The following originally ran in the Weekly Planet 9/22/18.
To be perfectly honest, I love living at a time in comics when a book like this exists.
A bunch of Marvel heroes with cult followings (Cult of Hawkeye, reporting for duty) assembling to form their own Avengers squad: Hawkeye (Kate Bishop). Hawkeye (Clint Barton). Kid Omega (Quentin Quire). America Chavez. Gwenpoole. A guy called Fuse. The West Coast Avengers are back, baby! And the Young Avengers, too, if’n you think about it. If that combination of words doesn’t get you excited I truly do not know how to help you.
A long way back when the Avengers couldn’t agree on how things should be run, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Wonder Man, Vision, and a host of other heroes headed out west to set up their own group. Both coasts need to be protected, after all. The West Coast Avengers were as warm and light on their feet as the cities where they chose to set down roots. And the same is true of their return.
Where the adjectiveless Avengers will deal with the galaxy-spanning threats, the WEST COAST AVENGERS is going to be where all the fun happens. The book will have a mockumentary style a la Parks & Recreation or The Office. In all honesty, that sounds like a joy. A superhero book about fighting giant monsters (I’ve been promised land sharks and a 10,000 foot cheetah-woman) with comedy stylings to boot? Count me all the way in!
The book is written by Kelly Thompson. You know, the Eisner Award nominee. The one who made Jem and the Holograms into a great comic. The one who took a book about Best Hawkeye Kate Bishop running an LA detective agency and made it a major award nominee. The new writer of Jessica Jones! Thompson is one of the sharpest writers in the game right now. She fills all of her comics with wit and pathos. I cannot wait to see what she can do with a big team book like this one.
Art duties go to Stefano Caselli (Champions, Invincible Iron Man). He’s so adept at capturing superhero action and banter in equal measure. His characters move with such kinetics. He can wrangle tricky, busy action and turn into a streamlined thrillride. Caselli’s a cook and his dishes are visual feasts. He’ll ensure WEST COAST AVENGERS is a book where the character comes out on every page.
This week, WEST COAST AVENGERS #1 graces our shelves here at Forbidden Planet. Here’s to a new era for the long-dormant superhero squad. Assemble here at FP for your copy.
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