In early 2020, Marvel announced a new New Warriors series. Stemming from the events of the Outlawed mini-series, the premise of the new series puts veterans of the original team into a mentor mode for a group of new heroes to take on their name. This includes the vampire-ish B-Negative, Screentime -- a hero who is exposed to Internet gas -- and Snowflake and Safe Space, the first non-binary gender heroes.
While not the most popular Marvel comic, there are plenty of fans of the concept of a team similar to DC's Teen Titans. On the other side, people believe its time to let this team go. To compare the pros and cons, here are 5 reasons the New Warriors should come back and 5 why they should stay away.
10 Stay Away: They Caused Marvel's Civil War
No wonder the federal government created the Age Outlaw Act in the Marvel universe. These teens cause a lot of problems. For instance, the New Warriors helped institute the Superhuman Registration Act that resulted in the superhero Civil War.
While filming an episode of their reality series, the depowered New Warriors took on a group of villains in a Connecticut suburb. One of these was Nitro, who detonated and killed several Warriors and numerous schoolchildren. This alone should prevent the team from ever appearing again.
9 Come Back: Marvel Needs A Teen Team
The Earth-616 universe lacks new blood. The X-Men are no longer young, and neither are the Young Avengers. and Power Pack is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, DC Comics has Young Justice, Teen Titans, and the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Yes, the Marvel Comics universe has always been known for looking at superheroes more maturely, but having little or no teenage/young adult presence hurts their bottom line. In the end, it's the teens that carry their love for comic books into their adulthood.
8 Stay Away: They Tried Too Many Times
Marvel has tried five times to gain traction on a New Warriors series. The most successful of these was the first series, which spanned 75 issues in the early 90s. Subsequent relaunches between 1999 and 2015 had a total of 48 issues between them.
Creating a new team of teen rebels that reflect the codenames and personalities of today's youth is not going to be the solution for a proper relaunch. Particularly since the original group will be mentors that eventually leave.
7 Come Back: Prove The Critics Wrong
No sooner had the lineup of the "New" New Warriors been announced that the critics started to chime in. They complained about the team's codenames being representatives of safe words and nicknames in today's society. They criticized heroes like Screentime, who's indicative of a generation that spends to much time online.
Usually, such viciousness means a new series is dead from the start. So, it's even more important for Marvel to support the next New Warriors series to prove them wrong. This is a company that embraced the pressing issues of the 1960s. It shouldn't change today.
6 Stay Away: Think Of Dan Jurgens' Teen Titans
In 1996, after New Teen Titans ended its 16-year run, DC felt a new team of young heroes was needed. As a result, they brought on Dan Jurgens as writer/penciler with George Perez on inks to create a new Teen Titans series. However, instead of the veteran heroes, it featured a quartet of young superhumans and a de-aged Ray Palmer.
It wasn't a success, and Marvel should think about this as it releases future issues of the latest New Warriors. Adding a few new members to an existing line-up is okay. Starting from scratch can lead to a quick cancellation.
5 Come Back: Think of Len Wein's X-Men
On the other hand of this argument, the return of the X-Men and their new line-up did just fine. Out of the original team, the only member to remain on-board after their escape from Krakoa was Cyclops. The others retired or joined other superhero teams.
It only takes one time to change history. Len Wein did it in the 70s with the X-Men, Marv Wolfman and George Perez did it in the 80s with the Teen Titans. The return of the New Warriors can be the moment where they explode onto the scene.
4 Stay Away: Will Get Lost In The Monthly Releases
Recent solicitation lists reveal well over 60 comics released by Marvel, and that doesn't include reprints. These feature established heroes in solo action or with their respective teams. Heroes that have been seen in the movies and are recognizable by millions of fans.
How are these 'New' New Warriors going to complete with this? When it's broken down, the Marvel Comics arm of Disney is a business. So, if it doesn't make money, the title can be quickly canceled. Even if the writing and illustrations are top-notch.
3 Come Back: Continue the New Warriors Story
It's no secret the New Warriors encountered numerous tragedies during their different runs. Team members have died, turned evil, and inadvertently killed hundreds of people. Yet, they don't give up.
That's the core of the team's story. No matter the situation, be it a superhero civil war or being outlawed, they try to move forward. If that means mentoring a set of new heroes, then so be it. Even if it means disobeying the law for the right cause.
2 Stay Away: Second-Rate Team
The New Warriors have indeed fought the likes of Terrax, Juggernaut, and A.I.M. Yet, it seems they needed help from veteran groups like The Avengers and Fantastic Four to accomplish the task. When they tried to tackle similar villains on their own they had a difficult time.
They certainly had power and worked well as a team. Nevertheless, they were never brought along during the biggest events to help take down a Galactus or Doctor Doom. While the other teams said it was to maintain the safety of Earth, it was a shutout.
1 Come Back: Redemption
The story of the "New" New Warriors is not only a way to bring back this team. It's also a way to redeem themselves. Actually, it's redemption for the team and Marvel Comics.
While Civil War is considered one of the best stories in the publisher's history, some feel the New Warriors were given the short shrift. Why fault them for being teens and young adults? This new release gives everyone a chance to say they're sorry and launch a generation of heroes.