Champions, Vol. 1: Outlawed

Champions (2020)

by Eve L. Ewing, Kim Jacinto (Artist), Simone Di Meo (Artist)

In the wake of a devastating tragedy, the United States passes a law outlawing teenage super heroes! The crackdown has begun, and the lives of Marvel's next generation will never be the same again. This new law goes against everything that Ms. Marvel, Nova and Spider-Man founded the Champions for...and they know that the world still needs heroes. They won't go down without a fight! But as a group of teen vigilantes gathers to plan their next move, the task force called CRADLE is hot on their trail - and there's a spy in their midst! As protests break out across Chicago, the Champions risk their freedom to restore order - but why has Chicago's hometown hero Ironheart abandoned the Champions?

COLLECTING: OUTLAWED (2020) 1, CHAMPIONS (2020) 1-5

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

152 pages, Paperback

First published May 18, 2021

About the author

Dr. Eve Louise Ewing is a writer and a sociologist of education from Chicago. Ewing is a prolific writer across multiple genres. Her 2018 book Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism & School Closings on Chicago's South Side explores the relationship between the closing of public schools and the structural history of race and racism in Chicago's Bronzeville community.

Ewing's first collection of poetry, essays, and visual art, Electric Arches, was published by Haymarket Books in 2017. Her second collection, 1919, tells the story of the race riot that rocked Chicago in the summer of that year. Her first book for elementary readers, Maya and the Robot, is forthcoming in 2020 from Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Her work has been published in many venues, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Nation, The Washington Post, The New Republic, Poetry Magazine, and the anthology American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time, curated by Tracy K. Smith, Poet Laureate of the United States. With Nate Marshall, she co-wrote the play No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks, produced by Manual Cinema and commissioned by the Poetry Foundation. She also currently writes the Champions series for Marvel Comics and previously wrote the acclaimed Ironheart series, as well as other projects.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spewing forth from the Outlawed one-shot our Champions find themselves in a hostile to under 21 year old vigilantism situation that starts with civilian Kamala being hospitalised after a Champions mission went a bit awry, and a Senator capitalising on the situation to draft and get actioned 'Kamala's Law' prohibiting non-mentored minors from fighting crime. I found this a watered down version of Mark Millar's Civil War, which indeed nods to that series with cameos by the New Warriors. This series continues to decline as each volume is published :( I rate this a strong Three Star, 5.5 out of 12 read.

2022 read

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Civil War lite. It was so rushed. Hardly any older heroes were involved and anyone on Captain America's side of Civil War should have been involved. All of a sudden they don't care because the law only applies to those under 25? It makes no sense and makes this feel like it's not part of the Marvel universe. I'm sure part of this was the due to the downsizing of this event due to the pandemic. Marvel should have just scrapped the event completely instead of what we got. The least they could have done was make this a longer more complete story within the Champions title itself.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, let me say that the artwork is this one is great, particularly the work by Bob Quin. It's a visual treat and the storytelling is very clear.

Story-wise, well, you can't avoid the fact that the basic plot of Outlawed is a bit of a rehash of Civil War. The actual character interplay and some of the ramifications are quite different, though, to be fair.

My main issue with the writing was the dialogue. I'm sure Eve L. Ewing is a great public speaker because she seems to write almost entirely in speeches. The dialogue all felt like the characters had been rehearsing it for a week before they actually delivered it. Quite Shakespearian in a way but I prefer my comicbook dialogue more naturalistic.

Story: 3 stars
Artwork: 4 stars
Overall: 3.5 stars, rounded up because I love my Champions kids!

My next book: Mr. Topsy-Turvy

[James DeSantis · Rating 2 out of 5]

People call this a civil war lite. I honestly think it's just boring.

So basically after an event where people nearly died and a young hero is hurt, they put in a new law to outlaw kids from saving people. Never stopped kids before protecting people but now it is a issue somehow. Anyhow, we have all the kids basically on the run trying to figure out what to do from here.

There's some good character moments. Ewing writes Riri really well, and Miles pretty solid, but everyone else I feel like I don't know them from the past. On top of that the storyline itself feels to safe, we all know what will happen, and the ending felt way to cheerful for what the events just happening showed.

Not horrible but very boring. A 2 out of 5.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book, fun characters, but why the hell does this constitute a THIRD Volume 1? The storylines flow relatively cleanly from one creative team to the next, so Marvel either is purposefully obfuscating things or they think lower volume #s sell better.

All I know is that there shouldn't be three different #1s when Champions only began in 2016. Honestly, this should be Volume 8 of ongoing Champions, not the third Volume 1 (or sixth #1 by issues and collections).

[Oneirosophos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful, unreadable, civil-war nonsense.

[Nessa [October Tune] · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I completely did not read this in one day and forgot to mark it as 'read' for two whole days, nope).

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eve L. Ewing é a terceira escritora a ser responsável pelos roteiros da equipe juvenil dos Campeões, depois de Jim Zub e Mark Waid. Na minha humilde opinião foi aquela que coseguiu dar uma continuidade melhor àquilo que Waid propôs, bem mais que seu sucessor, Jim Zub. Embora Eve utilize um plot manjado para dar início à sua fase, - Fora da Lei, com um especial homônimo - o regstro dos super-heróis adolescentes, acaba se saindo bem da propostNa. A Marvel já usou a Lei de Registro de Mutantes e a Lei de Registro de Super-Heróis e agora Ewing vem com a proposta de controle dos heróis juvenis. A escritora consegue focar numa equipe composta de Miles Morales, Kamala Khan, Sam Alexander e Riri Williams como fugitivos enquanto os demais Campeões são presos ou tutelados por super-heróis adultos, fato que ela não deixa de trabalhar ao mesmo tempo. Os desenhos de Kim Jacinto se sobressaem dos demais e imprimem um bom ritmo à história. A publicação da saga Fora da Lei, que envolveria mais títulos além de Campeões, A Magnífica Miss Marvel e Miles Morales: Spiderman, teve complicações lá fora por causa de cancelamentos relacionados à pandemia do Covid-19. Entretanto é possível ler somente a revista dos Campeões e ter um bom aproveitamento da trama.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the Champions weren't around when Civil War occured the first (and second) times, it's time they get their own version of the Registration Act. When Ms. Marvel's high school gets attacked by a dragon, the devastation left behind prompts the outlawing of all teenage superheroes. But with the law being backed by the dubious Roxxon Corporation, is there more to the story than meets the eye?

Outlawed as a status quo was meant to likely last longer than it did here, and with further reaching tendrils. There were at least two other titles that got cancelled as a result of the pandemic, so this is kind of the truncated form of what the story should have been.

That said, it's still pretty darn enjoyable. Eve Ewing picks up all of the Champions characters that both Mark Waid and Jim Zub left behind and spins them off into her story, keeping all of the continuity and dangling character beats flowing together as the team goes on the run. There's a lot of tension in the book as things feel hopeless, but the conclusion definitely feels earned even after five short issues.

The artwork here starts off with Simeon Di Meo (of Power Rangers and We Only Find Them When They're Dead fame), before transitioning to Bob Quinn for the later two issues. The pair work strangely well together - mostly because Quinn ups his style to closer to Di Meo's janky angled, neon-infused visuals. The Outlawed one-shot gets Kim Jacinto on it though, so it also looks gorgeous, if a bit different to the rest of the book.

While I'd have liked to have seen Outlawed explored a little more, what we did get here was great while it lasted. The character work is still solid, the artwork's fun if a little mixed, and there's potential for so much more to be mined even after the story closes on the final page - it's just not in the form you might have expected it to take.

[KBeautiful1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy New Year!!!!

Let me start off by saying I only have Issue #1 and since Goodreads didn't have it distinguished and they only had this edition on their site for issues 1-5 that's why it had to be chosen.

I enjoy author Eve L. Ewing's take when she writes for Marvel. Her Ironheart run is absolutely brilliant and the start of this series (it came out last year and I am just now getting around to reading it LOL!) it's just as superb. Marvel honestly needs to bring her in as the writer for Ironheart that will be launching on Disney+. The actress has already been hired and we don't need any white writers trying to write for black people, that trope is dead and buried. There are way too many black writers for them to f*ck this up. They have Palestinian writers for Ms. Marvel (currently filming to launch on Disney+ plus she will make her big-screen debut on Captain Marvel 2 which is being directed by Nia DaCosta (a stellar black director).

Marvel for all intents and purposes are moving in the right direction of bringing to the forefront the young superheroes, honestly, their storylines are much better and fresher, not regurgitated as Marvel has so infamously done over the years.

This story picks up with the young heroes being blamed for an assault that was not their fault but as the government would have it (think the Zokovia Accords) here they move to disband and bar the heroes from helping, blaming them for attacks that are not their fault, and now moving to round them up like criminals.

I can't wait to dive into the next couple of books and thank goodness several issues are already out so I don't have to wait.

Well Until My Next Review...Ciao!

[Lucas Savio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Não é um quadrinho perfeito mas formado pois dois personagens que amo muito e suas relações. Gosto muito da comunicação e do fato de serem heróis sem mentores

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outlawed is super fun

Basically a sequel to Civil War where the heroes are outlawed by the government. However its now heroes who are under 21. The fact that I'm pretty sure what they're doing is already illegal in the Marvel universe doesn't detract from the story being quite fun.

The premise is that the Champions screw up protecting the equivalent of Greta Thunberg during a speech and drop a dragon on her (she survives). Kamala Khan, being there undercover, is put into a coma, though. This allows a Senator to pass "Kamala's Law" that bans vigilante superheroes. Which, I've stated, was probably illegal already. The premise is dumb and arguably no teenager should be a superhero but it's not like the adults of Marvel comics are doing any better. It's a shame this event didn't have the NEW WARRIORS perspective.

The best part is probably Viv Vision bonding with an old woman in Kansas where she learns not to be a snitch.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is ...yet ANOTHER volume 1 collection of Champions. It should be the 8th collection, but the continual stops and starts apparently keep resetting the total #.

Also, story wise, this is very similar to the Civil War maxi series that ran throughout Marvel. The story on this is much shorter. It's primarily in this book, but also continued in Ms. Marvel and a few other one shots involving other teen heroes.

Minor gripe: I don't know who decided to write Riri as a petulent teen, but it seems odd that a character who has been so enamored with tinkering and tech decides to sit on a couch and throw snide remarks at her teammates.

Bonus: Seeing Justice and Speedball as heroes on the side of young hero registration and reeducation. Kind of stings since they were the origin of the Civil War series crisis.

[Bekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun reading this, seeing all the Champions fighting back against the law and defending their rights!
TW for 're-education camps', child abuse, brain washing, kidnapping, false arrest, guns, violence, threats of police brutality, near death situations, serious injury, hospitals.

[James Hynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book treated the debate around Kamala's law as more morally grey than I expected, but not as much as I hoped.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5 stars.

[Ming · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable.

[LordSlaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel, is one of my favorite comics characters. Here, as a teenage hero, teamed-up with Spider-Man and Nova, on the run from the law, she is once again absolutely fabulous. Cool story, cool artwork, cool comic.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit my expectations were low for this volume after reading Ms. Marvel Team-Up and being unimpressed with it and loving Jim Zub's short-lived ten issue run, but this is powerful and feels ripped from the headlines, especially now that Trump is president again and his illegal ICE raids and deployment of the National Guard.

Dramatic irony begins the volume as Kamala Khan in plainclothes as a student ambassador for Ailona Kabuai, a teenage environmental activist from the Marshall Islands speaking at Coles Academic High School while other members of the Champions guard the school in costume. The school is attacked by a dragon controlled by Roxxon Oil (acquired during The War of the Realms according to a footnote), and Viv Vision is apparently destroyed defeating it, while Kamala is severely injured and hospitalized using her powers to protect Ailona (who is crouched and can't see what Kamala is doing). To Kamala's shame, a new law is introduced and nicknamed Kamala's Law, barring anyone under age 21 from superhero activity or any outward display of support for teenage heroes such as the Champions, which is still a huge group thanks to Kamala's actions in Jim Zub's run.

Ewing does an excellent job balancing the core members of the team and the newcomers, many of the latter of whom are forced into a re-education school that is explicitly likened to both a concentration camp and an Indian residential school by the captured characters, most of whom also being ethnic minorities. there they are bombarded with a propaganda channel comparable to PragerU to get them to bend to the will of what the corporate overlords want.

Viv is quickly revealed to be still alive, and she travels across the country in disgusie feeling guilty about the incident at the school, and along the way meets Cora in Kansas, a senior African American who was a lunch counter activist in the 1960s who realizes who she is and is supportive of her anyway despite Senator Geoffrey Pattrick's polls to the contrary. Pattrick, while fictional, is another political embarrassment for the state of Indiana (I was born in Indianapolis, but my parents were transplants from New Jersey--my dad was a biochemist for Eli Lilly & Company, and I currently live in New York City).

Ewing does a great job working with a large group of characters, including another return from Scott (Cyclops) Summers and other X-Men including Pixie, Storm, Iceman, Pyro, Bishop, and Captain Kate Pryde--she's dressing like a pirate now, but I assume she has been for a while, especially since Pyro is now her ally. A battle with Attuma blending a rescue, a quelling of violence, and diplomacy is given a level of nuance most comics don't have that leaves both the Champions and the X-Men reflecting on what it means to do the right thing, and how it's ultimately a judgment call that you may later decide is wrong.

This volume is simply one of the most compelling comic book trade paperbacks I have read in quite a while. It makes me really want to read Ewing's Ironheart now, which seriously can't deserve the fanbro trashing it's been getting. A nice twist at the end has Riri's mother realizing that superheroing is the kids' calling and offering her e-mail address to the Champions to give to their parents to form a support group (some of the parents, swuch as the Alexanders, are privy to the kids' superheroing, so that just may happen).

Sam Alexander and Kamala Khan are getting along better than ever now that he has stopped hitting on her. A nice page has Sam trying to get Kamala to stop doomscrolling public opinons on her on social media, a lesson I need to follow myself as a leftist activist constantly getting in rows with rightists on social media.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't too sure about how I was supposed to expect from this limited event since it felt too much like the Superhero Registration Act all over again, but just targeting underage superheroes. In hindsight, this totally could have been the direction taken back during the first Civil War, but that's all behind us now.

So our young heroes cause way more property damage than expected and this results in new legislation banning underage superheroes. But it goes all the way to creating a special organization called CRADLE whose sole mission is to use former New Warriors to apprehend juvenile superheroes still out doing the vigilante thing.

It's not clear to me why more of the adult heroes didn't get involved whether for or against the law and most of the story just depicts the Champions either on the run or trying to cope with life in one of the reeducation camps. Seriously, they went full-on 1984 and I don't understand how other heroes were not up in arms about this. Maybe there are other books that somewhat crossover into these stories, but it's not evident in this main title.

The premise was still mostly interesting but it didn't really go anywhere particularly powerful from a narrative sense. It is a lot of running and not much planning our countering what is going on in the eyes of the public, and then it just sorta ends. No terrible, but certainly could have been better.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A high two stars. I enjoyed Civil War and found the idea of a divided superhero population fighting for different sides of a Superhuman Registration Act intriguing, especially as it contrasted the character of each hero and why they might pick the side they did. Then came Civil War II, which I really didn't care for as characters seemed quite out of character and so eager for a superhuman throw down that they didn't listen to their colleagues at all.

This volume...just felt like a rushed and watered down version. Had the events been drawn out, reminding us about the Champions past exploits, creation, and brushes with death before leaping into the random dragon fiasco, it might've made the shocking event...actually shocking? Instead of disjointed and, frankly, making all these teenaged superheroes look inept despite their track records in their individual series. Nadia (the Wasp) in particular seemed nothing like the quirky elite genius Red Room assassin.

The Champions on the run due to the Kamala Act was also equally rushed via montage, but it was nice seeing the group dynamics. The elite CRADLE organization was odd, and rather blunt in its representation of an issue.

The art wasn't bad but played with angles a bit too much, making me feel like Spiderman on the ceiling. I did like how the characters were drawn, with very dynamic action sequences and expressive faces. Even if they did alternate body sizes constantly (without the ability to shape-shift).

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is this just Civil War Lite? Yes, but also no, but mostly yes. See, it really is just another crack at the Super Hero Registration Act, this time limited to people under the age of 21. Which actually should do a lot to change the tone of the debate. There definitely is a big difference between outlawing all supers, like in Civil War, and not letting teenagers fight Galactus, like here. If only more time were spent on those actual issues! Instead, it is full on reeducation camps for captured minors, run by Roxxon, and literally nobody outside this book or books for specifically Champions members cares. This is obviously one of those cases were editorial decisions (sure, do this big story, but it can't affect the Avengers or the X-Men!) have huge ramifications for the story being told. In this case, apparently Peter Parker, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Jennifer Walters, and T'challa saw what was happening and shrugged. Only Cyclops actively interferes, and he's a former Champion. Which makes the genuinely good storytelling elements frustrating: for example, the characters have a spectrum of opinions about the law and how they should respond. It doesn't help that the writing is a little uneven, and while character speeches are great, actual dialog doesn't generally rise above serviceable. I don't hate the concept, but confining it to just a couple of books sabotages it entirely.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very poignant and relevant storyline about youth and what goes on for our young heroes. After a tragedy at school, which leaves Kamala Khan in the hospital, lawmakers meet and decide to pass "Kamala's Law", which states that superheroes have to be 21 or older to be a superhero, unless they get a mentor who must always be with them and be responsible for them. A task force is formed: CRADLE, or Child Hero Reconnaissance and Disruption Law Enforcement, and they have their eyes set on the Champions.
Some are arrested and put into "schools" (which are basically reprogramming camps, that are anti-superhero) and some still try to remain heroes, staying on the run from CRADLE. At one point, even Cyclops and Storm step in and take them to the Marauders boat, claiming Krakoa sovereignty.
At the end, Roxxon is revealed as the power behind the mistreatment at the "schools" and the heroes are set free, with the public backing them. We see Miles and Sam being accepted as interns at Roxxon, so I'll be glad to see what comes up next.
Strong story, good art, great message. Recommend.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fascinating and engaging series. The Champions have quickly become a fan favorite new teen superhero team, and the complex nature of their dynamics has made them a much sought-after hero group. The exploration of the themes this story introduces mirror past stories like Civil War and Civil War II, but add a unique twist. The idea of teen or children superheroes has always been complex, given their age and the understanding of the consequences of their actions. Yet the other side of the coin is the exploration of their rights and the need to address these teens in a non-confrontational way and to ensure they share the same rights as adults, making this such a complex storyline that I loved delving into. Mix that with bright artwork and action-packed storylines and you have a must-read series!

[Christian Zamora-Dahmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. I love the Champions and was really looking forward to this set to finally get to read it.
Still, there were a couple of things that did bug me a bit.
First, the whole school thing was too much the same that happened to the New Warriors, that got started the entire Civil War storyline. With CW being such a relevant story for the Marvel Universe, they could have created something a little different to get things rolling.
Second, was I the only one who got bothered by the whole child abuse thing run by the state? It made me irk in a bad way several times.
Still, I loved seeing some of my favorite characters back, but I have to admit I really needed a background check on some of the Champions members, haha!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh the US government. Dumpster fire in real life and in comic books. This is not new news. I mean seriously a law prohibiting anyone under the age of 21 from being a superhero?! When kids can enlist at 18... Get the fuck out of here. And the fact that Roxxon is still in a position of power especially after the war of the realms.... Adults are fucking delusional. And last time I checked adults fuck up all the time too. Its apart of human nature.

I WANT A SNOWGUARD SOLO RUN!! I WANT AN INUIT SUPERHERO SOLO RUN!! (Ok I'm not a 100% sure she's Inuit but she's definitely Indigenous.)

The comparison of the "re-education center" to the residential "schools" was very poignant.

I didn't like Vision's kids in the Vision comic I read and this comic did nothing to sway my opinion.

[Abigail Pankau · Rating 3 out of 5]

While trying to protect an eco-activist, the Champions fight against a dragon and half of Ms Marvel’s school is destroyed. In the aftermath, a new law is passed which outlaws teenager vigilantes. Now all the teenage heroes have gone into hiding, have been captured for “re-education” camps, or are on the run. They all must grapple with the moral dilemma of whether they should continue to help people, even if it’s illegal.

It’s OK. I read because it tied in with the storyline for Magnificent Ms Marvel, Vol 3. And it’s got some good points and nice big ideas, but I still like more quipping in my teenager superhero comics.

[Katlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

most of my problem with big team books is that there are so many characters, and none of them really get enough time. the only characters i really knew before this were kamala, miles, and riri, but even any of their actual emotional moment are brushed past to make room for the other characters and plot. maybe i would feel differently if this wasn’t my first champions book. or maybe i’m just more of a solo / duo / small team person 🤷🏻‍♀️ (or like medium teams with a long enough series that all the characters have depth, like young avengers or runaways)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Lots of reading + no time review = Knee-jerk reactions!*

I actually really enjoyed this story: Some nice real-world themes that managed to show how two differing sides can both have valid points. The only side "demonized" in this was the corporation who only had their own interests at heart. Even the government had good intentions... but, you know... government and good intentions don't always end well. One more note: I particularly enjoyed Miles Morales' voice.

[Joy ;) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot how much I love the Champions
This comic made me think, reminisce, and laugh. I enjoyed the focus on Miles, Kamala, and Sam, as they are my favorites.
All in all, I was pleased with the gorgeous illustrations, compelling plot line, and smol shots of Sam.
8/10 “man. When you been on the run for weeks… breakfast hits different.”

Also it was so strange to hear the heroes using slang that I use on the regular. I’m used to them being hip with 2016 slang and style.