The new big thing it seems in forming new teams in the Marvel Universe, first in the recent X-Force that Storm was running and now in ‘New Warriors’ is that the teams themselves seem to take forever and a day to get together. Case in point, we’re 3 issues into the ‘New Warriors’ and half of the team doesn’t even really know that there is a team being formed yet, they are just thrown into the mess. Even more, they don’t know it is the same mess.

We’re hitting the ground running here so let us just say that there are 2 stories being told here that all revolve around the High Evolutionary deciding that the only way to save all of humanity is to eradicate everything that isn’t human. That’s right we’re about to enter the Second Evolutionary War as he plans on taking out Inhumans, Mutants, clones, and anything else that isn’t strictly human on the planet. He is convinced that if he does not that the Celestials will return to judge Earth and find it wanting to destroy us all.

Of course it doesn’t seem like The Avengers or the X-Men are being dragged into this one and it is up to two groups of heroes (that will eventually all land on the same team) to save the day.

On the one hand we have Speedball, Justice, and Sun Girl having escaped from our villain (and the police who try to shoot at the Inhuman tht is with them) and are now trying to decide what to do. While Justice wants to let The Avengers handle it that clearly won’t be the case.

On the other hand we have young Nova, Scarlet Spider, Hummingbird, and Water Snake all trapped by the High Evolutionary on his ship which gives us a few entertaining moments as Nova keeps calling the Scarlet Spider Spider-Man much to his annoyance. He finally proves that he isn’t Spider-Man as he summons spiders to eat through the technology holding them in place and gets them out. There is some great interaction here and they feel much better used than the other half of the team.

With their escape they get attacked by the Evolutionary’s soldiers while Nova runs off to get help. Only what kind of hero would he be as when things look bleak Nova returns to save the day! Only the last panel shows that hasn’t quite happened.

While I’m digging the art that Marcus is putting forward, Yost’s writing isn’t up to the level I usually enjoy from him. Maybe it’s just that he’s getting his feet wet with the characters. Some of the interactions are great such as Nova and the Scarlet Spider but the rest has felt a little hollow to me. Specifically Speedball and Justice have both just felt off to me.

The plot has been a good build up and I believe the next issue might finally give some payoff to what they have been building. At least, I hope it will because this is a series I want to like. I’m really hoping it is just a case that they haven’t grounded the characters yet which we’ll see be taken care of in the next issue.

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NEW WARRIORS #3
Writer: Christopher Yost
Artist: Marcus To