Avengers: The Children’s Crusade

I enjoyed this story a lot. Breezed through it really quickly. The Young Avengers are all faves of mine. Especially Wiccan and Hulkling.Never can get enough of them. Wiccan and Speed search for The Scarlet Witch who they think might be their mother.They need to find her before lots of other angry people do.

It was really great to get more of the fill in for what happens with House of M. This rounds out that plotline. Wanda does something that affects the entire Marvel universe. She wiped out most of the Mutant race by accident.Reality warping powers are really too much for anyone. Learned that with Wiccan in Young Avengers and he got it from Wanda.

So the X-men are angry and coming for her. The Avengers are searching for her as well because she killed some Avengers.The Doctor Doom is involved. Wanda has lost some of her memories.Maybe got rid of them herself. Reasonable considering her grief and everything that caused House of M. She’s a mess with reality warping power and Doctor Doom has his clutches in her. It’s bad. No one wants Wiccan to look for her because the situation is bad. Also, I think the adults are a little afraid Wiccan’s powers might be too much like his moms.

This story revolves so much around Wiccan a.k.a. Billy Kaplan a.k.a. one of my favorite gay superheroes ever. I’m most happy that I read this because it has some great moments between Billy and his boyfriend Teddy a.k.a Hulkling.It’s great seeing how much they love each other and will do to protect each other. Billy left a note for Teddy at one point and I just read it over and over. I’m trash for this couple. I love following their relationship over time. They have big moments like the letter that went on for a few panels. Then just the small moments in fights or in passing. Moments where they check up on each other and protect each other. Just naturally gravitating toward each other in different situations. The little flirting they do here and there. I love this pairing. The end of the comic with them was really great.You constantly see how much they care about each other in this.

Plus I love all the family feels for Billy and his brother Tommy a.k.a. Speed. I’m going to stop putting in a.k.a. now. He’s searching for his mother with his brother but also meets his grandfather Magneto for the first time. We even get a mini comic of when Magneto learns about the existence of his grandchildren. Why do I feel like Magneto would actually be a decent grandparent? Like he might use you and your powers to his advantage but he’d take someone out if they came for you. He’d care in a Magneto way. Wiccan and Speed meet their uncle Quicksilver as well which isn’t the best first meeting but the family resemblance is so cool to see. Even if Speed and Quicksilver’s outfits are actually way too close. Like how does that even happen?

This is a star-studded cast. Got the main X-men team. Mostly really annoying in this but it made sense.I needed them to think a little more but they were angry at all the mutants who died trying to get their abilities back. I understand.The Avengers appear as mentioned. The fight between the X-men and Avengers in this is lit. Then the Young Avengers. I love the Young Avengers. They are so great. I love the newer version of The Young Avengers and really need to talk about those comics but it’s really nice seeing the dynamics of this young Avengers team.You really see the fall of it here too, unfortunately.

There also was another gay superhero couple in this comic. I had not read them until now but I need to read more of them. Rictor and Shaterstar have such great moments in this. I know the pairing just from forums talking about the mutant couple in the X-men comics. Rictor talking about what it feels like to be connected to the earth with his power one day and to not have his power the next was intense. I really felt for the character. Then he and Shatterstar had this moment and I melted and I can’t. I need more of them. I feel like this is as far as their run has gone from what I know right now. So I’d be starting from before this and I hope I like seeing how it develops. I’ve also seen Shatterstar listed as a polyamorous character under a directory once so I wonder how that plays into his relationship with Rictor in the comics.I hope the comic handles it well.

The ending was sad even when I knew who was going to die already. I’ve read of Young Avengers comics set after this. It’s rough for a lot of reasons. Hoping the movie verse doesn’t take that turn with that character for a while. It would be rough to see on screen.No one really has a happy ending at the end here. most groups leave the situation extremely unhappy. Billy and Teddy still have each other and eventually will have a new Young Avengers team. Still, it’s a rough ending to the comic for Billy considering what has happened to the current team and ultimately what his search for his mother leads to.  I could do with less time travel in the plot, to be honest, but still enjoyed this a lot. Especially the gay.I’m a sucker for gay superheroes as you might know from so many other things I’ve reviewed. Plus my focus on them in this review. The queer characters in this particular comic had great arcs to follow. Can’t read to more on a lot of these characters in the future.