New Warriors #3 Review

Writer: Christopher Yost

Artist: Marcus To

Colors: David Curiel

Lettering: Joe Caramagna

Editor: Sana Amanat

Assistant Editor: Devin Lewis

Plot: The High Evolutionary tells Nova how humanity started. Scarlet Spider, Aracely, and Water Snake are brought to H.E. and eventually escape, freeing Nova as well. Meanwhile, Justice, Speedball, and Sun Girl bicker like children while Haechi has a mental breakdown about having a giant horn on his face. Nova and Scarlet Spider are overwhelmed by the High Evolutionary’s goons, the end.

Thoughts: Well the verdict is in folks, and this book stinks on ice. The series started off with a scenario that we’ve seen a thousand times before, but considering the players, locales, and snappy dialogue, it received an average, if not favorable review from yours truly. This issue though? Where to even start? Let’s get this out of the way first, you’ve seen this all before. Every single aspect of this issue is something that we’ve seen done again and again, and unless a writer is willing to put a new spin on the proceedings, it just comes across as tedious. The first four pages of this issue have the High Evolutionary telling us the origins of mankind that we’ve seen in Marvel books done to death. Listen, if the book wants to go down this route, that’s great, but if it doesn’t directly impact the story in any way, you’re just spinning your wheels.

The characters in this issue range from anger-inducing to annoying to present. The drama which springs from nowhere in the case of the verbal assault between Justice and Sun Girl seems manufactured, and almost comes across as something on a checklist of past Marvel team books that a writer had to knock out early in the proceedings. Haechi, breaking down from being a “freak” (again, something we’ve never seen before…), causes Justice and Sun Girl to start arguing with one another as to whether or not this is a curse or a gift. Sun Girl’s solution? Shoot Haechi in the face! If Yost is trying to make us like his pet character, it’s not coming across. After much more bickering, the four decide that they need to find Nova…and that’s it.

Meanwhile, on the other side of boredom, Scarlet Spider, Aracely, Water Snake and Nova are in the clutches of the High Evolutionary, which supplies a cool moment here and there at least (Kaine using his ability to talk to spiders to escape, and Nova rushing back to the rescue with a cool moment letting him shine, “I am the help!). Though even here, with the more appealing characters of the story, there’s little to be found. Kaine having to say that he’s “not Spider-Man” over and over to Nova wasn’t funny the first time it happened, and continued not to be funny the several following times.

I feel like you could have cut this issue in half and nothing of value would have been lost. A new series has a very real problem when the third issue comes across as boring and repetitive. Originally, I was really pulling for this book and figured it was a great way to prop up characters who either couldn’t, or never could, support their own title. This series is losing me with each passing issue and Yost needs to really pull a rabbit out of his hat to win me back.

The art, which had been a saving grace with me for the past two issues, seems really rushed this issue. Characters in the background seem to be extremely simplistic and lacking of detail, and the backgrounds themselves are devoid of anything for the most part, outside of a beige or blue texture filling it in. 

Grade: D-