Champions Appreciation 2021

[Digifiend]

Maybe at the next linewide event? Miles and Kate ended up on a team together in War of the Realms, and obviously the majority of the two teams have met at Nadia's birthday party in her solo book, which ended with the two teams having a team-up. So they already know each other.

In the late 2000s, the YAs had two team-ups with the Runaways (in Civil War and Secret Invasion), but that book is more slice of life than superheroics nowadays - they didn't even get affected by Outlawed. It would make sense for the YAs to team-up with the Champions instead, but Kamala's Law has to go away first. Outlawed was responsible for the Champions missing both Empyre (Kamala was still in her coma, the event seems to take place between Outlawed #1 and Champions #1), and King in Black (Kamala got infected and Miles rescued her in his book, the rest of the team sat it out). The team was also splintered during both Secret Empire and War of the Realms (they did have tie-ins, but several members were missing from them). If the two teams were to join forces, it ought to be when they're at full strength.

[J. D. Guy]

Yeah, that is pretty nice. I would have liked to see more dialogue and interaction, though. Maybe the Champions and the Young Avengers could come together at some point in the future.

While that would have been nice, I can understand why that wouldn't be feasible in this circumstances. The two are more cameos than guest stars, and there's a lot going on now in these last handful of issues. With that in mind, it's not surprising that we wouldn't get any actual dialogue or explicit interaction between the two.

Maybe at the next linewide event? Miles and Kate ended up on a team together in War of the Realms, and obviously the majority of the two teams have met at Nadia's birthday party in her solo book, which ended with the two teams having a team-up. So they already know each other.

In the late 2000s, the YAs had two team-ups with the Runaways (in Civil War and Secret Invasion), but that book is more slice of life than superheroics nowadays - they didn't even get affected by Outlawed. It would make sense for the YAs to team-up with the Champions instead, but Kamala's Law has to go away first. Outlawed was responsible for the Champions missing both Empyre (Kamala was still in her coma, the event seems to take place between Outlawed #1 and Champions #1), and King in Black (Kamala got infected and Miles rescued her in his book, the rest of the team sat it out). The team was also splintered during both Secret Empire and War of the Realms (they did have tie-ins, but several members were missing from them). If the two teams were to join forces, it ought to be when they're at full strength.

Really just an aside tangent thing, but Kamala being in a coma wouldn't be an excuse for, say, Nova to miss Empyre. It's kinda frustrating that Sam did, to be honest. (Them's the drawbacks of not having one's own solo series. )

[Frontier]

Was Rich even in Empyre? I don't remember him showing up, but I think he was busy with the Guardians book?

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Young Avengers v. Champions could be a fun miniseries. Like the Young Avengers/Runaways teamups from back in the day.

[Huntsman Spider]

Maybe at the next linewide event? Miles and Kate ended up on a team together in War of the Realms, and obviously the majority of the two teams have met at Nadia's birthday party in her solo book, which ended with the two teams having a team-up. So they already know each other.

In the late 2000s, the YAs had two team-ups with the Runaways (in Civil War and Secret Invasion), but that book is more slice of life than superheroics nowadays - they didn't even get affected by Outlawed. It would make sense for the YAs to team-up with the Champions instead, but Kamala's Law has to go away first. Outlawed was responsible for the Champions missing both Empyre (Kamala was still in her coma, the event seems to take place between Outlawed #1 and Champions #1), and King in Black (Kamala got infected and Miles rescued her in his book, the rest of the team sat it out). The team was also splintered during both Secret Empire and War of the Realms (they did have tie-ins, but several members were missing from them). If the two teams were to join forces, it ought to be when they're at full strength.

Funny enough, the Runaways were tangentially affected by Outlawed when they temporarily joined up with an old-school hero named "Doc Justice" to form a new iteration of his J-Team. Then that setup fell through when Doc Justice turned out to be incredibly shady, to say the least.

[Digifiend]

That had nothing to do with Outlawed, that arc actually completed just before the COVID shutdown and on the same week as the release of the Outlawed one-shot. It's set before Kamala's Law was in force.
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Runaways_Vol_5_31

It does actually turn out Chase is legal though - he's 21. As a result, if they needed a "mentor", he'd be eligible.

[Huntsman Spider]

That had nothing to do with Outlawed, that arc actually completed just before the COVID shutdown and on the same week as the release of the Outlawed one-shot. It's set before Kamala's Law was in force.
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Runaways_Vol_5_31

It does actually turn out Chase is legal though - he's 21. As a result, if they needed a "mentor", he'd be eligible.

Ah, thanks for the correction, then.

[Digifiend]

Well some things never change (Heroes Reborn).
spoilers:

The Young Squadron end up disillusioned with their mentors, and change their team name... so they still end up becoming the Champions!

end of spoilers

[Huntsman Spider]

Well some things never change (Heroes Reborn).
spoilers:

The Young Squadron end up disillusioned with their mentors, and change their team name... so they still end up becoming the Champions!

end of spoilers

To be fair, spoilers:

their mentors in the Squadron Supreme are even worse compared to the adult Avengers, who can be guilty of hubris and shortsightedness, but at least aren't nearly so callous about civilian life and violently sadistic toward the villains they fight.

end of spoilers

[J. D. Guy]

Well some things never change (Heroes Reborn).
spoilers:

The Young Squadron end up disillusioned with their mentors, and change their team name... so they still end up becoming the Champions!

end of spoilers

spoilers:

There's a certain sense of ease knowing that. Especially when accounting for how the Squadron Supreme really are, like Huntsman Spider explained.

end of spoilers

[Digifiend]

https://www.comichron.com/monthlycom...1/2021-05.html

85	62	Heroes Reborn Young Squadron	1	$4.99	05/26/21	Marvel
142	150	Champions	7	$3.99	05/19/21	Marvel

Wow, that's a big difference - are readers telling Marvel they made a mistake removing Jim Zub as the writer of Champions?

Incidentally, Young Squadron also outsold Amazing Shutterbug, Peter's Heroes Reborn tie-in.

[Frontier]

https://www.comichron.com/monthlycom...1/2021-05.html

85	62	Heroes Reborn Young Squadron	1	$4.99	05/26/21	Marvel
142	150	Champions	7	$3.99	05/19/21	Marvel

Wow, that's a big difference - are readers telling Marvel they made a mistake removing Jim Zub as the writer of Champions?

Incidentally, Young Squadron also outsold Amazing Shutterbug, Peter's Heroes Reborn tie-in.

I guess there's a lot of ways you could take it.

A one-shot versus an ongoing series in its seventh issue...Zub fans that he's built up picking up a book...people caring about the Teen Trinity...Fans who realized they missed out on giving Zub's Champions a chance...still an event tie-in...

[Digifiend]

Can't be because it was an event tie-in, because on that logic, Shutterbug should've done a lot better, being Spider-Man's tie-in to the event. Who'd have thought more people would be interested in how it affects Miles than what happened to Peter?

Incidentally, Zub's current book Conan the Barbarian was only a few places above Champions, so either he really doesn't have a strong fanbase or readers don't like swords and sorcery titles.

In any case, that low ranking doesn't reflect well on current Champions writer Danny Lore.

[J. D. Guy]

https://www.comichron.com/monthlycom...1/2021-05.html

85	62	Heroes Reborn Young Squadron	1	$4.99	05/26/21	Marvel
142	150	Champions	7	$3.99	05/19/21	Marvel

Wow, that's a big difference - are readers telling Marvel they made a mistake removing Jim Zub as the writer of Champions?

Incidentally, Young Squadron also outsold Amazing Shutterbug, Peter's Heroes Reborn tie-in.

It also might be due to being an "issue #1".

[Digifiend]

One-shots don't tend to get the same boost as #1 of a longer run would.