New Champions #6 Review

 

Writer: Steve Foxe

Artist: Ruairí Coleman

Colorist: Arthur Hesli

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artists: Gleb Melnikov & Arthur Hesli; Edwin Galmon & Andrew Dalhouse; Meghan Hetrick

Graphic Designer: Kat Walkington

Editors: Sidney Stubbs, Alanna Smith & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 11, 2025

 

While Hellrune tries to reclaim her family’s magical heritage, Amaranth wields magic on behalf of the team. The Scarlet Witch’s former apprentice suggests they would be more effective if everyone had a basic understanding of magic. While showing them how to view potential threats, the team sees Monte fighting a Human-sized frog. Fantasma transports them to Monte’s aid, and Amaranth bespells the amphibian aggressor.

 

After Cadet Marvel demonstrates that magic is only one solution to any problem, the kids notice Liberty and Monte have vanished. Can the team find their team leader and the street magician? Let's hitch a ride with Fantasma through a Hell Portal, leap into New Champions #6, and find out!

 

Story

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is recognize you need help. In Liberty's absence, Cadet Marvel emails the Avengers. Still, he's surprised when Captain Marvel appears. Carol Danvers knew his mother from when they served together in Alpha Flight. She agrees to help the young man who pays her homage by protecting San Francisco.

 

But in New Champions #6, it's the Avengers who honor Liberty by convening in her parents' house. As they learn about this young lady who builds Hard Light devices and vehicles, the Avengers comfort her worried parents. Without Monte and Magnetrix manipulating their emotions, the New Champions get on better with the Avengers than with Nova, Ms Marvel, and the more established Champions team. But they realize they need to be prepared for a battle, as Monte has used magic to shield Liberty's distinctive energy signature.

 

When the Scarlet Witch and Amaranth transport the Avengers and New Champions to New York, they discover Magnetrix draining Liberty of her energy. With Monte questioning her actions, Magnetrix secures help to prevent the heroes from disrupting her plans. As with Jeph Loeb's Nova series, Steve Foxe's story lets the New Champions work with and measure themselves against their heroes. Most of the Avengers are happy to pay it forward and help fight Monte and Magnetrix. But, like Spider-Man mentoring Spider-Boy, one adult hero worries about how power can transform our character in New Champions #6.

 

 

 

Art

Cadet Marvel evokes a young Steve Rogers dressed in a red T-shirt, blue pants, and a brown leather jacket. Like him, Captain Marvel brings flowers to his mother's grave. But she wears her uniform. Her scowl suggests her displeasure at adopting her name without permission. Inside a graffiti-adorned building, Liberty strains at the magic binding her to Magnetrix’s adjustable office chair. The silhouette behind Monte, suggestive of his shadow, hints at his concerns over authenticity in New Champions #6.

 

Ruairí Coleman shows the heroes and villains preparing for their battle with separate double-page horizontal layouts. Arthur Hesli also suggests similarities by coloring Scarlet Witch and Amaranth's magic the same pink and purple as Magnetrix’s uniform. When Monte's master summons a purplish-white orb, the yellow, pink, and white lights fade from the skyline. Thankfully, white stars still shine in the blue sky, and no vampires fill the streets of New York. 

 

Travis Lanham conjures uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons. The letters grow bold for inflection, swell for volume, and rarely shrink. Iron Man and Vision both utilize yellow balloons, while white letters in blue balloons deliver Fantasma’s dialogue. Larger lowercase white letters with red borders locate us in time and space. Sound effects accompany Storm’s displeasure and Magnetrix emulating Palpatine. The draftee to the “Brotherhood of Disgruntled Hydra Agents” delivers a series of noisy attacks, while a low buzzing signals a cry for help in New Champions #6. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

When you realize people have taken advantage of you, it changes you. Like Moon Squire, Liberty uses the power Hydra gave her to help and support others. Other team members with less supportive families have struggled with their commitment to protect and serve their communities. In New Champions #6, Liberty gains insight into why Magnetrix chose to walk a different path.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.