With Schism and Regenesis, there were some minor changes in the cast of GENERATION HOPE. How will Hope deal with them?
The Good
Pixie joining the Generation Hope team? That works for me. The opening scene is a test to see how Hope's team does against some of the big guns in the X-Men. It's clearly not a fair fight but that's probably to their advantage. Would the others expect Hope's team to really have a chance? The fight seems a little forced as a way to show how tough the team can be but it was worth it to see what happens to Namor during the fight.
Because the characters are young, it's important to capture their essence and develop who they are. With James Asmus taking over, he jumps right in in establishing their attitudes and quirks. There are also some developments that help to move the kids forward and adds some interesting dynamic to the book.
The Bad
The fight seemed a little forced. I have admitted in the past that there was something about the characters that didn't click for me when I gave the first few issues a try. They are young and untrained, especially compared to those they fight against. Hope's attitude can still be tiresome. Yes she is supposed to be a teen with an attitude and did have a harsh upbringing with Cable but the way she talks to her elders gets old.
The way Hope is drawn in different titles can be confusing. Here she appears older than she should be. Also, it's mentioned in the story but when they go out on their mission, in search of a certain person, it would have made more sense if they tried to blend in a little more.
The Verdict
I should point out that GENERATION HOPE has always been a tough book for me. My main problem is I never really cared for any of the characters. I followed the series every few issues and decided it was time to come back with the beginning of Regenesis. James Asmus is off to a great start. He establishes who the team is along with their attitudes towards others. Some of the characters can be annoying but that's because of their personalities. Tension in team books usually moves the story along. We have some interesting additions to the team and their mission towards the end doesn't turn out quite like they'd expect. Asmus managed to get me hooked. I will be back next issue to see what the fate of the team is.