Young Avengers

9th October 2012

Post with 469 notes

Young Avengers

This is my second Marvel Now book. Jamie McKelvie, Mike Norton, Matt Wilson, Clayton Cowles and Editors Lauren and Jake Thomas are “do”ing it. You’ll like it. The first interview is here, which is an agreeably delirious download. Here’s some random quotes…

In this case we were talking about the Marvel NOW! books and “Young Avengers” came up. I thought, “If I’m going to to do this book I want to do it with Jamie and Mike Norton.” And I wanted Matt Wilson on colors. I wanted Clayton Cowles who was our letterer on “Journey Into Mystery.” I wanted to make something that was completely beautiful and bespoke. I looked at something like “Daredevil” and how aesthetically coherent it is. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that for Marvel. I’ve done some really good books at Marvel, but I haven’t done anything that’s been as aesthetically coherent in the way “Phonogram” is.

And…

I’m kind of looking at it as fight scenes as music videos. Each individual fight scene or action sequence is based around an individual hook. We present them in a certain way and it’s very stylistic, but it’s for the higher purpose of trying to convey how fantastical the scene is. We’re trying to give a sense that this is all part of life, but some bits are heightened. We’re trying to find another way to look at the classic big super hero beats and some of that involves reinventing stuff that has been forgotten in the same way that “Journey Into Mystery” tried to reinvent and reclaim the narrative caption.

And…

It certainly comes on strong. A big chunk of my favorite pop songs are simultaneously totally ludicrous and absolutely sincere, full of an awareness of how silly it is while taking it all with a completely straight face. This is very much like that. It feels properly pop in a way more than anything I’ve ever written. Hell, even “Phonogram.” I think it’s a book that after reading the first eight pages of the first issue people will either be on board or realize it’s not for them.It certainly comes on strong. A big chunk of my favorite pop songs are simultaneously totally ludicrous and absolutely sincere, full of an awareness of how silly it is while taking it all with a completely straight face. This is very much like that. It feels properly pop in a way more than anything I’ve ever written. Hell, even “Phonogram.” I think it’s a book that after reading the first eight pages of the first issue people will either be on board or realize it’s not for them.

And…

The original volume of “Young Avengers” was a phenomenally successful book. I remember when it was announced and people were really cynical about it. Then the book came out and it had a completely respectful view of the long history of the Marvel Universe. It worked brilliantly. I couldn’t write that book. I couldn’t base a story around a tiny bit of continuity from 30 years ago. I completely respect people that can do that and I love those stories, but that doesn’t mean I can. So I took a different approach. In this world the Avengers are almost civil servants or firemen or police. They work for the government and they’re this enormous organization. But at the core? The real core of the Avengers? It’s saving the world, because someone has got to, and that’s what “Young Avengers” is about. They’re called “Young Avengers” even though they’re not Avengers. This is fundamentally about the ideal. It’s about being a super hero. It’s about saving the world because somebody has got to do it.

And…

After that “Young Avengers” will be set up as a device where you can go to any of the Marvel Universe locales where teen heroes live and work like the West Coast with the Runaways or the Jean Grey School. It’s a very wide ranging book in that way. For me it’s super heroism as a metaphor for talent and deciding what you want to do with it. There’s a line in my original proposal for this that the original “Young Avengers” book was kind of about being 16. This book is about being 18.

And…

I’m really going for it. “Young Avengers” isn’t just designed to be my final word on teenage superheroes. It’s almost certainly designed to be my final word on teenagers full stop.

So yes. I believe some more art will be forthcoming sooner or later. You’ll like this one, I think.

And to old Young Avengers readers? Hell. I’m Kieron Gillen, and I’m writing your comic. I’m mostly nice, except when I’m monstrous. Which isn’t often, honest.

Though you probably should ask the JIM readers about that one.

Tagged: Young Avengers Kieron Gillen Jamie McKelvie Mike Norton Clayton Cowles Matt Wilson Kid Loki Loki Marvel Boy Noh-Varr Hawkeye Wiccan Hulkling Miss America