Can They Help Everyone? Champions #2 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
We open on Sam Alexander piloting the Champions Mobile Bunker while Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man, Brawn, and Viv Vision handle the Zzzax situation in Dubai. Brawn’s battery containment field takes too long to calibrate, and Zzzax gets access to Dubai’s rail network. Before Brawn’s calibration is complete, Dubai begins to fall apart. A skyscraper falls on Ms. Marvel, and Viv gets a bolt through the chest. It looks like Kamal and Viv won’t make it. That, and what happens next, will decide the future of the Champions.
Champions #2 shows why things were so tense back on the Mobile Bunker after the Dubai mission…and it’s about as intense and tragic as one likely guessed.
It’s difficult to dive in too much without giving the big twists away, but I’ll try my best.
The biggest conflict comes down between Spider-Man and Brawn. Miles wants to take make a big, cosmic decision to improve the situation in Dubai, and he doesn’t talk it through with Amadeus nor does he take Viv and Kamala’s feelings into consideration.
The big twist isn’t really a new concept, but Jim Zub presents it in an interesting enough way as to keep it feeling fresh. This is helped by Champions being the optimistic, idealistic, youthful team intent on saving everyone they can.
Unfortunately, all those new members don’t have much presence in this issue. That’s understandable and necessary for the plot–but I want all the Vic Alvarez Power Man and Shaun Lucas Patriot I can get (this isn’t a real criticism).
Steven Cummings’ artwork is impeccable, and he does an excellent job of bringing the drama to the visuals. There are many scenes around the midpoint of the comic that will definitely tug at your heart strings, and the action scenes are nothing to sneeze at either. Marcio Menyz’s color work is fantastic, popping off the page and often looking downright gorgeous in its composition.
Champions #2 kicks things into high gear early for this new iteration of the team. Earth-shattering decisions are made, trusts are broken, and things may never be the same for our heroes. In any case, this one definitely gets a recommendation. Give it a read.
Champions #2 comes to us from writer Jim Zub, artist Steven Cummings, color artist Marcio Menyz, letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles, cover artist Kim Jacinto with Rain Beredo, and variant cover artist Pepe Larraz with David Curiel.
