2023 book #60. 2014. After seeing the movie "The Marvels" my daughter is convinced that Marvel is moving toward a Young Avengers movie. This book was OK, but very hard to follow. Miss America, Loki, Kate Bishop, and their friends. ( )

This book collects issues 1-15 and the Marvel Point 1 origin of the 2013 Young Avengers series.

I absolutely loved Kieron Gillen's recent runs of Journey into Mystery & Thor, which included Loki being reincarnated as a young pre-teen. It completely shook up the dynamic between the brothers and reinvented Loki in a new and fun way. So, when I saw that the character would become part of the new run of Young Avengers, I didn't hesitate to preorder the trades as they became available.

Happily, Loki doesn't disappoint. He's still the mischievous trickster from mythology and comic canon, but readers are kept wondering whether he's on the side of good, evil or just himself throughout. We learn that these young heroes used to fight for good, but stopped being heroes when some of their friends were killed. Loki uses his reputation for lying to his advantage to manipulate them into uniting as a new team. Supposedly, his motivation is to correct a spell cast by Wiccan that has gone horribly wrong. But, Loki has never been one for altruism.

While I loved Loki, I did have some problems with this series. First, this team is introduced quickly and with almost no background. This can also be said of Loki, if readers have not read JiM. Second, I wasn't sure which "reality" this was taking place in, as "Earth-212" is name-dropped in contrast to "Earth-Earth." Being a newbie to comics, this was problematic. Third, I don't like half of these so-called heroes. America Chavez is the biggest problem for me - frankly, she's mean. Wiccan (the son of Scarlet Witch, same powers) and his boyfriend Hulkling (a Skrull?) are a cute couple, but they whine a lot. I did like the remaining two: Noh-Varr (Marvel Boy/Protector, only now young for some reason) and Kate Bishop (a female Hawkeye). They are more charismatic and upbeat, and I hope they get more screen time.

I had hoped some of these issues would be resolved as the series progressed, but that never really happened. There is a lot of movement in this series, but not much development. The characters run around using their powers, but accomplish very little. The series never measures up to the prior Young Avengers series, which was fantastic. This series feels like it is aimed at very young readers.

What saved the series for me is that readers do get some insight into Loki’s motivation and a resolution of the overarching story. So far, this series hasn’t been renewed in the wake of Secret War. And honestly, that’s not a bad thing. This group really isn't strong enough, at least anymore, to carry a regular series. However, they have a lot of potential to spice things up when teamed with adult heroes America is going to be a regular in the New Avengers, and Kate Bishop was a big part of Fraction’s Hawkeye series and hopefully his post-Secret Wars adventures. I loved Loki’s Agent of Asgard series, and truly hope that gets renewed sooner rather than later.

Overall, this omnibus is definitely worth the purchase for Young Avengers fans, even if it’s not as strong as the previous incarnation. And Loki fans should enjoy seeing his adventure as a child continue, if only for a little while. Recommended.

Young Avengers Collections:
Young Avengers
Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways
Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers
Young Avengers Presents
Dark Reign: Young Avengers
Young Avengers: Style>Substance
Young Avengers Volume 2: Alternative Cultures (Marvel Now)
Young Avengers Volume 3: Mic-Drop at the Edge of Time and Space (Marvel Now) ( )