Brian K. Vaughan // Adrian Alphona
September 2005
*****
My misgiving that Ultron was too far above our kids’ weight class is finessed by the post-teen cavalry saving their hides. Turns out Vaughan has written a backdoor pilot (to use an LA term) for a team of New New Warriors (AKA Excelsior—nice name!), financed by Marvel’s original c-lister, Rick Jones!
last issue: Runaways #5
next issue: Runaways #7
also indexed for Sept. ’05
Daredevil #75
The Pulse #10
Young Avengers #6
Brian K. Vaughan // Adrian Alphona
August 2005
****
The kids face the secret father of a new superfriend: Dr. Doom! or maybe a Doombot! …nope, it’s Ultron! I’d usually call foul on this bait-n-switch reveal, esp. as facing a rogue Doombot would be perilous enough, plus BKV nails Doom’s voice. But AA draws the fight exceptionally well, which earns a few points!
last issue: Runaways #4
next issue: Runaways #6
also indexed for Aug. ’05
Astonishing X-Men #12
Daredevil #74
Young Avengers #5
Brian K. Vaughan // Adrian Alphona
July 2005
****
A ’90s d-lister is suffering PTSD from his darkling powers, while a new castmember (Hispanic son of a single mom!) learns pop is a supervillain! Tho the mag is slowing back down, it’s got enough plots & characters—and sketches them out well enough—that the decompression isn’t a drag on momentum.
last issue: Runaways #3
next issue: Runaways #5
also indexed for Jul. ’05
Astonishing X-Men #11
Daredevil #73
The Pulse #9
Young Avengers #4
Brian K. Vaughan // Adrian Alphona
June 2005
****
The story of teens & 20-somethings reaches the trad Marvel beat of heroes pounding on each other w/o talking first. But w/ the rebooted numbering, Alphona has upped his game. His art has taken on a supple quality, his physiques & faces moving further from figuration to lovely expressionistic forms.
last issue: Runaways #2
next issue: Runaways #4
also indexed for Jun. ’05
Daredevil #72
Young Avengers #3
Brian K. Vaughan // Adrian Alphona
May 2005
****
BKV plays an interesting game with the margins of the Marvel U. A team of washed-up ’90s heroes suggest one prospect for this mag’s protags; an Avenger from the future—Gert, all grown up—points toward more successful careers. The time twist has them out to reform a kid before he turns supervillain.
last issue: Runaways #1
next issue: Runaways #3
also indexed for May ’05
Astonishing X-Men #10
Daredevil #71
Fantastic Four #524
The Pulse #8
Secret War #4 of 5
Young Avengers #2
Brian K. Vaughan // Adrian Alphona
April 2005
*****
After half a year hiatus, Runaways returns reinvigorated! The remit is evidently not only to speed up the action (hurray!) but to tie the mag more tightly to the Marvel fabric. So the kids foil a heist by post-Kirby bruisers while a support group of ex-superteens hint at life after caped heroics.
continued from Runaways #18
next issue: Runaways #2
also indexed for Apr. ’05
Daredevil #70
Fantastic Four #523
Young Avengers #1
C.B. Cebulski // Bong Dazo & Harvey Tolibao
May 2009
**
A clumsy revision of ’90s superhero Darkhawk. Once a teen in a shazam scenario w/ a robot, D learns he’s part of a galactic cabal hunted nearly to extinction. Now he’s off to another dimension to set the future aright! An entire team of artists can’t draw a simple aerial hand-to-hand fight.
last issue: War of Kings: Darkhawk #1 of 2
continued in War of Kings: Ascension #1 of 4
also indexed for May ’09
Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1 of 5
Guardians of the Galaxy #11
Guardians of the Galaxy #12
Nova #23
War of Kings #1 of 6
C.B. Cebulski // Bong Dazo & Harvey Tolibao
April 2009
*
It was fun to see ’90s superhero Darkhawk pop up in Nova as the security guard for a supertech research facility. But this two-issue miniseries adds nothing, offering instead a clumsy bit of portraiture around rage issues & superhero recovery. There’s not one description of the char’s superpowers!
next issue: War of Kings: Darkhawk #2 of 2
also indexed for Apr. ’09
Guardians of the Galaxy #10
Nova #22
Index Indigo 