Flip The Page Review: Dark Reign Young Avengers #4 (of 5)

Ya know what my favourite banner is at the moment? The first Jono Starsmore banner. He takes up so much bloody room that it just looks better than the rest. I might just make the full thirty banners pictures of him. Oh yeah the review, better get on that now...

Ya know I'm like 90% sure I haven't devoted any full size reviews to Paul Cornell yet, which I'm sure some people who know me would declare madness. I mean I'm massively enthusiastic about his work, all starting from buying the Panini Comics release of Captain Britain and MI13 volume 1. Why point out it was the Panini one? Because it has a kickass foreword and I'm not sure if the marvel one has. Still that's not the point. Paul Cornell is awesome and I've yet to read anything by him that sucks. In fact he's part of the 'future of Marvel' writers thing I'm doing eventually.

As such when good ole Paul started a Young Avengers mini that might ACTUALLY have some effect on the team (read as: will create villains for them) outside of Heinberg's material I shat happiness bricks. It had to be awesome.

And it is.

But it's also ever so heartbreaking.

FIND OUT WHY AFTER THE JUMP!

I'm not gonna go on about the writing this time. Paul Cornell is the fucking man. When you consider how lame the other two YA minis (I don't count Presents cause it's a series of one shots) are with their inconsequential storylines and a complete lack of anything substantial to take away from them, the fact that this mini actually seems to be laying out some proper villains for the teen team is fucking groundbreaking. That's some evidence of writing chops right there.

The art is Mark Brooks, from stuff I need to read (Ultimate X-Men, New X-Men, Amazing Fantasy) and the first coupla issues of Cable & Deadpool. I'll admit I'm quite harsh on those first two issues of C&D but that's mostly the fault of Patrick Zircher for following up on it. Outside of that point I love what little art I've seen of Brooks and that doesn't change here. It's good stuff and hopefully he'll keep drawing stuff I want to read (even if I haven't gotten around to reading some things I want to that he happens to draw).

This comic is playing out like a shakespearian tragedy, destroying me inside more and more as it plays out. Here's a quality comic that makes you attached to amazing characters only to go "NO! NO YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM THEY HAVE TO BE EVIL NO MATTER HOW MUCH I BUILD UP YOUR HOPES MUAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!". And then I cry. Inside.

*sniffle* on with the moments?

1. "Hey let's fuck with Executioner 'cause we can!"

For context here Kate Bishop (Hawkeye) is trying to show she's not Hawkeye to a Dark Young Avenger they don't want to have anything to do with them. Whilst it's clever and involves Vision turning into Hawkeye, it's really dickish to go to the whole effort of rejecting Exectutioner's advances or whatnot. Still that's not the moment. This is the moment, with Kate Bishop being witty enough to obsess with how a representation of HERSELF complimented HERSELF on HER OWN dress sense. Funny stuff and grabbed my attention.

2. Roster Winnage

I'd like to say that this is because of the impact of deciding who belongs in the Young Avengers (yeah, that'll happen) but in reality I just love Enchantress saying "It Beith for the win!" which is perhaps one of the funniest things I've read in this limited series.

3. Leadership/Cap Stuff

This is an awesome moment, kinda addresses what it's like being in this position of teenage leadership and how people would ACTUALLY react to you. But most importantly it adds even more depth to my favourite new character since Lyra, Melter II. He's the biznitch.

4. HOLY SHIT

HOLY. SHIT. I mean.... Wow... Helluva flashback... Ah crap I'm so emotionally invested in Melter II that whatever happens with him will destroy me inside.

5. Norman Osborn's Offices, Perverts

Seriously, Norman Osborn is watching you be topless. Right now. Even if you aren't topless.

6. Enchantress II revealed

Kinda a shame to know that she isn't an Asgardian or anything but still a pretty good reveal to shovel in there and it feels right. Flippin' moment and such.

7. Enchantress II: Gay Seducer?

Oh and then the character becomes crappy by trying to seduce Wiccan. Ah well still a great moment. Unless.. Is she saying she has a penis?

8. HOLY SHIT II

Executioner kills his mother. This is awesome and makes my least favourite character kinda likeable. Hey are these getting shorter?

9. Dark Avengers Appear: Shit Gets Tragic

Welp, now that Melter II has called in Osborn... Well... Any chance of him becoming a hero is dashed. I'm sad now.

And that's the issue. It's awesome and you should read it. Now I need to sleep.

Rating:

Flippin' MUST READ!

Next up: Top Ten Writers #2?