The West Coast Avengers are back for more fun in the sun with the latest version of the team and the comic to come out of Marvel Comics. This time, writer Gerry Duggan teams with artist Danny Kim, colorist Arthur Hesli, and letter Joe Caramagna. The debut issue leans into the West Coast Avengers’ reputation for being Earth’s Mightiest B-Team which, when paired with some old-school visual charm and a confounding mystery surrounding the group’s least likely team member, makes an endearing introduction that’ll likely have readers coming back for the second installment and then some.
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West Coast Avengers sees Tony Stark again bankrolling a team of Avengers, though this time his bank account is not as bottomless as it once was. As such, he’s running around in his Silver Centurion armor from the 1980s, at times with external power sources clinging to the side, which is about as perfect a symbol for the new West Coast Avengers team’s whole vibe as can be. Tony’s pal War Machine is backing him on this venture, along with Spider-Woman and two villains looking for redemption: Blue Bolt and Ultron.
Yes, Ultron. There are multiple mysteries surrounding Ultron’s inclusion in the team which the creators seem intent on keeping close to the vest for now. That’s a little bit frustrating since the beginning of Ultron’s path to redemption gave Tony the idea to bring back the West Coast Avengers team, which leaves readers somewhat in the dark about the mission statement. That said, Ultron’s muted demeanor and straight-man role make him an interesting addition to the personality dynamics.
But the themes are a bit more clear. Redemption and the different ways to pursue it are front and center. Outside of whatever happened with Ultron, Tony’s search for redemption in the aftermath of the Fall of X, with the Stark Sentinels and his marriage to Emma Frost, is projected outward into the new Avengers squad. Tony then chooses Rhodey for reliable support and Spider-Woman because her past is almost as checkered as his own (not to mention, she’s local). And then there’s the Avengers prisoner rehabilitation program that drafts Blue Bolt on the team.
The raucous energy in the narrative and the ragtag group of characters with dubious pasts feel reminiscent of Duggan’s early days on the X-Men line writing Marauders. This may play to his strength as the light, borderline irreverent humor he peppers into his stories feels more natural coming from a team of primarily disreputable second-stringers than big guns dealing with world-threatening events.
The visuals add to that charm, and something in the layouts and the compositions harkens back to the superhero comics of the 1970s and 1980s, eschewing overlapping panels and widescreen aesthetic for something cleaner and more straightforward but not less powerful. It’s dynamic, but the dynamism is drawn more from the positioning of the characters, and the pop of the colors than from scale or an oppressive sense of realism. Those colors are primarily warm with a soft texturing and just enough sheen to suggest the sunbaked plasticity the West Coast has garnered a reputation for. The characters are expressive, their body language suggesting they’re having fun even in unfun situations, though some instances of awkward perspective distract from the overall effect.ย
The West Coast Avengers are back and ready for a lighthearted superhero adventure. Duggan is showing all of his strengths with this debut and the artwork couldn’t be better suited to the title’s tone. Any readers looking for a superhero title with a fun atmosphere less likely to get tangled up in universe-altering events every second issue will likely find West Coast Avengers a delight.
Published by Marvel Comics
On November 27, 2024
Written by Gerry Duggan
Art by Danny Kim
Colors by Arthur Hesli
Letters by Joe Caramagna
Cover by Ben Harvey
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Image Credit: Marvel Studios
