REVIEW: “The Avant-Guards’ #3

One of the recent comic series that I’ve enjoyed reading is The Avant-Guards. I wouldn’t normally pick up a comic like this and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I skimmed the first few pages at my local comic book store and was immediately hooked on the premise. A fellow contributor, Mateo, reviewed the first two issues of the series, which you can check out here.

The Avant-Guards #3, is published by BOOM! Studios, written by Carly Usdin, illustrated by Noah Hayes, with Rebecca Nalty on colors, and Ed Dukeshire as letterer. Having convinced Charlie to join the Avant-Guards, the season finally begins. The team travels across state for their very first game. They’ve been hard at practice, trying to improve their skills. But will all this practice be enough to help them win the game?

Other than pro wrestling, I don’t tend to read comics that revolve around sports. It’s never been something that’s interested me in any way. However, this comic could very well be the first of many sports comics that I pick up. The way this issue played out, I can tell how passionate the creative team is about the sport and the focus that’s put on the importance on being a team. Adding the practice montage was fantastic since it’s a common trope that many sports films have. I would’ve been surprised if this wasn’t added in one of the issues.

I’m blown away with the representation of the characters in the series. As a person of color, I can definitely appreciate seeing other people of color in comics and not falling under stereotypes. It’s also not afraid to write what seems could be a romance between Charlie and Liv. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where that goes in future issues.

One particular moment in the comic that I really appreciated, and took to heart, was the conversation that Liv and Charlie had on their way to the game. Without getting into spoilers, it focuses a lot on certain aspects of mental health and the struggles of being a college student. I can relate to certain aspects of Charlie’s struggle. This isn’t something I see very often in comic books. Maybe I’m not looking in the right places, but I’d expect a topic like this to be discussed in other forms of literature, not comic books. I’m hoping that more of this is talked about down the line.

This is very quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite series. Everything from the characters to the dialogue has been exceptional from start to finish. Upon finishing the issue, I immediately wished that the next installment would be out already. The series is only three issues in and the fact that it’s making me want more without any major events taking place is incredible.

The Avant-Guards #3 is available now wherever comic books are sold.