Kang the Conqueror is a guy who will live in the thirtieth century, and will travel back in time to be stranded in ancient Egypt. There he was considered a god and he ruled over Egypt while developing a way to time travel again. Since then he has been attempting to take over all of time thus forcing Mc Donald’s to serve breakfast after 10:30 in the morning. (On a side note, Kang’s son is currently succeeding where his father had failed in the comic series 4, which is the Marvel Knights’ Fantastic Four). After some painful failures, Kang decided to travel back to the future (heh) where he will prevent a horrible accident that happened to his younger self and supply himself with his powerful suit so as to start conquering at a younger age. The Younger Kang, it seems, didn’t like that idea and so he traveled to the past to find the Avengers. When he arrived, they had disbanded. So rather than just hopping back in time a little more to find them, he instead creates the Young Avengers. They are currently preparing to fight Kang’s future self when he inevitably comes to find the younger. And now you know the plot.

Allen Heinberg (writer) makes it clear that they are not prepared, however. In the first issue, the inept teenagers seriously botch rescuing a wedding party at a Cathedral, and even though they have only started to fight crime, it seems that the common teenage hero angst and rivalry are rearing their ugly tights. (And what’s up with time travel and Kang the conqueror appearing as themes in all of these comics? Do all the comic creators talk about what they are going to do and try to group similar plots together? Of course they do! Don’t you read comics?) And naturally, the New Avengers have to waggle their fingers and say stuff like “you’re too young,” and “you’ll end up getting hurt,” and other stuff which confronts any teenager in every conceivable comic plot. This, of course, means that the Young Avengers will end up saving the Avengers after Kang imprisons/kills/time-banishes them. Just a hunch.

But if this sounds like I’m disparaging Heinberg, I’m not. Heinberg’s writing is actually very good. Some clichés are unavoidable, though the dialogue could be better. But still, Kang fighting himself? That’s a pretty cool twist right there, and you gotta love the line “It’s not a doll, it’s a stimuloid.” Ha ha ha, man, I would have beat up Kang if he said that to me.

Moving right along, it’s time to talk about the artwork. Jim Cheung (penciler) is good and consistent. Check out the old school Iron Man on the cover. The problems lie in some overcrowding, confusing movement, and it seems like some cells are fantastic, while others look like they were done in a hurry.

So, it looks like this series is going in an interesting direction. The Young Avengers are about to receive two new members, Kang’s coming to town, and maybe we’ll find out why Hulkling is always “Hulked out.” In the mean time, try not to worry yourself with questions like “if Kang destroys young Kang, won’t he die?” or “If Kang changed his past, wouldn’t that change his future?” and “Come on, Cassie’s clothes couldn’t have stayed on her if she grew that big.” Wait, that’s not a question, it’s just the honest truth.

-Fumanchu