The Real Adventures of the Young Americans

    (Young American, 2003)
™ and © Young American Comics

It’s not Who Wants to Marry a Super-Hero, but this may well be comics’ first answer to reality television. Not that anyone ever asked for such a thing, but here it is, anyway. Viewers of MTV’s Real World have seen this before: a diverse group of teen-age strangers are ushered into a cramped apartment, their differences cause friction, and the audience watches things heat up.

With great power comes great visibility; this is the seeming motto of this newly formed group, so readers of X-Statix might get a sense of déjà vu, as well. But Parkhill recognizes that these two potentially derivative concepts of diversity and fame can have real volatility when combined, although there isn’t much of that in this introductory issue. It’s to be hoped that he also recognizes the explosive potential of claustrophobic teens with super-powers.
But in this first issue, Parkhill delivers exactly what he must: a witty intro to a clever idea supported by a group of varied characters with an infinite number of possible interactions. It’s enough to overlook the book’s smaller format and not-bad-just-different illustrations, surface elements that might otherwise scare away the casual reader. Those interested will find this and subsequent issues available on YAC’s website.

— Jim Johnson
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