Avengers Undercover #1
Dennis Hopeless (w), Kev Walker (a)
Marvel Comics

Liz says: When a group of super-powered teenagers is kidnapped and forced into a vicious battle to the death, what happens to those who come out alive in the aftermath? This is the idea behind ‘Avengers Undercover’, the next chapter in the saga of last year’s excellent series ‘Avengers Arena’, and if this first issue is anything to go by, it’s going to be great!

The story picks up six months after the events of Murderworld, and the young survivors are attempting to deal with their exploitation and trauma. The world at large isn’t making it any easier for them; their tormentor (the villain Aracade) has turned them into unwilling celebrities by uploading footage of their whole horrifying experience on Youtube. Writer Dennis Hopeless sensitively and logically explores their varied reactions and sets them on a rescue mission when one of their own goes badly off the rails. We already know from the book’s title what’s in the cards for our heroes as they are destined to go undercover to infiltrate the Masters of Evil and take them down from the inside. I for one am extremely on board for the ride!