Magic brought the heroes of the New Champions together. But can ANYTHING keep them that way? Your Major Spoilers review of New Champions #2 from Marvel Comics awaits!
NEW CHAMPIONS #2
Writer: Steve Foxe
Artist: Ivan Fiorelli
Colorist: Arthur Hesli
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Editor: Alanna Smith
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 12, 2025
Previously in New Champions: Hellrune has summoned young heroes from far and wide, but who among them has what it takes to become a New Champion? The smooth-talking magician Monte seems to be a prime candidate, but is he more than he appears?
And who is the mysterious Magnetrix?
“MAGICALLY SUMMONED”: THE NEW “MET IN A TAVERN”
In the wilds of Norway, the New Champions have assembled, but Hellrune’s spell has brought together more heroes than she had ever thought it would. In addition to her regular allies, the spell has gathered the gamma-powered Hulkette, Scarlet Witch’s apprentice Amaranth, Kid Juggernaut, new hero NIghtshade, the mysterious Gold Tiger, new Spirt of Vengeance Fantasma, and Spider-Boy himself. While the assembled heroes fight off zombie trolls, Hellrune finds herself face-to-face with her family! The threat of the undead is stopped by Hellrune, with help from her newfound Auntie, and Amaranth helps her stop the gathering spell (though not until Kid Deadpool arrives to break the fourth wall.) With thirteen young heroes assembled, one of the new guys, a young magician called Monte, suggests that they ALL join the team, expanding their roster and going global!
Aaand everybody says “No.”
SOMEWHAT PUZZLING
As a fan of tropes being undermined, the hilarious moment when (almost) all the heroes turn down membership is kind of funny. But, like so many experimental stories, it also serves to make you question all the times that the exact approach being shown actually worked. Moreover, it calls attention to the fact that Marvel editorial has been creating younger counterparts at a madcap pace, making it seem like the entire cast has been designed to cash in on the popularity of Spider-Boy. The narrative in play gives us some nice moments with team leader Liberty, as well as Fantasma and The Gold Tiger, who accept communicators and trial memberships in the team, and there’s a big twist at the end as one of the cast reveals that they are not what they seem to be. But the sheer size of the cast and the velocity of the story make it hard to focus on any of those moments, as Hellrune seemingly quits, the mysterious Magneta debuts, and Kid Deadpool remarks that he’s probably not even canon. Ivan Fiorelli’s art likewise has its upside, with clear layouts and distinct looks for all the new characters, but there’s a cartoonishness about his facial expressions that pushes some moments over into the realm of overacted melodrama.
BOTTOM LINE: THERE IS POTENTIAL HERE
There is a distinctive feeling of “trying to make fetch happen” with New Champions #2, especially with so many young heroes seemingly coming out of nowhere to fill out the ranks, but young creators putting together a young team gave us my favorite book of the ’90s, with this issue earning a better-than-average 3 out of 5 stars overall. I will be paying attention to this book, and I hope to see it gain its footing, as trying to do too much is one of the lesser sins of a new comic title.
Also, apropos of nothing, I hate Moon Squire’s baseball cap.
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NEW CHAMPIONS #2
This issue helps to overcome some of my worries about having too big a roster, but it throws in a couple more worries that concern me, even with some fun character developments.
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Writing7
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Art6
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Coloring6
Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.