Avengers Assembly, a youth book series from author Preeti Chhibber, has been delighting young (and young at heart) Marvel fans for a few years now and the latest entry absolutely fits the bill. Avengers Assembly: X-Change Students 101 is the latest adventure for the students at the Avengers Institute.
Miles, Kamala and Doreen are back for another semester and this time, they get to take a field trip. The students of the Avengers Institute are spending some time at another famous school from the Marvel Universe: Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl and Kid Apocalypse are reunited once again and thrilled to get the opportunity to meet with some of the X-Men. Their itinerary only furthers their excitement once they learn they’ll get to time travel and visit the Savage Land as well as learn from teachers like Beast, Kate Pryde and, yes, even Wolverine.
As is always the case with these books, the standout element is without a doubt the creative storytelling. No two pages are exactly alike. You may be reading a journal entry from Miles or a text conversation from the whole group or even just looking at security camera footage of Gambit taking students on an unsanctioned mission. It’s an incredibly fun way to “read” a story and it keeps you on your toes from page to page.
Of course, the characters are a major highlight as well. These are all beloved characters with long histories but Chhibber has once again managed to make them her own. Young readers can really connect with these versions of the characters they may have already seen in comic books or even on their TV screens. And more avid Marvel fans will also enjoy how true they stay to their original source material.
And speaking of Marvel fans, these books also do a great job of never letting your forget they are in the Marvel Universe. Characters like Carol Danvers, Professor X, Spider-Man (the other Spider-Man) and many other big names are constantly being thrown around but there are also some lesser known elements like the Savage Land and characters like Reptil. The Marvel Universe is in god hands when it comes to this book series.
And finally, another highlight of this series has been the humor. It would be easy for books like this to be very cringey and create some eye-roll moments, but this book doesn’t do that. In fact, I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions while reading. The story never really takes itself too seriously and it works.
Overall, Avengers Assembly: X-Change Students 101 is a lot of fun for Marvel fans of all ages. While it is geared toward a younger audience – reader age 8-12 – it’s funny enough and features enough ties to the larger Marvel Universe to entertain an older audience as well. It’s a great addition to any Marvel collection and only adds to an already fantastic series of books.
You can order Avengers Assembly: X-Change Students 101 here.