Mar-Vell and the awkwardness comes off effectively. Teddy is a sympathetic figure, much more so than Patriot, the subject of the last issue.
However, as an issue of Young Avengers Presents with the mission statement of delivering insight into its cast and evolving its characters just a bit, it fails. This is as much a Captain Marvel story as a Hulkling one, perhaps even more so. Effectively, it's a Cliff's Notes version of Civil War: The Return, as told to Teddy by his "father" while he stands there and cries about it. Brubaker's Patriot story last issue dealt with Eli on a personal and superhero level; this issue just has Teddy angst about how his dad may or may not be back. It's certainly a poignant story, but not one that seems to serve any real purpose.
It's a shame too, because I think Hulkling is a more dynamic and interesting character than any other on the Young Avengers. There's a lot of mileage still left in the character, and this story seems to be a necessary evil as it'd be odd for Marvel to completely ignored the two characters existing together simultaneously. But this is really not something you need to pick up, even if you're a Young Avengers diehard or Skrull theorist.
Review Score: 6.9 Passable
The second half of the first Young Avengers volume went to great lengths to establish Hulkling as the son of Mar-Vell and Skrull royalty. Since the Captain returned during Civil War, somebody must've realized he's now got a new son running around the Marvel Universe and Young Avengers Presents #2 takes up the responsibility of having the two meet. Brian Reed handles the writing duties, a good fit since he also pens the current Captain Marvel miniseries. Art comes from Harvey Tolibao, who bears a striking resemblance to a cleaner Tom Raney. In terms of a stand-alone story, YAP #2 works. There's a reasonable amount of drama between Hulkling and Mar-Vell and the awkwardness comes off effectively. Teddy is a sympathetic figure, much more so than Patriot, the subject of the last issue.
However, as an issue of Young Avengers Presents with the mission statement of delivering insight into its cast and evolving its characters just a bit, it fails. This is as much a Captain Marvel story as a Hulkling one, perhaps even more so. Effectively, it's a Cliff's Notes version of Civil War: The Return, as told to Teddy by his "father" while he stands there and cries about it. Brubaker's Patriot story last issue dealt with Eli on a personal and superhero level; this issue just has Teddy angst about how his dad may or may not be back. It's certainly a poignant story, but not one that seems to serve any real purpose.
It's a shame too, because I think Hulkling is a more dynamic and interesting character than any other on the Young Avengers. There's a lot of mileage still left in the character, and this story seems to be a necessary evil as it'd be odd for Marvel to completely ignored the two characters existing together simultaneously. But this is really not something you need to pick up, even if you're a Young Avengers diehard or Skrull theorist.
Review Score: 6.9 Passable