Champions #9 Review and *SPOILERS* - Marvel Monday

Going Solo

Written By: Mark Waid
Art By: Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, Edgar Delgado
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 7, 2017
Publisher: Marvel

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

This book is in the danger zone for me. I have been loyal to this book and I remember how good that first issue was. However, now we have gotten a bunch of episodic issues that aren’t very exciting and are more set up than anything else. The unfortunate part is that set up issues need pay off with later issues but instead we just get more set up with a completely new situation. It’s beyond frustrating to see a book you like so much turn into something you never expected in a bad way. Recently we did have one actual storyline and I’m hoping that we continue that trend. Last issue ended with Viv Vision being grounded and trapped in her room by her father and it seemed like it would be a big deal and a big cliffhanger. Let’s jump right in and see where the issue takes us.

Jesus Christ! It’s another issue that has nothing to do with the previous one. I’m so fucking sick of this shit. Our issue begins with an unseen figure making her way through the streets. We then cut to a previous time and we see a woman who is praying at a church for her son who has runaway. This is when we cut to the Champions. They are watch television and snacking while they discuss their favorite television shows. Cyclops mentions that he was a fan of Seinfeld but of course, this is due to his time displacement. When the team questions Viv on what makes her nostalgic, she mentions that she was recently created before her mother and brother were terminated and thus she does not receive a lot of pleasure from thinking of the past.

We cut to the present and we see a young woman exiting a plane and entering the cab. The cab driver asks her where she wishes to go when she turns into Viv Vision and frightens the driver. The driver calms down though after Viv explains that she had the other form for the airport so that she wouldn’t frighten anyone and would keep attention off of herself. This is when the cab is landed on by what seems to be a new superhero. She breaks the hood of his car and dents it badly. Viv tells him that she plans to investigate. The new hero chases down a young man who is revealed to be the runaway that was mentioned before. With a little help from Viv, they are able to stop the boy and we learn that the hero is called Red Locust and is trying to get the runaway to return home but the boy reveals that he is in danger and Viv is able to confirm this through a quick scan. The two race off to trace the signal coming from a device in the boys leg.

The two come across a warehouse that is going through some kind of illegal operation. It would seem that drugs are the main source of income but human trafficking is also a part of it. The leader of the group seems to be reporting to another unseen man through his tablet. Viv overhears their conversation and reports back to Red Locust. Red Locust decides to just jump in guns blazing. She is immediately overwhelmed by gunfire but she is protected partially by her suit and partially by Viv Vision. It doesn’t take long for the pair of them to take down the operation and get the hostages into safe hands. Red Locust also discovers a large amount of cash which she turns into the police before flying off. Back with the cab driver, he is having his car towed when Red Locust shows up. She seems to have skimmed a bit of money off the top in order to pay the man back for the damages to the car and Viv and her grab some lunch. We then learn a quick version of Red Locust’s backstory and how her powers are from an ancient group that has lived on for centuries. After talking with her, Viv tells her to keep in touch and that she may be invited to join the group if the rest of them agree to the proposition. This is where the issue ends.

I’m so frustrated with this issue. Once again we throw the previous issue out of the window for a new issue that does very little. This series really has a television show feel to it, however, as a comic it doesn’t have the length or the manpower behind it to make a fully satisfying story in only a single episode or issue. It’s frustrating when the title page still has the “last issue” segment because it reminds me exactly where we were and how we are completely ignoring it. This has to be the laziest title at Marvel right now because even the bad titles are trying to write a proper story that people can follow. Champions is most likely written in a short period of time and just passed own the line. I’m frustrated with this book and clearly no one is taking it seriously anymore. This issue isn’t even that bad but it is bogged down with the fact that nothing in this book has any weight because we will never visit it again.

Bits and Pieces

Champions once again lets down regular readers in hopes of people jumping on wherever they want. It shows a blatant misunderstanding of how the comic book industry work and the way that customers buy comics as well as exhibits a clear laziness with this title. For a book that was going to be the big new hit and was talked about so much, it has become such a disappointment and I cannot believe how much I loved this series and how fast it fell.

3.5/10