Giant-Size Little Marvel AVX #1

Secret Wars has been a whirlwind for sure but perhaps it’s time to take a light break from Doctor Doom’s dramatics. While this Little Marvel land still exists as part of the Battleworld, it’s certainly a lighter read, not to mention outrageously cute, and fun, and hilarious. Perfect either to start or end your weekly Secret Wars read or heck, perhaps even as an in between.
 

Story: Skottie Young
Art: Skottie Young
Colours: Jean-Francois Beaulieu 
Letters: Jeff Eckleberry 
Cover: Skottie Young 
Publisher: Marvel 

Skottie Young is perhaps best known for his work as the artist consistently pumping out the ever adorable ‘Baby Marvel Heroes’ variant covers, so what better way to enjoy his work than to get an ENTIRE mini series based on these little heroes. There’s just something completely satisfying in seeing your favourite characters miniaturized. Two pages in and you’ll be smiling rather self-indulgently, guaranteed. Young’s art is a gift to us all. There’s something pure and joyous about just looking at it, and we haven’t even looked at the actual story of this Giant-Size Little Marvel AVX. 
 

The bright colours, the slightly over exaggerated expressions, no matter where the story takes you, you know it’s going to be a fun ride. Plus, based off the previous A-Babies vs X-Babies’ success, it’s easy to see how well this title will be received.
 

After so much seriousness in comics to go into something like Little Marvel AVX is just a breath of fresh air. Something where Marvel can kind of step back and take jabs at themselves in cute strides. There’s little jokes littered in nearly every panel and if a reader makes it through this entire issue without laughing once, they need to get their sense of humour checked. Seriously. 
 

The issue may start off with the X-Men getting their jollies as the Avengers tangle with one of Magik’s hellspawn friends (Magik who by the way may be the best Little Marvel hero to date— she has the best expressions, seriously), but the primary competition between the two teams is a street food sell off in combination with who can make the lamest puns (I’m just going to go ahead and spoil the winner of the lamest pun competition and say it’s Cyclops because nobody is surprised and yet it’s still funny anyways. That is the power of Young’s Little Marvel). New favourites even make it onto the scene (Spider-Gwen who lays down some real talk), and old favourites (like Wolverine) are still kicking around. 
 

What makes this a little more special than A-Babies vs X-Babies is that there’s a little more story to it. Not a whole lot per se, but enough to leave us at a ‘to be continued…’ kind of ending. Which makes it a little more interesting to say the least. New mysterious characters arrive and it’ll be interesting to see who/what they do. 

Reading this isn’t going to change your life, or effect the reading of Secret Wars in any way, but what it will do is put a smile on your face and make your day a little brighter, because we all need a little fun now and then.