I got the frantic call from Florida. I packed quickly. Caught a flight. My sister and her husband were at their wit’s end. Their fifteen-year-old son - my nephew - had tried to commit suicide. A good kid - and a bright one - and gay.
He came so close…
They thought of me. Also gay. But older. Maybe I could help. I took some vacation time. Spent some time with him. Had a few deep talks. I did good. Connected with him. I helped a lot. But want to know when I saw the first hint of hope?
When I had packed I threw in about a dozen comics. As if I were actually going to catch up on my reading. Right… Among those dozen books, issues one through four of YOUNG AVENGERS. During one of my catnaps he had found and read them before I did. He woke me up. The look in his eyes. He showed me the books - especially the letters pages… His eyes were so big! A comic -with teenagers - gay teenagers! In a comic! And I saw the hope…
With me - at his age - it had been Patricia Neil Warren’s THE FRONT RUNNER. With my nephew - it’s YOUNG AVENGERS. A light in the darkness - a lifeline to grab - call it what you will. I call it hope.
Thank you very much. What you are doing here is decent and good - and very badly needed. Again, thank you.
Sef Farrow Virgina Beach, VA, in a letter to Alan Heinberg, writer of Young Avengers.
Same as you’d expect for any mainstream Marvel comic, YA and up. The protagonists are older teens, but they’re very much dealing with adult challenges.
Honestly though, if you’re going to read any Young Avengers, I’d go for Kieron Gillen’s run. He kind of looked at what Heinberg did and said “Now dial it up to 11!” As with everything Kieron does, it’s really great.
Thanks! We have a small collection of graphic novels but they are geared toward 6 to 10 year olds (my wife teaches elementary). It sounds like these go in the shelf next to my Pratchetts
I love that generation. I’m not the target audience, but because of games and movies I have read some comics, and young Marvel heroes are wholesome. I met Squirrel Girl through Marvel Rivals and she’s unapologetically herself, even if she’s a little awkward, which is awesome. The Unstoppable Wasp is a great representation of severe mental illness, and she’s a very sweet superhero. Jeff the Land Shark, so cute! The MCU itself showed us how homosexuality is normal for Miss America, and the comics expand on it. I think Marvel is going a good job (even though I’m aware it is still Marvel, with their propaganda and sometimes not so progressive values). Also, this generation does have a lot of queer people 👍.
Sef Farrow Virgina Beach, VA, in a letter to Alan Heinberg, writer of Young Avengers.
It always matters.
I am not familiar with young avengers but it sounds like it would go great in my private library. What age range is the target audience?
Same as you’d expect for any mainstream Marvel comic, YA and up. The protagonists are older teens, but they’re very much dealing with adult challenges.
Honestly though, if you’re going to read any Young Avengers, I’d go for Kieron Gillen’s run. He kind of looked at what Heinberg did and said “Now dial it up to 11!” As with everything Kieron does, it’s really great.
Thanks! We have a small collection of graphic novels but they are geared toward 6 to 10 year olds (my wife teaches elementary). It sounds like these go in the shelf next to my Pratchetts
I love that generation. I’m not the target audience, but because of games and movies I have read some comics, and young Marvel heroes are wholesome. I met Squirrel Girl through Marvel Rivals and she’s unapologetically herself, even if she’s a little awkward, which is awesome. The Unstoppable Wasp is a great representation of severe mental illness, and she’s a very sweet superhero. Jeff the Land Shark, so cute! The MCU itself showed us how homosexuality is normal for Miss America, and the comics expand on it. I think Marvel is going a good job (even though I’m aware it is still Marvel, with their propaganda and sometimes not so progressive values). Also, this generation does have a lot of queer people 👍.
See also Brian Micheal Bendis’ X-Men run.
That’s an amazing dialogue (well, monologue in a way too). Thank you for the recommendation.
Which characters are those? Is the guy talking Reed Richards?
Edit: oh wait, maybe Colossus? Just saw the pointy shoulder things…
Colossus talking to a couple of de-aged X-Men… I think Kitty and Bobby?
Marvel has always been good with this.
Just look at X-Men. The whole thing is an allegory for marginalized groups