Title: The New Warriors (Specifically the Characters of Justice and Speedball)
Media: Marvel Comics
Where to find it: Marvel Universe, Comixology, your local comic book store or ME! (shufics@gmail.com)
What is it, in summary?:
The New Warriors were a group of late teens who came together to become superheroes in the early 90s. They have since gone on to grow into young adults, most dying on the way. However, we will be focusing on the two who haven't died yet.
Vance Astrovik is a mutant telekinetic whose powers were triggered when his future self came back in time and accidentally altered reality. Hoping to become like his idol Captain America he became the superhero Marvel Boy (he later changed that to Justice - the name is more commonly known as). He was recruited to join the New Warriors, and while he has been an Avenger a few times in the past he always comes back to them.
Robbie Baldwin was a normal suburban kid doing an internship at a physics research lab. Noticing that the scientists cat had snuck into the lab, Robbie went in to retrieve it only for both himself and the cat to get blasted with experimental particles that turned him to the hero Speedball. As the sole survivor of the Stamford incident that started Civil War, Robbie was scapegoated by both the public and the hero community, leaving him under the control of Green Goblin, where he changed his name to Penance.
Following the downfall of Goblin’s Dark Avengers, Vance and Robbie are reunited and begin the journey to reclaim both the name Speedball and New Warriors.
What do you love about it?:
I really enjoy the early New Warriors work, but there was something about the later years that really spoke to me. This sense of us against the world, but more like only we can really understand what we’ve lost. The later series does a lot with ideas of reputation and redemption, walking the line between the levity of the first few years and the darkness of the Civil War era.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests?:
Well....sort of...but it's kind of complicated. The period I tend to request has the characters jumping around from book to book for a bit but you could probably get the general gist of them by reading Yost's run New Warriors vol. 5 (2014).
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence) - these two characters have storylines that involve child abuse and self-harm.
Reading list:-----Pre Civil War----
New Warriors Vol 1 (1990)
They are among the main characters of this book and a lot of character development happens here. However, I have not had a chance to go back through to pick out specifically important arcs yet.
New Warriors Vol 3 (2003)
I really enjoy this run, it’s short and the art is nice. It only has Robbie in it, but it sets up a really great contrast for what will come after Civil War, and I think having this run as background for him is helpful.
-----Civil War Era -----
Civil War Era mostly focuses on Robbie, Vance is around a bit in the background but Robbie is the one with the story arc here
Civil War #1
Civil War: Frontlines
-----Civil War Aftermath----
Robbie and Vance are mostly split up during this period, but about half way through they begin crossing paths again.
Avengers: The Initiative #1-12
These issues set up where Vance is in the aftermath of Civil War
Promo: New Warriors (Marvel) (specifically Speedball and Justice)
Media: Marvel Comics
Where to find it: Marvel Universe, Comixology, your local comic book store or ME! (shufics@gmail.com)
What is it, in summary?:
The New Warriors were a group of late teens who came together to become superheroes in the early 90s. They have since gone on to grow into young adults, most dying on the way. However, we will be focusing on the two who haven't died yet.
Vance Astrovik is a mutant telekinetic whose powers were triggered when his future self came back in time and accidentally altered reality. Hoping to become like his idol Captain America he became the superhero Marvel Boy (he later changed that to Justice - the name is more commonly known as). He was recruited to join the New Warriors, and while he has been an Avenger a few times in the past he always comes back to them.
Robbie Baldwin was a normal suburban kid doing an internship at a physics research lab. Noticing that the scientists cat had snuck into the lab, Robbie went in to retrieve it only for both himself and the cat to get blasted with experimental particles that turned him to the hero Speedball. As the sole survivor of the Stamford incident that started Civil War, Robbie was scapegoated by both the public and the hero community, leaving him under the control of Green Goblin, where he changed his name to Penance.
Following the downfall of Goblin’s Dark Avengers, Vance and Robbie are reunited and begin the journey to reclaim both the name Speedball and New Warriors.
What do you love about it?:
I really enjoy the early New Warriors work, but there was something about the later years that really spoke to me. This sense of us against the world, but more like only we can really understand what we’ve lost. The later series does a lot with ideas of reputation and redemption, walking the line between the levity of the first few years and the darkness of the Civil War era.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests?:
Well....sort of...but it's kind of complicated. The period I tend to request has the characters jumping around from book to book for a bit but you could probably get the general gist of them by reading Yost's run New Warriors vol. 5 (2014).
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence) - these two characters have storylines that involve child abuse and self-harm.
Reading list:-----Pre Civil War----
New Warriors Vol 1 (1990)
They are among the main characters of this book and a lot of character development happens here. However, I have not had a chance to go back through to pick out specifically important arcs yet.
New Warriors Vol 3 (2003)
I really enjoy this run, it’s short and the art is nice. It only has Robbie in it, but it sets up a really great contrast for what will come after Civil War, and I think having this run as background for him is helpful.
-----Civil War Era -----
Civil War Era mostly focuses on Robbie, Vance is around a bit in the background but Robbie is the one with the story arc here
Civil War #1
Civil War: Frontlines
-----Civil War Aftermath----
Robbie and Vance are mostly split up during this period, but about half way through they begin crossing paths again.
Avengers: The Initiative #1-12
These issues set up where Vance is in the aftermath of Civil War
Thunderbolts #110 - 126
Thunderbolts: Desperate Measures
Meanwhile this is what Robbie’s been up to
Avengers: The Initiative #21-35
And now everyone is in the same book, even if they don’t know it
------Current(ish)--------
Avengers Academy #1-20
And now that Vance has Robbie back he’s never letting him out of his sight again
Fear Itself: Homefront
Nova (2013) #7, 8, and 9
New Warriors Vol 5 (2014)