MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY: CHAMPIONS #7 REVIEW

I finally decided to return to the Champions, after quite some time, as I missed both Miles Morales… and the sense of camaraderie he has with his other fellow younger superheroes. I was pleased to see that the book has gotten infused with so much youth and energy, and it was a breath of fresh air witnessing the dynamics among these teenagers, and how they are finding their place in the world together. At least, this early on, Miles Morales has a closely knit group of friends he can lean on when times get tough… and the way things are going with Roxxon, the Champions will just have to grow tougher.

OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS DESCRIPTION:

Champions #7

STORY BY: Danny Lore

ART BY: Luciano Vecchio

COVER BY: Toni Infante

CHANGE THE WORLD!

THE KAMALA CON!

The Champions are playing dirty to beat Roxxon at their own game — including implanting two of their own as interns to take down the corporation from within. But in order to earn the trust of their cutthroat Roxxon supervisors, they’ll have to deliver an unwilling spokesperson: Kamala Khan.

Will Ms. Marvel agree to become the face of a company and a law that she hates, or is it too high a price to pay for victory?

CHAMPIONS TOGETHER!

PROS:

• I have to praise the art, first and foremost. Like I mentioned earlier, the book contains oozing amounts of youth, energy and liveliness that it is practically contagious to anybody picking it up and reading. Also, I appreciate how the creative team is portraying the group as younger than they are sometimes depicted in other titles, whether it be in other comics or in the other various media. On the writing side, the team perfectly captures the lighter moments of what it truly means to be young… basically the addiction to video games. I really thought that Fin Fang Foom was going to make an epic entrance… only to realize soon after that the Champions were intensely engaged in a video game. This sums up the youth pretty accurately.
• I also find the premise of this storyline very new and fresh. The set-up is very similar to past storylines of Marvel, like in Civil War, but with a twist more focused on the youth. After Kamala Khan was injured in a Champions mission gone wrong, the government, spurred on by the corrupt corporation Roxxon, passed Kamala’s Law to crack down on underage superheroes. While Kamala became the unwilling face of the law, Ms. Marvel rallied the Champions to her side to fight the new restrictions. The team, along with teen activists, was able to convince the government to temporarily pause enforcement of Kamala’s Law, but until it’s repealed, the Champions remain on thin ice. This may not seem as black-and-white as once believed. Yes, we are so in love with the fantasy and dream of having young teenagers embrace their great power and responsibility… becoming superheroes, and growing into powerful men and women before our very own eyes. But when you really assess the reality and dangers behind it all, is it truly “good” to make these children put their lives on the line, when in fact, it should be the adults protecting them from whatever threats the universe may pose to us all…? I honestly cannot give one, clear, definite answer, and I think it is this push and pull that makes the book so gripping moving forward.
• It is also very smart to make use of a new app as a central point of the conflict and turmoil, since social media is the major force nowadays in youth and pop culture. It is evident that the team behind this book truly knows what makes the world go round in this day and age. To rehab their image, Roxxon launched Roxx On!, a new social media app aimed at teens. They also hired disgraced former Stark Unlimited intern Andre Sims, who was quickly assigned to a mysterious robotics project. The Champions believe the app and the new hire are part of a plan to keep Kamala’s Law on the books- and they’re prepared to fight dirty to uncover and foil Roxxon’s plans. In this issue, the Champions were able to play party-pooper to a big publicity stunt by the evil corporation. But the huge corporate entity will not stop until they get their way.

CONS:

• Perhaps at some points, the dialogue was just a tad bit too wordy and lengthy, but that may be a matter of taste and personal opinion or preference.

FINAL GRADE: B+

I am immensely glad that I returned to this title, and I am looking forward to finding out what happens to the next generation of Marvel Superheroes… and if our Miles Morales will still be able to continue being Spider-Man!