Young Avengers 7 CoverIssue #7 of Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s Young Avengers starts with some pure, simple payback. Specifically against the Skrulls from Issue #1. As revealed in an incredible Instagram montage, those Skrulls have been harassing the Young Avengers for the last three months. Naturally after dispatching the shapeshifters, the team heads for breakfast at their favorite diner. Along the way, Wiccan continues his magic lessons from Loki, and Hulkling and Noh-Varr share a surprisingly candid and touching moment discussing their significant others.

At the diner, plot threads begin to converge as David Alleyne introduces himself to the team and tells them about what happened to Tommy in Issue #6. Loki continues his pattern of using food to cast spells, and Miss America Chavez reveals powers the rest of the team was unaware of. Oh yeah, and there’s plenty of banter and references to Motown along the way too.

As much fun as last issue was, it’s always great to see a regular artist return to his or her series. Jamie McKelvie’s work continues to be as fresh, as clean, and as vibrant as ever. He continues the series’ streak of unique layouts, while never seeming too bizarre. And as fantastic as Matthew Wilson’s colors have always been, he deserves special mention this week as he recreates a really spectacular series of Instagram photos and filters that fill in the series’ three month jump in time.

Kieron Gillen also deserves praise for one of the series’ funniest issues to date. Between the team’s interactions over Instagram (“smooooch”), their screen names, discussions of 60s jazz and soul singers, and Loki’s fear of Miss America, it will have readers laughing out loud multiple times. It’s also nice to see the team really gelling, and the narrative taking on more of a focus and direction. Prodigy makes an excellent addition to the Young Avengers, and the quest to save Tommy could be really interesting.

Above all, Young Avengers is fun. It’s youthful, it’s fresh, it’s witty, and it’s charming. The art is unique and beautiful. The dialogue sparkles, and the characters are relatable and endearing. It’s just a solid, fun read and must-have for fans of super-powered teens.

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