Apparently, if a Marvel Universe series isn't going to include Civil War crossovers in their runs, they automatically get included in one of umpteen tie-in mini-series. This limited series focuses on the rebellious teenage heroes of the Marvel Universe. Both Young Avengers and Runaways are enjoyable titles on their own, and the latter is one of Marvel's best books, so I approached this crossover spinoff with some hope for an interesting story. I was shocked to discover that the creators from the two ongoing series from which this title derives its cast characters had nothing to do with the fashioning of this story. Anything that's special about these characters is lost in the process, and the end result is a book that can be at best described as a ho-hum teamup story, and at worst, a completely pointless misfire.
Still reeling from the loss of a teammate, the Runaways are unaware of the implementation of the Superhuman Registration Act, but they come face to face with its realities as two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents confront an unregistered super-villain at a public market in Los Angeles. The young heroes rush to the rescue of the overpowered agents, but they soon come to regret it as they discover they've become targets of the government enforcement effort as well. Meanwhile, the Young Avengers, who are a part of Captain America's underground resistance, see a news report of the Runaways' unfortunate encounter, and they decide to ask Cap if they can jet out to L.A. to recruit them.
Stefano Caselli boasts a style that's highly reminiscent of the work of J. Scott (Danger Girl) Campbell. Caselli's name and style struck me as being familiar, and a quick online search reveals he's an alum of the Devil's Due G.I.Joe comics. His style is incredibly busy and cluttered, but what's really unfortunate about it is that he fails to capture the youth of the title characters. I didn't care for his exaggerated, organic depiction of damage to Viktor and Vision. The colors are far too dark, given the nature of the young heroes, and they really interfere with the more traditional super-hero genre tone of the plot.
I expected to see Brian K. Vaughan listed as the writer of this book, or Allan Heinberg. Their absence from the credits is felt in the story. Zeb Wells does not offer an accessible introduction to these characters for those who might be unfamiliar with them (and since this is a Civil War tie-in, there's bound to be a few readers who are meeting the players for the first time), nor does he really capture the essence of what makes these characters tick. Mind you, the size of the cast is more than a little unwieldy.
Two super-hero teams meet. Of course there's some kind of misunderstanding that pits them against one another. Sigh... it's so cliched, it's tiresome. I was puzzled by Cap's reluctance to reach out and help young superhumans he's encountered before, and the confrontation between him and Patriot (as well as Patriot's predictable defiance) really makes no sense. I realize we're meant to see Cap as protecting these kids as he's tried to do before, but to do so to the point of ignoring others in need is not consistent with the character. 2/10
