This latest incarnation of the new champion is very similar to the teenage Titan counterparts of DC, with each hero on the team having an actual or iconic link to the corresponding adult hero. The team includes Amaranth (an apprentice to Scarlet Witch), Moon Squire (Hydra costumes inspired by Moon Knight) and Cadet Marvel (power to mimic Captain Marvel). The team has reduced from a whopping 13 members to seven, but there is still a great mix of power sets and personality.
Written by Steve Foxe by Ivan Fiorelli Art and Art and Colors of Arthur Hesli, the new champion #5 throws Amaranth in the spotlight as he tries to give his team a focus and direction. There are plenty of magical threats out there and she decides to crush them all. In a few pages of the book, the team sits around the Moonsquire’s basement, discussing past battles. You might think it’s boring to dedicate a few pages to a conversation, but I thought it was the most entertaining part of the book.
With the hands of a great writer, putting a few characters in the room, discussing them and having a Vickers take it is just as exciting as fighting a horde of villains. And Steve Fox delivers. Everyone at Fantasma is a complete contrast to Gold Tiger’s enthusiastic, loving nature of Haggie, with Cadet Marvel’s smartless flippant attitude and the constant worrying concerns of the moon squire. Amaranth and Liberty look like the team’s most thoughtful, straight arrows, but they’re not even better at drilling holes in Cadet Marvel, who loves to make shots with Moonsquire like “They’re talking about you, mate!” You can actually feel Amaranth’s eyes rolling in every word that comes out of Marvel’s mouth.
But the problem isn’t all sitting around yakking. Later in the question, the team is fighting powerful extradimensional creatures. The fight leads the team to the test as the monsters make each of them stand up to their worst fears.
Amazing
Ivan Fiorelli’s art captures the youthful vibrancy of the group. The individuality of each character is reflected in the facial expressions and posture, and Fiorelli conveys a quiet moment as the team is in combat. The new champion is one of Marvel’s most visually impressive teams these days, both in character design and power set. The demon shapes of Phantasma’s jet skating, Marvel’s shining fist of Cadet, Liberty’s translucent energy wings, and Amaranth’s crimson spells all surprise the eyes thanks to the colour of Arthur Hesli.
My only complaint about this book is that I want to return to the 13 character roster they had in the beginning. Maybe I could add a few more people? When the team had all these characters, it had the vibe of the “superhero legion” that I loved, and it also reminded me that the classic Jonathan Hickman Avengers were running, with the team’s roster even bigger. But having seven letters makes it easier to give each one time to shine, but that’s not a bad thing.
If you’re a fan of the Super Team book, get this issue. This is a great introduction to all the characters and sets up a future storyline with many possibilities that could show the dark magical aspects of the Marvel Universe. New Champion #5 is a very enjoyable read, with epic battles at the climax of issues that clash with the characters of team members and set up a promising future storyline.
“New Champion” #5 Review
New Champion #5
New Champion #5 is a very enjoyable read, with epic battles at the climax of issues that clash with the characters of team members and set up a promising future storyline.
Ivan Fiorelli’s art and Arthur Hesli’s colour make the team one of Marvel’s more visually impressive groups of characters.
Steve Foxe embeds each character with a unique personality, creating moments as fun as the team is in combat.
