I’ll miss you, Young Avengers. Thanks for all the smooches.
Young Avengers is officially over. Here’s a look at what we learned in this final issue and why the antics of a few, nutty, teenage superheroes were so important.
After the saving the world, there’s the after party. And after the party, it’s the hotel lobby. And around issue 15, we have to clear the lobby and then head to our rooms and do something jolly rude. MIC-DROP!
This issue made me happy. I thought I would be sad when it came down to it, y’know? I really enjoyed the series and became attached to these young characters, their struggles and their development. I found myself rooting for them as I read their drama unfold on the page. I didn’t want the story to end.
But, YA’s masterminds closed the book on their terms and did so on a positive note. Rather than sad, I was left feeling as though I had just said goodbye to a close friend who was moving away to bigger and better things. The story has ended, whether I wanted it to or not, but the characters’ stories haven’t. There is still plenty of room for growth, even if it’s not right now or in Gillen and McKelvie’s hands. If we never get to read more about this particular team, I feel satisfied with what we’ve been given; I don’t think it’s fair to ask more of creators who worked so hard to bring us a great run.
[visual_button url=”http://pulllist.comixology.com/sku/NOV130653/Young-Avengers-15″ style=”default” size=”medium” target=”_blank”]WARNING: Spoilers ahead. Read the last YA issue here![/visual_button]
We’re left with a lot of questions, but we also have a lot of closure. In this final installment, Gillen managed to:
- Put to rest the issue of “queerbaiting” regarding America (“hey, guys, here’s definitive confirmation that almost every single member of this team is queer”). In doing so, he added to the roster of LGBT characters, specifically heroes, in the Marvel Universe. That’s pretty cool!
- Flesh out Loki’s character in his conversation with David, setting the stage perfectly for Agent of Asgard. Is that… remorse he might feel for killing his younger self? A sense of determination and self acceptance? A desire to make amends with a group of friends he clearly cherishes? Hot damn!
- Mature Noh-Varr significantly. Finally, he was able to see beyond himself. He understood his mistake, recognized his shortcomings and put his own feelings aside for Kate’s happiness.
- Unravel some of the mystery surrounding Tommy’s disappearance. We still don’t know exactly what’s going on, but at least we have a better idea. Something something sacrifice of humanity into not-Patriot something something.
- Help settle the concerns about Loki’s sexuality. Remember when I wrote that Asgard “does not, for all we know, impose the same heteronormative standards as earth,” and that’s likely why Loki had never felt the need to explicitly define his bisexuality before? Boosh, I was right! Somebody hire me to write comics.
- Tip his hat at two incredibly popular fan couples (David/Tommy and America/Kate), plus create fodder for more (Tommy/Kate and Loki/David). Either these couples were Gillen’s plan all along and he subliminally encouraged affection for them in previous issues, or he’s been trolling Tumblr. I am on to you, sir.
- Leave us with the image of one, big, dysfunctional but happy family.
In a universe dependent on “must be bigger, must have more explosions, must have a more epic villain” events, it was refreshing to focus on a gang of ridiculous teens that struggled to save themselves as much as the world.
I’ll miss you, Young Avengers! Thanks for all the smooches.
