DC ONE MILLION: YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE & CHRONOS

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #1,000,000 - November 1998

Happiness Is a Warm Nanite

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Noelle Giddings (colorist)

It’s the 853^rd century, and Grant Morrison has a line-wide DC event to orchestrate. I’m not sure why DC thought it was a good idea to set every DCU title in the far future for one month, but clearly someone upstairs was committed to the concept. I don’t remember any vocal fan reaction to the event, aside from the predictable complaints that the only decent chapters were the ones Grant Morrison wrote.

Young Heroes in Love’s final issue just happened to fall on the One Million month, leaving us with an odd farewell to the series. The premise has a group of kids, who all coincidentally resemble the Young Heroes, traveling with their parents to the moon for a front-row seat to the reincarnation of the original Justice League. The event is scheduled to happen after their bedtimes, so they develop the brilliant scheme of dressing like superheroes and sneaking in. An old man overhears their conversation and suggests they don the disguises of a team he remembers from the past. The old man is Frostbite, and he apparently has a remarkable memory, because the kids use their costume fabricator to duplicate the Young Heroes’ costumes perfectly.

The story’s filled with Peanuts references, and most are genuinely humorous, so it’s not a surprise when Raspler mimics the ending of the Halloween special and has Li’l Hard Drive accidentally mislead the team and force them to miss the Justice League’s arrival. (“It’s over and you ruined it!”) However, a last minute swerve actually provides the kids with a happy ending, as their journey through the Tesseract leads them directly underneath the Justice League’s conference table just as the heroes unite for a meeting.

Obviously, Raspler’s in an awkward position for a goodbye issue, but he does manage to work in another original member of the Young Heroes into the story, as a fifty-seven-year-old Off-Ramp uses a time warp to catch this special moment in history. He reunites with Frostbite, but in order to avoid any time paradoxes, they have to keep their conversation “superficial.” They don’t discuss the old team, leaving their fates up in the air. Raspler says goodbye on the final page, musing that the series is perhaps ahead of its time (yeah, probably), and thanking the readers for their support. As odd as this as a final issue, it’s actually one of the more enjoyable installments of the book. Dev Madan’s cartooning is fantastic, and depending on your taste for Peanuts, it’s often very funny.

CHRONOS #1,000,000 - November 1998

Time on My Hands

Credits: John Francis Moore (writer), J. H. Williams III (penciler), Mick Gray (inks), Ken Bruzenak (letters), Mike Danza (colors)

You would think that a book with a time traveling gimmick would’ve easily been able to incorporate the One Million event into its ongoing storylines, but scheduling problems forced this issue of Chronos to be a standalone story. The issue follows Chronos as he travels to the 853^rd century and steals the future Flash’s time gauntlets. Flash follows him back to twelfth century Hong Kong and is shocked when Chronos allows the demonic menace Scourge to take the gauntlets. Yet, the gauntlets are rigged to trap Scourge in a time loop, which Chronos ensures us will prevent Scourge from ever traveling back in time and killing Superman’s ancestors on Krypton.

Only a few months later in the final issue of Chronos, we’ll see him yet again ensuring Superman’s existence in Kansas. I know that the proposed new direction for the title had Chronos traveling through time and enabling certain events to transpire, but I’m not sure why exactly Superman is used so prominently in the few examples we ever got of Chronos following that mission. Was it supposed to be Superman-specific?

Finally, in Chronopolis, a conversation between Chronos and the future Hourman reveals another motive for stealing the gauntlets from Flash. Chronos knows the gauntlets are destined to malfunction and kill Flash after he’s trapped with the Justice Legion in 1998. Okay, that’s at least one non-Kryptonian save. And it’s another hint that Chronos isn’t destined to be a thief, even if his actions are always going to be pitting him against superheroes. Not a bad issue, especially considering how badly a line-wide event can disrupt an ongoing series, but I wish Moore had incorporated more time traveling scenes to take advantage of Williams’ art.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #17 - October 1998

Squishy They Were, and Golden-Eyed

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan & Chris Jones (pencilers), Keith Champagne & Sal Buscema (inkers), Bill Oakley (letterer), Noelle Giddings (colorist)

The Young Heroes are attacked by Bonfire’s dog, which reveals itself as the alien shapechanger Harnarnar of the Farfarminiflatch (I assume this is a phonetic reference to something, but I can’t figure out what it is). Harnarnar makes another shocking revelation -- he’s Monstergirl’s uncle. Realizing that the team is outmatched, Off-Ramp teleports into the cosmos and recruits an old friend. With the aid of the snooty Palanquin, who can also create holes in space (and as we learn in this issue, reality itself), the team defeats Harnarnar. Harnarnar is impressed by Monstergirl’s performance, notably her ability to trick others into doing her work, and spares her life. Later, because this is the final regular issue of the series, a few more dangling subplots have to be resolved…

The Governor of Connecticut invites the team to his inauguration party. While attending the soiree, they discover that the new governor is none other than their former leader Hard Drive. Explaining that his new devotion to politics has cured his mental condition (huh?), he’s confident that he can now scrupulously use his powers to stop corruption within the system.

Monstergirl realizes that her alien nature is the cause of her erratic behavior. (Somehow, it also explains her sexual escapades with most of the team’s male members.) She decides to use her deviousness for “good” and join Hard Drive’s cabinet.

Bonfire begins to see Thunderhead’s previous behavior in a different light, following Monstergirl’s revelation that she impersonated Bonfire and seduced him. She also meets one of her idols at the inaugural party, Lois Lane. If anyone knows why exactly Lois is drawn as a sixty-year-old woman with graying hair, please let me know.

Junior consoles Zip-Kid following the death of her fiancé. The story never officially pairs them together as a couple, though. Unlike…

Off-Ramp and Frostbite, who rather abruptly begin a romance. Over the course of two issues, Off-Ramp has suddenly realized he’s bisexual, Frostbite’s revealed he’s always been bisexual, and we’re told that Bonfire’s relationship with Frostbite, the major romantic coupling of the entire series, has been based on her merely “thinking” she cared about him, but not really.

And, with the exception of the DC One Million issue, that concludes Young Heroes in Love. In hindsight, we saw a lot more lust than “love” over the book’s run, but the title has largely lived up to its promise to focus on the soap opera more than the superhero drama. Unfortunately, the abrupt cancellation leads to numerous rushed resolutions to the various plot threads, making the final issue a mixed bag.

The justification of Monstergirl’s odd behavior is hand-waved away with a simple explanation that goes no deeper than “she’s an alien…uh, a horny alien, that’s it.” Hard Drive returns with an amusing coda to his story, but it’s obviously been tacked on for the sake of closure. The Bonfire and Frostbite romance ends with no drama whatsoever, as Bonfire seems perfectly okay with moving on to Thunderhead while her soulmate leaves her for another man…one of her best friends, at that. The lazy dismissal of Bonfire and Frostbite’s relationship, after the months of build-up that repeatedly illustrated that their innate attraction to one another was so strong that even a telepath couldn’t keep them apart, also strains all credibility. Unless Raspler had plans to reveal that Frostbite could somehow make anyone wildly attracted to him with his elf powers, it’s hard to buy these romantic plotlines. And given that this is a book all about the romance, it’s right there in the title, that’s a noticeable problem.

One highlight of this issue is the addition of Sal Buscema as a fill-in inker. He adds so much depth and texture to the inks, it’s a shame he wasn’t around for the entire series. His bold line works perfectly in the “Adventures” style, adding a weight to the pencils that should’ve silenced any critics who thought the art was too cartoony or simplistic. I’m not sure if a more traditional inking style could’ve kept the series around for too much longer, (I think the mishmash of story content and art, along with the lack of identifiable stars doomed this book pretty much from the start), but I personally would’ve been more inclined to give the book a shot if every issue looked like this one.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #16 - September 1998

Bonfire and Smokey

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Chuck Wojtkiewicz (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Noelle Giddings (colorist)

Zip-Kid goes out to dinner with her boyfriend Lou and meets his “business associates.” She, amazingly, isn’t able to guess that they’re all Italian gangsters even though they fulfill every conceivable mafia stereotype. When her boyfriend returns home wounded, Zip-Kid finally realizes that something fishy is going on and breaks off their engagement. Enraged that she’s listening to that tiny wimp Junior, with his talk of “respect” and “support,” Lou jumps into his car and drives off to kill the diminutive superhero. That’s his plan, at least. His car explodes as soon as he starts the engine. Meanwhile, Bonfire’s pet dog Smokey morphs into a monster and threatens Monstergirl after she gets into an argument with Bonfire.

In other news, people are having sex again:

Monstergirl reveals that she can shrink down to Junior’s size. After they catch Frostbite and Bonfire in the act, Monstergirl seduces Junior. By “seduce” I mean “forcibly makes out with him while taking her clothes off.”

Junior still has feelings for Zip-Kid, but as he tells Monstergirl, he doesn’t care if she did this out of pity. He’s just glad she did it.

Off-Ramp spends time with his outer space genie friend. She suspects that something’s going on with Off-Ramp and a teammate, which he denies. When he returns home…

Frostbite, who just finished an elaborate love scene with Bonfire, begins hitting on Off-Ramp as soon as he returns. Off-Ramp denies that he has any feelings for him, and punches Frostbite after he pinches him on the butt. This leads to an extended fight scene that’s broken up by Thunderhead.

So, the only real action in the issue comes from the burgeoning bisexual love triangle. If today’s “progressive” DC did a similar storyline, I imagine all of the bisexuals involved would be busty females illustrated by Ed Benes, but perhaps that’s unfair of me. It’s hard to tell where Raspler’s going with this, especially given the energy he’s spent on selling Bonfire and Frostbite’s relationship, and the list of former female lovers from Off-Ramp’s past he’s made sure we know about. Considering that this series only has one real issue left, I suspect whatever resolution we’re going to receive is going to be rushed. Meanwhile, Monstergirl continues to behave erratically, but apparently she’s sticking with her “bed every male member of the team” plan, hoping that it will lead to her being named new team leader. Using Junior as her latest victim opens up some interesting possibilities, especially given that Zip-Kid’s stereotypical goomba boyfriend is apparently killed this issue. But, once again, the series is drawing to a close, so I’m not expecting a particularly satisfying resolution to any of these threads.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #15 - August 1998

We Want Cake

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Noelle Giddings (colorist)

Creating an elaborate trap that involves novelty candles, a potato, cooking oil, a microwave, a balloon, and a birthday cake, Junior apprehends the Birthday Boy. The blind students (whose blindness is represented by not giving them pupils, making them resemble something Harold Gray would've drawn...or maybe Lenil Francis Yu on a deadline) are rescued and Junior publicly acknowledges the Young Heroes for helping him become the best hero he can be. This surprisingly takes up most of the issue, but there are a few character subplots:

Monstergirl’s parents reveal to her that she was discovered in a space egg as a baby. Her father opens a trunk in the basement, but can’t find the egg.

Bonfire adopts the dog that was sniffing around the team’s headquarters last issue. She confides in Frostbite that Monstergirl’s thirst for power bothers her.

Off-Ramp travels through space and encounters Princess, a woman from his past who flies around on a magic carpet.

Zip-Kid meets a few of her fiancé’s friends. In a shocking turn of events, the scene heavily implies that the Italian stereotype’s associates are involved with organized crime. Thankfully, this was published in 1998, so we’re spared any references to GTL or the Smush Room.

Most of the character work in this issue consists of vague hints of what might be ahead (although the book’s close to cancellation, so who knows), so it’s pretty light on the soap opera. The main action story is amusing, leading me with an even stronger desire to see Batman fight Birthday Boy someday. Using Monstergirl as a parody of Superman’s origin also works fairly well, but it’s hard to guess where exactly this is going. It’s not as if Superman parodies are anything new, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen the parents misplace the alien craft that brought their child.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #14 - July 1998

Revenge of the Lame-o Plot Device

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Noelle Giddings (colorist)

Thunderhead discovers a manga Young Heroes comic, which amuses every member of team except Junior, who’s left out of the book. Later, after a group of autistic adults and a day care center mysteriously disappear, the Young Heroes speak to an elementary school to calm their fears. Except for Junior, who’s kind of forgotten by the rest of the team. Junior briefly ponders if “with little power comes little responsibility” but thinks better of it. Taking matters into his own hands, Junior teams up with his policeman friend Roger Wong to aid the official investigation. They soon learn the culprit identifies himself as the Birthday Boy, and discern his M.O. is to abduct people who can’t identify him. Junior correctly predicts his next target -- the local school for the blind.

Plus…

Monstergirl is hiding her ability to fly around as a bird from her teammates. The motivation behind her secrecy is yet to be revealed.

Off-Ramp visits an old angler and has a conversation about fishing that apparently parallels his views on adventuring. Maybe. There’s no obvious reason for this scene, to be honest.

Junior, aside from having his ego bruised by the Young Heroes’ manga, unfortunately learns that…

Zip-Kid accepted her boyfriend’s proposal. The obnoxious jerk is going to get the girl over the shy, nice guy. That never happens in real life. Zip-Kid, after announcing her engagement, asks to speak to Thunderhead in private, but we’re not privy to their conversation this issue.

Frostbite meets evil child genius Ricky Renquist, who’s court-ordered to attend a normal school, for the first time. He isn’t impressed.

And, for some reason, A Mysterious Dog wanders around until it reaches the outside of the Young Heroes’ headquarters.

This is one of the strongest issues yet, and it’s perhaps the first to balance evenly the personal subplots with the action-adventure storyline. The opening manga scene might seem like a gratuitous use of the first four pages, but it works because it’s genuinely funny and sets up the inferiority complex that motivates Junior for the rest of the issue. (And, seriously, the fake manga is great. My favorite strip is the hilarious “Crisis OK” -- perhaps the best Crisis parody ever in three panels.) The introduction of Birthday Boy is another inspired choice by Raspler and Madan. At this point, we only know that he’s kidnapping people and returning them with strapped-on party hats, but he has potential to be the Silver Age Batman villain that time forgot. His design also predates the debut of that creepy Burger King mascot by a good five years.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #13 - June 1998

For Whom the Bell Grumbles

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Christopher Jones (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Noelle Giddings (colorist)

Following last issue’s revelation, the team now debates whether or not to go forward. And if they go forward, who should lead the Young Heroes?

Monstergirl seizes the opportunity to present herself as the clam, mature voice of reason. She also kisses Off-Ramp during a transparent attempt to draw him closer to her.

Bonfire discerns Junior’s secret identity during a debate over DC continuity (apparently, it’s very important to some people when the term “meta-human” was coined).

Thunderhead is unsure about going forward, especially if it means replacing Hard Drive as the team’s “cape guy.”

Off-Ramp is hurt the most by Hard Drive’s actions. He remains unsure of his decision to join the team and requests a few days off. The team realizes that Off-Ramp is the most valuable member of the Young Heroes, due to his teleportation powers. Without a means to travel to their battles, the team doesn’t have a lot of options.

Junior accidentally tells Zip-Kid he thinks she’s beautiful. She tells him not to apologize for being nice.

Zip-Kid is upset with her boyfriend for casually dismissing her. When she returns home to have “the talk” with him, he unexpectedly proposes to her.

Frostbite views Off-Ramp as his only way home. When he tries to explain this to him, Off-Ramp thinks he’s hitting on him.

More conversations, more manipulation, and more romantic entanglements. Raspler doesn’t advance any of the ongoing storylines very far, but he’s still able to make a conversation scene worth your time. His treatise on how valuable a long-range teleporter would be for a superhero group is something I’ve never thought of before, and he’s managed to make the idea work as a credible conflict for the team members. If you really did live in a remote area of Canada, losing your teammate teleporter would have a fairly significant impact on your life. I’m not sure if he’s serious about a homoerotic subtext to Frostbite and Off-Ramp’s relationship, though, largely because Christopher Jones’ facial expressions can occasionally be hard to decipher.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #12 - May 1998

Oh My God! He’s Dead!

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Noel Giddings (colorist)

Oh, he isn’t dead. After the team freaks out, Hard Drive wakes up. He erected a telekinetic shield a split-second before Ricky shot him, so he’s fine. For now. The team grabs Ricky, who dismisses his actions by claiming that he assumed Hard Drive is always protected by a telekinetic shield. Before Off-Ramp teleports him to jail, child genius Ricky quickly discerns one of the biggest mysteries of the series. How could Hard Drive know to erect a shield unless he was reading Ricky’s mind? And if he can read minds, who’s to say he hasn’t been telepathically influencing the team as well? Bonfire, Off-Ramp, and Junior suddenly remember the times they’ve been manipulated by Hard Drive, exposing his past behavior to the team. Everyone unites against their former leader, a fight breaks out, and Hard Drive is revealed as…“emotionally unstable” to say the least. When he comes close to killing Off-Ramp, Hard Drive breaks down and agrees to seek help.

Plus…

Monstergirl also claims that Hard Drive has tampered with her mind, which a handy footnote informs us is a lie. Hard Drive is incensed by her betrayal.

Bonfire will leave the team now that she’s consummated her relationship with Frostbite, at least according to Hard Drive. She doesn’t exactly deny it.

Thunderhead opens a present left by Hard Drive before he left for the hospital. It’s a specially made guitar that fits his large hands.

Frostbite never gets to join the fight. He was out when Off-Ramp teleported in to retrieve him, so he missed everything.

One year into the book’s run, one of the its largest secrets is exposed to the team. That seems like an appropriate amount of time to tease an idea, but then again I’ve read so many ‘90s X-titles, my judgment might be impaired. The action in this issue doesn’t feel as forced as it did in the previous arc, since it’s entirely plausible that the team would react violently to Hard Drive’s dirty secret. The characterization of Hard Drive remains interesting, as he defends his actions by saying he did it all for “the people of the world.” He’s only magnifying emotions, not creating them, and if he’s using his powers to influence other “metas” to help humanity, so what? He desperately wants the team to like him, and when they understandably turn against him, his childlike response to the rejection is brutal. Is Hard Drive comics’ first bi-polar superhero? Is his childishness a commentary on comics fans? Will any of this be resolved before the series is cancelled?

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #11 - April 1998

Climb Every Mountain to the Headquarters Without Fear!

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Noelle Giddings (colorist)

Grundómu continues to destroy the rainforest, while Junior deduces that the monster is somehow exhaling oxygen like a plant. The team decides to pit Bonfire’s fire powers against Grundómu, while Off-Ramp recruits the nearby scientists. The kid genius, Dr. Renquist (or “Ricky” as he doesn’t like to be called) theorizes that Grundómu is making himself invaluable to humanity by replacing the rainforest. Eventually, Ricky confesses that he created Grundómu and gave him this plan. Ricky is convinced by Junior that any nation on Earth would like to have a “colossal plant-based oxygen machine,” so he orders Grundómu to stop his rampage. Later, the team investigates Ricky’s lab to make sure things are on the up and up. Unfortunately for Hard Drive, Ricky shoots him in the side of the head when he isn’t looking.

In Subplot Land…

Hard Drive tries to encourage Bonfire during the fight, but he’s still upset about her tryst with Frostbite.

Bonfire is apparently having hot flashes, according to the cover blurb. Did DC really intend to associate this character with menopause?

Monstergirl is furious when Off-Ramp asks her why she doesn’t grow larger while fighting the Grundómu. Why exactly she’s so sensitive about her powers remains a mystery.

Frostbite is incensed that he’s been left behind. While taking a walk, he runs into a teacher from issue #6. He learns that “Flying Squirrel” of the Rat Pack is out of jail, and he contemplates checking up on him.

One issue dedicated to a monster fight was a little strange, but two in a row is especially bizarre for this book. I don’t know if Dan Raspler wants a change of pace, or if DC is trying to “mainstream” the title, but there is a sense that the direction of the book is changing. The cliffhanger certainly isn’t of the “________ is kissing ________” variety, but I think it works as an abrupt shock for the readers. I’m not sure what to make of Ricky, who I initially dismissed as a throwaway character, but it’s obvious he’s not supposed to be an incidental. He reads like something straight out of a Mark Waid script, which makes me wonder if Waid (or perhaps Morrison or Millar) ever did anything with the brat.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #10 - March 1998

Tremble in Fear -- For the Beast Hunts You!

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Christopher Jones (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Noelle Giddens (colorist)

So, the logical follow-up to a slow, character-driven issue is to do an action-packed hero vs. monster story. I’ve never heard of Grundómu before, but apparently he lives for “the hunt” and speaks in non-sequiturs like “Belching! Bellicose! I Besiege!” The Young Heroes travel to Brazil to stop the monster, encounter a bratty twelve-year-old scientific genius, and talk about the DC Universe’s abundance of super-powered primates. Finally, they encounter Grundómu. Junior notices that Grundómu actually has a nice smell, which is surprising given his size and sheer monsterness. Why exactly this is brought up is left unclear, but presumably the smell mystery will tie into next issue’s conclusion.

In non-monster news…

Bonfire and Frostbite have returned from their naughty vacation. They want to test their mysterious psychic bond, but are interrupted when Off-Ramp abruptly abducts Bonfire away to participate in the mission.

Thunderhead misses Bonfire. Due to his giant size, he can no longer play guitar and take his mind off his problems.

Zip-Kid considers hanging out with Thunderhead, but when she realizes that going to a bar would require her to take off her mask, she decides to keep her secret identity.

There’s a lot of action here for a book that isn’t supposed to be about the action. Raspler is still incorporating a respectable amount of character work, so this doesn’t feel like a total switch, but I wonder what exactly prompted the change. The Grundómu fight is fun, even if it feels like an unnecessary diversion at this point. The most interesting team interaction this issue comes from Thunderhead and Zip-Kid. Thunderhead’s depression is heightened by his inability to play the guitar (Grant Morrison does the same bit with Beast in New X-Men years later), and Zip-Kid is only now realizing that fraternizing with the team in public will require her to give up her secret identity. At least, she seems to think so. Who’s to say any of her teammates would recognize her face?

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #9 - February 1998

Bury My Heart at the Bottle City of Love

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan & Christopher Jones (layouts), Keith Champagne (finishes), Bill Oakley (letterer), Noelle Giddings (colorist)

The team recuperates from their exposure to fear gas, discusses where they were when they learned Superman was alive, and, I hope you’re sitting down for this, some romantic subplots continue…

Bonfire and Frostbite are off on the beach, engaged in lengthy foreplay that’s often depicted in giant splash pages.

Hard Drive wants to know where Bonfire and Frostbite are, incensed that they might be off having s-e-x.

Zip-Kid is ordered by her boyfriend Lou to quit the team.

Monstergirl shows actual human emotions this issue. She talks to Thunderhead about his problems with Bonfire, and apparently feels some remorse over manipulating the big idiot. Later, she joins Off-Ramp on one of his global joyrides, an honor he rarely shares with anyone.

It’s obvious this was never intended to be a plot-heavy series, but this is the first issue that feels padded. Frostbite and Bonfire’s relationship has been teased since the first issue, so I get that their “first time” is supposed to be a big deal, but I don’t need splash page after splash page to sell the idea. I’m not too interested in what exactly they’re into sexually either, so the lovingly rendered pages of Bonfire biting Frostbite’s fingers and scratching his chest are particularly gratuitous. I do like the conversation scenes, which add more insight into what “real” life must be like in the DC Universe. Hearing descriptions of total strangers joining together in pure happiness and dancing in the street at the news of Superman’s revival adds a touch of verisimilitude to this universe. I’m trying to think of a modern real world parallel, but all I can come up with is the reaction to Bin Laden’s death, oddly enough.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #8 - January 1998

Take No Prisoners to the Twilight of the Gods!

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Scott Baumann (colorist)

Scarecrow is on the loose at Camp Mahan, a government compound apparently run by two corrupt bureaucrats, Miller and Morris. The Young Heroes are called in to stop him, and are naturally forced to face their greatest fears. Hard Drive finds the strength to fight the Scarecrow’s hallucinations and saves the day. Plus…

Bonfire is still unaware Monstergirl impersonated her and seduced Thunderhead a few issues ago.

Thunderhead can’t understand why Bonfire is acting so cold towards him.

Off-Ramp visits his infant son, and leaves money for a woman named Samira. The mystery man in the shadows last issue is apparently her new boyfriend. Their conversation is conveniently translated from Italian this issue.

Junior is upset Hard Drive listed their secret headquarters in the phone book. In an earlier scene, he brings up Doomsday during a discussion on monsters, dragging down the team's mood. This is a nice touch on Raspler’s part; we might view Doomsday as a gimmicky ‘90s plot device, but in the context of the DC Universe, he’s responsible for Superman’sdeath, which isn’t something anyone would take lightly.

Frostbite decides, after surviving Scarecrow’s fear gas, that he won’t wait any longer. He pulls Bonfire aside and kisses her.

First a Superman guest shot, then a line-wide crossover tie-in, and now a Batman villain to remind everyone that this is a real DCU book and it shouldn’t be dismissed like…the Helix line or something. Raspler does use Scarecrow very well, playing up the idea that facing your worst fears would be a horrific experience that wouldn’t end simply because the gas has worn off, but the actual mechanics of the story are confusing. Who are Miller and Morris? How did they end up with Scarecrow? After opening the comic with a lengthy chase scene, how exactly did Miller and Morris escape Scarecrow and reach the Young Heroes? Why did they lie to Hard Drive and pretend they didn’t know that the villain was Scarecrow? None of this makes sense. Still, Dev Madan does a great job on the hallucination scenes, and the emphasis on Hard Drive’s concern for his teammates as he fights the gas is an interesting character bit. I like the idea that in spite of his deviousness, Hard Drive honestly cares about these people he’s manipulating and considers them friends.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #7 - December 1997

Young Heroes Unplugged

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Scott Baumann (colorist)

There’s even less action this issue, as we get a “change of pace” story that focuses on the cast’s secret identities.

Hard Drive (Jeremy Horton) works on Wall Street, where he shockingly uses his powers to make obscene amounts of money. He also has a tendency to spy on his teammates in their civilian lives.

Monstergirl (Rita Lopez) lives with her overbearing parents and younger siblings. She’s being pushed into a relationship with a childhood friend, Scotty, and doesn’t realize her parents are keeping a secret from her.

Bonfire (Annie Fletcher) can’t interest Meta, the only reputable superhero magazine around, in her story on Golden Age heroes T.N.T. and Dan the Dyna-Mite. Her roommate suggests she do a story on a new team, like the Young Heroes.

Thunderhead (Scott Tucker) is still working as a bouncer. He discusses an obsessive ex-girlfriend named Shellie with Off-Ramp over drinks.

Off-Ramp (George Sloan) gets a break-up letter from a woman named Karen, hangs out with Thunderhead, and teleports to a house in Italy. He holds a baby and has an un-translated conversation in Italian with a man in the shadows.

Junior (Benjamin Newton) helps Thunderhead rob a pack of chips out of a vending machine. Later, he plays chess with a friend (guess how), and admits to his crush on Zip-Kid.

Zip-Kid (Stacy Taglia) has dinner with her much older Italian stereotype boyfriend. He wants her to stay away from this Junior kid.

Frostbite (still just Frostbite) gets a ride to remote Canada from Off-Ramp. He plans on spending his time off running with the animals, and we later learn that he somehow uses his powers to keep the natives warm during snowstorms.

This is a good example of a “downtime” issue that does more than pad out a conversation scene or two. We actually learn something about each character, and some of the vignettes leave us with promising mysteries. Why would someone as wicked as Monstergirl still live like a teenager? Why does her persona seem to change so much lately? What is Off-Ramp doing in Italy? And what’s with the baby?

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #6 - November 1997

You’ll Never Walk Alone into the Furnace of Unstable Molecules!

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Sergio Cariello (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley & N.J.Q.(letterers), Scott Baumann (colorist)

The villainous Ratpack demand the whopping sum of $3,000 in protection money from a local school, prompting the officials to contact the Young Heroes. The heroes easily defeat the crooks, winning a clear PR victory. Oh, was there a cliffhanger last issue? It’s dismissed by a quickie dream sequence, which establishes that Bonfire’s memory has been erased and her attraction to Thunderhead is back with a vengeance. This is even juicier…

Hard Drive is devastated when Monstergirl, upset that he saw her true form last issue, breaks up with him.

Monstergirl quickly changes her mind after the Ratpack fight and leaps into Hard Drive’s arms. “I need you!” she cries. And her mood swings aren’t over yet…

Frostbite is actually starting to enjoy this hero gig, showing more signs of altruism than Hard Drive’s exhibited so far.

Bonfire has a “girl chat” with Monstergirl and discovers she’s been secretly dating Hard Drive. All Bonfire can think about is Thunderhead, though. Raspler is still coming up with cute character bits for Bonfire. She refers to the other heroes’ battle in space as “last issue,” and is genuinely thrilled when Thunderhead shows off his new powers. It’s a simple idea that the girl just loves superheroes, but Raspler really has fun with it.

Thunderhead discovers that he now has electric powers, which makes his costume design a lot less arbitrary. Later, after the fight is over, Bonfire lures him into the school’s library. They have a slightly PG-13 love making sequence, which brings us what just might be the first appearance of a condom wrapper in the DC Universe. Oh, but what’s this? This “Bonfire” secretly morphs into a grinning Monstergirl later that night. She’s had shapeshifting powers for one issue and she’s already using them for kinky sex games!

So, even if Hard Drive’s exposure turned out to be a red herring, Raspler is still finding new areas to explore. This issue brings us the most bizarre Monstergirl behavior yet, as she flip-flops on her relationship with Hard Drive over the course of a few pages and beds (what appears to be) her best friend on the team’s boyfriend. There’s one element of trashy soap opera going on here, but there’s also a legitimate suspense regarding the character and her motives. Either way, you want to see what happens next.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #5 - October 1997

Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Trans-Universal Galacto-Storm!

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley & N.J.Q. (letters), Scott Baumann (colorist)

Forgotten ‘90s DC Crossover #463 has invaded the line, taking even the non-Code approved DCU titles along with it. I know nothing of “Genesis” outside of the fact that it somehow tied in with John Byrne’s Fourth World book, and that he publically disavowed the crossover almost as soon as it was published. Based on this comic, “Genesis” apparently involved every metahuman’s powers going haywire, leading all of the established heroes join in an outer space battle. Since the Young Heroes are still at the bottom of the totem pole, no one thinks to call them, so they’re stuck on Earth.

When Hard Drive learns that even latent metahumans are affected, he hitches a ride with Off-Ramp to check on his younger brother in the hospital. His sibling is an even more powerful telekinetic, evidenced by the mountain of abandoned cars stacked in front of the hospital. Hard Drive telepathically puts him back into a coma, inadvertently revealing his telepathic powers to Off-Ramp. Off-Ramp suddenly remembers experiencing these powers before, and realizes that Hard Drive has been manipulating the team all along. Hard Drive reveals that his powers only exploit feelings that his victims already have, so he finds the small part of Off-Ramp that wishes he never knew Hard Drive’s secret and erases the memory.

Oh, yeah. “Genesis” is still going on, right? Hard Drive returns home, discovers Kalibak is attacking national monuments, laments that he doesn’t have time to alert the media, and soon confronts the Big Name Guest Villain. After using his telekinesis to easily send Kalibak flying into space, Hard Drive returns home. Unfortunately for him, his telepathic manipulation has worn off on another member. Bonfire defiantly greets him at the door and proclaims that she has an announcement to make to the team.

Meanwhile…

Junior helps his crush, Zip Kid, deal with her uncontrolled growth spurt. He talks her down to insect size, which just so happens to be his favorite height.

Monstergirl reveals to Hard Drive that she only has two forms: Pretty Girl and Hideous Monster. And yet, her erratic powers soon force her into morphing into whichever person is on Hard Drive’s mind. Despite her earlier protests, it turns out she really is a shapeshifter.

Despite the abrupt shift into crossover territory, Dan Raspler still gets a lot of story out of this one. I’m sure if he were left to his own devices, Rasplar would’ve continued to spread the story out amongst cast members and not given so much of the focus to Hard Drive, but it’s actually kind of refreshing to get this much information about a single character in one issue. We learn that Hard Drive is sincere in his desire to be a hero, and to be famous, and he isn’t concerned about using his powers to “convince” people to join his cause. After all, his powers only work if some part of a person wants to follow his “suggestions,” so it’s not as if he’s truly brainwashing them, right?

It’s amusing to read about this brand of fame-whore character years before the days of Youtube or TMZ. Yeah, that girl on Baywatch had a sex tape, but surely she was embarrassed by it. It’s not as if any more of those things are going to come out, or anyone with a vague connection to a celebrity is going to use one to become famous or anything. The celebrity culture element of Young Heroes was often underplayed in favor of the romance, but I could see a new series today taking that ball and running with it.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #4 - September 1997

Cry Me A River of Nigh-Irresistible Beams!

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Mike Manley (penciler), Keith Champagne & Ande Parks (inks), Bill Oakley & NJQ (letters), Scott Baumann (colorist)

The final member of the team, Zip-Kid, makes her debut, covering for Hard Drive as he runs away crying. She explains (i.e. lies) to Superman that Hard Drive has a tragic history with mummies, so he’s a little emotional. Superman feels a little better about the kid’s mental stability and flies off. Zip-Kid explains to the others that she saw their battle on television and just had to meet them. She’s invited to join the team, but she’s not sure how her boyfriend would feel. Later, after the team grows tired of Junior’s squeaky little voice, he’s forced to admit that his powers don’t allow him to grow or shrink. He’s stuck at four inches tall. Meanwhile…

Hard Drive continues to mentally force Bonfire into a relationship with Thunderhead.

Monstergirl doubts Hard Drive’s leadership ability in front of the rest of the team, while still massaging his ego in private.

Bonfire briefly resumes her flirtation with Frostbite, until Hard Drive’s mental commands send her back to Thunderhead.

Thunderhead is caught making out with Bonfire in the gym by Frostbite and Junior at the issue’s end.

Off-Ramp continues to behave as the most responsible member of the team, in spite of his grungy appearance.

Junior reveals that he was a normal-sized scientist until he fell into the “world’s largest ionic centrifuge.” He also expresses an interest in Zip-Kid, the only other four-inch girl he’s ever going to meet (barring another Marvel/DC crossover), and is devastated when he learns she has a boyfriend.

Frostbite is suspicious of Hard Drive, dubious about Junior’s ability to be a hero, and distraught when he catches Bonfire and Thunderhead hooking up.

My first thought upon opening this issue: Mike Manley! Not only is Manley one of the finest “Adventures” style artists, but he’s also the man responsible for the “Babyman” rant, one of the funniest creator-versus-fan tirades I’ve ever read. With all due respect to Dev Madan, this is the strongest looking issue of the book so far. Manley just has a knack for giving weight to stripped down “animated” figures, and his use of shadows is impeccable. As for the story, I wish more time was devoted to Hard Drive’s bizarre meltdown in the previous issue’s cliffhanger, but the remaining character subplots are still intriguing. The little moments, such as Zip-Kid realizing that she just lied to Superman, and Junior’s revelation that he isn’t a size-changer at all, are great.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #3 - August 1997

Two Hearts Beat as One Giant Undead Guy!

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Scott Baumann (colorist)

The Young Heroes keep Totenjaeger the Mummy’s sword as a trophy, but it disappears shortly after it’s hung on the wall. Reasoning that Totenjaeger has rematerialized, the team returns to the Army base he recently attacked. They’re shocked to discover Superman fighting the mummy. After Frostbite finishes Totenjaeger by trapping him in ice, Hard Drive offers Superman a place on the team. When Superman refuses, Hard Drive runs away crying. Seriously. In more important news…

Monstergirl sets up Hard Drive to be humiliated, knowing that Superman will refuse his offer. She makes sure he asks Superman in front of everyone, so it will be “really impressive.”

Bonfire is still involved with Thunderhead, but she’s excited over a secret heat-sensitive message left for her by Frostbite.

Frostbite spends much of the issue creating an elaborate ice sculpture, after nastily rebuffing Hard Drive’s attempts to become friends.

Following the establishment of the CCA, I wonder how often Superman appeared in non-Code approved comics. Dark Knight Returns is the most obvious example, so I guess DC wasn’t overly protective of their mom-friendly icon, but it is a little odd to see him guest starring in a comic that opens with three pages of penis jokes (Thunderhead and Frostbite are hanging up Totenjaeger’s sword, “the team’s first official phallic symbol”).

The previous issues made it clear that this would be a slightly racy, non-action oriented superhero book, but this issue plays up another angle of the series -- the heroes themselves are big superhero fans. Not only do they admire the likes of Superman and Green Lantern, but they also have strong opinions on their costumes and hairstyles. If you thought it was ridiculous that Superman grew a mullet, you now have Bonfire on your side. No one’s overly critical of his new electric-blue look, perhaps because DC wouldn’t appreciate spiteful comments about a current event, but the story does acknowledge the team’s bewilderment over the change. They’re not in the JLA/Titans loop, so while they’re left speculating about his new look and powers, that doesn’t lessen their enthusiasm when the icon shows up to fight a member of their nascent rogues gallery. In certain respects, this is a comic about comics, but it’s nice to see metacommentary that isn’t snarky and condescending. Emphasizing how much the Young Heroes admire the JLA humanizes the cast, and gives the book a unique place within the DC Universe.

Finally, I present to you the heroes OF the Young Heroes, a list that hasn’t aged at all…

The next caption simply reads “Superman” in case you were wondering.

YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE #2 - July 1997

Look Before You Leap Into the Telekinetic Proto-Bomb!

Credits: Dan Raspler (writer), Dev Madan (penciler), Keith Champagne (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Scott Baumann (colorist)

Dismissing Monstergirl’s assessment that the team needs two weeks of training before facing a villain, Hard Drive demands action. Monstergirl ignores his orders for something “not too serious,” and asks Off-Ramp to use his teleportation portals to find news reports of major events. Yes, it’s a plot point that could easily be covered by a Google News Alert today. Off-Ramp discovers a mummy attack at an Army base, and soon enough, the Young Heroes are on the scene. Everyone takes turns fighting the mummy, but the fight ends when Hard Drive uses his telekinetic powers to destroy the monster. But what really matters is this…

Hard Drive isn’t angry with Monstergirl for disobeying his orders. They’re still hooking up behind the team’s back. When Junior catches them together, Hard Drive erases his memory.

Monstergirl is going out of her way to puff up Hard Drive’s ego.

Bonfire is enthralled with Thunderhead.

Thunderhead is enthralled with Bonfire.

Frostbite is jealous.

Off-Ramp…doesn’t do much this issue. We do learn that he can look into his teleportation portals as if they’re TV screens, though.

Junior is dizzy after having his short-term memory erased.

The book is still developing its cast and mysteries, with Hard Drive and Monstergirl stealing the show. They’re both playing the team to some extent, but they’re also keeping things from each other. It looks as if Monstergirl has some sinister motives, but who’s to say what Hard Drive is up to at this point? A solid second issue, and while it barely plays a role in the story, Dev Madan’s design of the mummy is great.

By the way, all of the scans are borrowed from the original Young Heroes fansite, which is still online.