USAwkward

For those unaware I-your grandiose host-am Puerto Rican on my father's side. I bring that up because it is very rare the topic of patriotism and citizenship comes up around here, but today we deal with a comic book that puts our nation on the frontlines and tells the world "its good to be an American". Today we discuss Marvel's "USAvengers" on Current Issues.

Writer: Al Ewing

Artist: Paco Medina

Writer Al Ewing planted the seeds for USAvengers using the X-Men character Sunspot/Roberto da Costa who joined The Avengers in 2011 following the event "Avengers vs X-Men". As a member of The Avengers Roberto engaged in a hostile takeover of the evil corporation known as AIM or Advanced Ideas Mechanics. Once he took control of the company Roberto brought in a better staff of scientists and either fired or converted the remaining staff, he then rebranded the organization as Avengers Ideas Mechanics. Using this new Avengers science division he assembled his own New Avengers team made up of Avengers, Young Avengers and Secret Avengers alike, the team broke up after 18 issues following "Civil War II". Al Ewing then got another Avengers title in the form of USAvengers, a team Roberto establishes after reinventing his company again as American Ideas Mechanics and being part of the US government. With his new team Roberto wanted to inspire the world that being part of America means being part of the greatest team on Earth.

Robbie's team consists of Squirrel Girl (a character featuring on Ewing's New Avengers and also a character I can't stand), Red Hulk (not the old one people like, but a pale imitation), Iron Patriot (not either of the two who have been established, but a new one), Cannonball (another member of The New Mutants/X-Men), Enigma (couldn't tell ya), and Captain America (not one of the other three, but a new one). As you probably tell I'm not super-psyched about this team. I liked the idea of General Thunderbolt Ross becoming the Red Hulk to rival his giant green rival, but instead we use some generic angry general guy who's never been "a Hulk". And instead of Rhodey (who I understand was dead) or the newest She-Thing (who uses a suit that replicates the powers of The Thing) we get a new gay Asian chick. Not being offensive here, she's a lesbian. Granted I do like the idea that she is related to the guy who saved Tony Stark's life in the cave and now she uses the armor for everything except violence. Squirrel Girl is just the best right? I mean LOL, memedy-meme-meme! Sorry, that was early morning pettiness. Enigma and Cannonball are there and this new Captain America is probably the most interesting character. She's actually an adult Danielle Cage-the daughter of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones-from the future. She's as strong as her parents combined and she got the honor of being Captain America. The first arc is about her coming back in time to stop The Golden Skull, a pirate from the future who's goal is to be the richest person on Earth. Pretty simple, to be honest. Too bad after the first three issues he's defeated and both he and Danny go back to their time. Bye bye interesting character who conveniently matched our theme. The following arcs remind us that Cannonball has a kid and lives on another planet now, which-if you were just reading this and not the other Avengers books-you'll feel totally lost. Then "Secret Empire" started and Captain Hydra took over the book. The fourth issue was just Red Hulk teaming up with Deadpool. And the next arc is another crossover with The Avengers.

The main reason I wanted to talk about this book is because I don't understand the message it's going for. In the first few issues it really tries to be about American pride and diversity. We have a Canadian-American, an Asian-American, Enigma is from Norway, and Roberto was born in Brazil, but the message is that wherever you come from, if you become an American YOU ARE an American. And that message is important especially in today's society when the border between being an immigrant and being a criminal becomes thinner by the day. It's a message people need to hear, to remind them no matter what the color of their skin is or which gender they prefer or background they come from they are Americans and Americans support each other. And I want to believe in that message I really do, but then you introduce time travel, a pirate who just wants to rob the richest people on Earth, and you have Squirrel Girl solving all your problems while Cannonball is on another goddamn planet! With a message like that so early in the book you can't divert so quickly. It feels like the team has had barely anytime to grow and develop and work together. I dropped off this book for two reasons: one, I was sick of events bogging the book down and two, I knew it wouldn't last. Not when the second story you have to tell is one that stars Deadpool. Not when your third arc has "Secret Empire" stinking it up. I can't give the book a chance if it's not allowed to stand on it's own two feet. I expected the book might be some kind of joke, some kind of extreme parody of all those "Justice League of America" and para-military 80's films. Why else is Red Hulk wearing little blue shorts? And look, the writing is good, the art is fantastic, but I feel the book lacks a stable direction. It needs to either be extreme and hilarious, or meaningful and preachy, it cannot do both so early in it's tenure and it cannot go "crazy comic book stuff" this soon.

In the promotion for this book, Marvel released a variant cover showing an Avenger and a state of America. Each cover was exclusive to that part of the country and every country got it's own Avenger to represent it. When I heard about this I assumed we here in New Hampshire would get some loser like Demolition Man or U.S. Agent or Nighthawk. But no. We got Spider-Man. One of many New Yorker heroes, the best selling superhero in merchandising history, a character who got films before the MCU was a thing, one of Stan Lee's most important creations, and the face of Marvel Comics for like 80 years and we got him. We-New freaking Hampshire-got Spider-Man. I say this because that simple fact, that basic decision made me smile wider than issue of "USAvengers". The book isn't bad, it's done well and Al Ewing is a talented man, but I find it's lack of direction and it's lack of enthusiasm regarding it's subject matter to be disappointing, I find it's team to be lackluster, and I find it's presentation to be an unearned blaring of characteristics the book never got room to explore. Maybe if Marvel Editorial didn't bog down the book with events we'd see more freedom to move and grow from the title, but the book's ironic downfall is that it's a Marvel comic book with "Avengers" in the title. I guarantee if this was a New Warriors book nobody would give a damn.

Thank you for reading.

Need an Avengers book? Screw it, go read "Champions"!