Credits

• Writer: Allen Heinberg
• Art: Jim Cheung

Secret Identities, part 2

While the Young Avengers fight Mr. Hyde, Captain America confronts Eli Bradley's grandmother, Faith. Captain America learns that Eli's mother and brothers have moved to Scottsdale and that Eli is finishing up at the Bronx Science Academy. However, what Cap learns is that Eli never was in a fight and that his powers aren't from a blood transfusion from his grandfather.

We turn back to the fight with Mr. Hyde who is holding Kate Bishop hostage until Eli pumped full of the drug MGH takes him one on one. During all of this Jessica Jones confronts Cassie's mother, Peggy who tells Jessica she fears for her daughter because of her former heart condition and that her new husband hates super heroes. They have little time to talk when the Avengers have to rush to the Young Avengers aid. Patriot still on MGH decides there is only one way to stop Mr. Hyde and pumps a full syringe of MGH into Hyde, which causes him to OD and collapses on the ground. When Eli tries to run, Wiccan uses his powers to stop him.

Eli then wakes up in Avengers' Tower to see the Vision over him who tells him he has removed all the MGH from his system. We also find out while the Vision lacks his original experiences, the memories and experiences of Iron Lad are now a part of him. Not long after the Young Avengers are told that the Avengers told their parents about them and while Cassie takes it pretty hard, Eli finally reveals the truth of his origin. When Iron Lad first showed up he was looking for his cousin, Josiah better known as Justice II but since Josiah has been missing, Eli took his place and used MGH to give him super soldier powers like Captain America. Eli reveals he became Patriot to be a hero like his grandfather and cousin but since Captain America won't help him now, he decides to quit the Young Avengers.

While a good portion of this issue is a super hero battle with the villain, Allan Heinberg does a nice job inserting the character moments in this story. The parts between Captain America and Faith are very nice and so are the scenes with Jessica Jones and Peggy Lang. You get to see who the Young Avengers are effecting their home life but directly and indirectly. It makes for some great drama but Patriot is the true star of this issue.

The focus on Patriot and his drive to want to be a hero is so heart-breaking, and at the end, you can understand while Eli just calls it quits. Andre DiVito continues to bring home the beauty on this book. The fight scenes with Mr. Hyde are great both in the sheer destruction and Patriot's drive to take him down. The emotional moments are well done too the scene at the end with Eli is very heart breaking. We get delays with this book of late but man when the issue comes out it really delivers. This is one of the best books at Marvel right now.

--Ryan Read