Vengefully Tricky
THE GOOD
As always, the cover art and the "Previously in Vengeance" make the top of the list. For this issue though, I have to say my favorite part is the interaction between kid Loki, the Young Masters and Miss America. It was fantastic how well that was written and the impact it had on the story.
The conclusion of the cliffhanger from last issue was great too. As much as I liked to see the Ultimate Nullifier put in his place for a few moments, I am glad we saw him fight back against the Radioactive Kid. In fact, I have to say, I dislike the Radioactive Kid the most of all the characters in this mini-series, so it was nice to see him get a little attitude adjustment.
The interaction between the Ultimate Nullifier and the female Black Knight, though awkward, seemed to fit with how teens in these situations would act - raging hormones and all.
The insights gained on some of the characters (Egghead, Agent Truman, Miss America) was nice, it gave the story more backbone.
THE BAD
The "unattended minors" bit has started to get to me. Yes, we realize that you are the new young villains in town - hey, you even have your own clubhouse, how nice. Quit squabbling and get to the villainy already!
Like all the other attempts at "taking out the old guard villains", the Young Masters seem to once again fail at their goal... even if this time it wasn't to "take out" kid Loki, they have yet to even intimidate any well known villain. In fact, the Ultimate Nullifier came the closest when he de-powered Magneto for a short period of time... and he is on the "good" team (Teen Brigade). I can only feel that this is by design. To show that they are not worth the name they have chosen for themselves.
Oh, and once again the Red Skull Nazi story baffles me... maybe the next issue will shed some light? After all, he is on the cover! :)
THE VERDICT
Recommended. Again, no caveats. This was another solid book for this mini-series. Heck, it was a good book all its own. Things feel like they are finally coming together. The various teams in the book seem to have purpose, questions are being answered, things are really looking up. Let's hope they can keep up the momentum for the final two books in the mini.