The Champions are on a recruiting drive after Vivian Vision could no longer be part of the team. And if losing her spot on the team and being human wasn’t bad enough, there’s something wrong with Viv’s new sister.
CHAMPIONS #17
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Humberto Ramos
Colorist: Edgar Delgado
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What You Need to Know:
When the Champions teamed with the Avengers to stop the High Evolutionary. The Evolutionary captured and turned Viv Vision human. And when Viv seemingly sacrificed herself to stop the Evolutionary, the Vision, Viv’s father was heartbroken. Distraught, he thought he could just recreate Viv and instead inadvertently built a beacon for Viv to find her way home. Which resulted in two Viv Visions coming into being. The now human Viv and the synthezoid Vivian. But something is wrong as both Vision and Vivian are displaying signs of being sick. As Viv could no longer be on the Champions, the team decided to recruit more members. This has created an influx of more teammates to join the cause.
What You’ll Find Out: Viv, is very wary of her new sister Vivian and suspects there’s something wrong. Vivian is determined to prove that she is the daughter that their father only wants. Using her abilities, Vivian keeps her sister from contacting the Champions and making the team think Viv is happy and ok. And while Ms. Marvel and Hulk think they should check up on their friend anyway. Vivian is keeping the team busy saving lives when she takes control of several subway trains and sends them out of control.
At the same time, the Vision is getting diagnostics run on himself to find out why he’s sneezing. The new Wasp helps him determine that he, in fact, had a virus. Fortunately, his upgrades and safe walls over time, helped him expunge the virus. However, the Vision was sick at the time he created the new Vivian and passed his virus onto her. Which could be the cause of why Vivian is now determined to kill her sister as she misunderstood her father’s words of only ever being prepared for having just one daughter. Vivian attempts to kill Viv but lacking the experience of her “older” sister, Viv outsmarts and disables Vivian. Just in time for her friends to show up to answer her distress call and find Viv standing over her sister’s body.
What Just Happened? Not satisfied with simply giving readers a team book on teenage superheroes. Mark Waid weaves a family-centric story into the mix. To top it off, Waid manages to add a horror like spin on things. Almost a “Pet Cemetery” like approach to this as the Vision couldn’t handle losing yet another family member. The Vision tried to resurrect his daughter but brought something evil back instead. Of course, this might be solved if it’s simply the virus Vision passed on to Vivian can be cured. Even if Vivian stays “evil” or is just malfunctioning, this story is fun and inspired. Add to the team bolstering their numbers and watching all the “young guns” saving lives. Waid just knows how to give you a damn good superhero book about teens.
I love Ramos and Delgado’s art. Somehow they manage to give you this bright superhero book and as this story called for it, darken intensity in just the right places. The creepy way Vivian searches and calls out for Viv is fun and chilling all at the same time. That just takes a balance of colors and shades that Delgado just effortlessly excels at. And Ramos knows just how to pencil in the uniqueness of every character. No two heroes look the same and having read another book recently where I couldn’t tell one person from another. I don’t give enough credit to artists like Ramos who take the time to find each characters physical identity beyond their costumes.
Rating: 9/10
Final Thoughts:
Champions has been the best book, consistently, since issue 1. Every arc has been amazingly fun and so well written and drawn. Yup, Champions is my favorite book, hands down. Cyclops, Ms. Marvel, the totally awesome Hulk, Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Nova, and Viv Vision should go down in history alongside such teams as the New Mutants and Teen Titans. There is so much more to do with this team and I am strapped in for every ride.