The worlds of DC and Marvel have been through a lot in the past year, with both universes making way for the next generation of heroes. While they might not be ready to take over for their mentors quite yet, they are all working tirelessly to live up to the legacies they're set to take over, and little to nothing could keep them from making serious waves in the process.
With so many young heroes gearing up to take their respective worlds by storm, we're taking a closer look at the new classes of junior superheroes in the Marvel and DC Universes.
Coming hot off the tail of Future State: Teen Titans, Tim Sheridan and Raga Sandoval's Teen Titans Academy shines a spotlight on everything that led up to the tragedy that set the stage for the previous series. The classic Titans lineup that fans have come to know and love is back in action, though this time they're playing mentor to the next generation of Teen Titans. While the fate of many of the students might already be known to readers, nothing is ever set in stone, leaving plenty of room for the likes of Billy Batson, Red X, and Stitch to try and shape their own futures outside of what destiny may think it has in store for them.
The Marvel Universe is no stranger to dark and demonic forces. As those powers have ramped up to a dangerous degree, the protectors of the Marvel Universe prepare their own side of the battlein Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos' Strange Academy. Thankfully, Doctor Strange has done just that by founding the Strange Academy, a place for the next generation of Masters of the Mystic Arts to gather together and hone their skills. The student body is an eclectic bunch comprised of humans, Asgardians, and even the heir to the Dark Dimension, all living together as harmoniously as possible while navigating dangerous supernatural forces. With foreboding prophecies already partly fulfilled, it might not seem like there is much that a group of kids can do in the face of ancient evils. Then again, these aren't any ordinary kids.
Featuring a lineup that is an erstatz reflection of a classic X-Men team, Vita Ayala and Bernard Chang's Children of the Atom #1 introduced the next generation of Marvel's mutants. Cyclops-Lass is ready to lead her teammates Gimmick, Marvel Guy, Cherub and Daycrawler into whatever dangers they may face, even if they aren't quite sure what those are going to look like yet. Luckily, veteran mutants like Pixie are there to help them along the way. Although, with the stacked roster being what it is, they might not need that much help.
The New Mutants have been around for a very long time, and over the course of the past few decades, they have seen and done it all. This puts them in the perfect position to train Krakoa's other squad of young mutants for the future, a group that includes new and familiar faces like Anole, Cosmar and No-Girl. Along with some change in faces and powers comes a shift in tone as well, and so far, Vita Ayala and Rod Reis' New Mutants has kept things consistently dark, especially with the Shadow King leading these young mutants down a dangerous path.
Ever since the introduction of Kamala's Law in the Marvel Universe, The Champions have been running from a government organization that would see them jailed for using their powers to fight crime in Eve Ewing and Bob Quinn's ongoing series. With C.R.A.D.L.E. following their every move, these young heroes have been looking over their shoulders almost constantly. Thankfully, there are some veteran heroes still on their side. They aren't all experienced, and they certainly don't know what exactly they're doing, but they have the best of intentions and little chance of slowing down. Now that they're headed to war with Roxxon, one of the oldest and most famous dastardly organizations in Marvel history, there is no telling just how bad things will get. With any luck, these young heroes will be able to walk out the other side of their upcoming battle unscathed.
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