“West Coast Avengers” #1 picks up where Kelly Thompson left off bringing Kate Bishop and her supporting cast into a team book, with art from Stefano Caselli, and the trappings of a reality TV show. Read on for thoughts on Marvels new, fun team up book, but be warned, as there will be some spoilers.
Written by Kelly Thompson
Illustrated by Stefano Caselli
Colored by Triona Farrell
Lettered by VC’s Joe CaramagnaA NEW ERA DAWNS…AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! HAWKEYE (KATE BISHOP). HAWKEYE (CLINT BARTON). A guy named FUSE. Never have they ever been called “the big three” of…anything. And now here they are, reunited for, okay, well, it’s only the second time ever. Thank god they also brought AMERICA CHAVEZ, GWENPOOL and KID OMEGA. Wait. What? That’s right, it’s the new West Coast Avengers, son. And you better hope they can figure out how to save the world because BIG things are headed for the West Coast.
I must admit, here at the beginning, that I never had the chance to read Kelly Thompson’s run on “Hawkeye.” It’s something that I always meant to read, but never had the chance to check out. Unfortunately, because of folks like me, it was canceled earlier this year. But, with this series here to replace it, I’m happy to report two things. First, this is a series that is fun, funny and worth reading. And two, I now have an uncontrollable need to go back and read Thompson’s previous work with Kate Bishop.
This issue mainly focuses on gathering the team together, featuring a really funny interview sequence, along with a couple of fight scenes. All of this is tied together with a couple of candid camera style interview sequences. Going into this series, the thing I was worried about most were that these sequences would end up being a bit too jokey, or unnecessary. Luckily, they are neither of those things, and the entire reality show idea brings this issue together in a really fun way.
Wacky, low stakes team books are some of the most fun that can be had in comics. These types of series consistently end up being some of my favorite books, though in many cases it can be hard for teams to find the right balance between funny moments, lighthearted action, team dynamics, and still telling some kind of story with at least some stakes. I’m happy to report that “West Coast Avengers” #1 has more than enough of all of those things, all perfectly balanced in proportion to one another.
Much of that is thanks to the work of Stefano Caselli on art. The way that Caselli is able to create comic timing from panel to panel is fantastic. I’m not going to try to argue that darker, more serious comics are in some way easier to draw, but the work that has to go in to making sure that the flow from panel to panel works well with comic timing must be immense. It’s a skill that Caselli has mastered here. The flow from panel to panel, and the comic timing that is created through that makes sure that not only do all the jokes land, it’s one of the funniest books I’ve read this week.
On top of Caselli’s skill in small, comic moments, he does a great job with the action scenes too. His lines are clean and detailed, and the action crisp and easy to follow. Also, he draws one hell of a landshark, which he manages to make both as menacing and ridiculous as they should be. Caselli’s work in this issue, both in the small, funny moments and the bigger action scenes, is enough to recommend this book all on its own.
This is all enhanced by Triona Farrell’s colors. Farrel does a great job of giving the entire book a fun, and very West Coast sensibility, while also bringing a couple of really great, small touches, like the scanlines during documentary scenes. Even the lettering in this issue is a ton of fun. The sound effects of the trick arrows are great, and I want to give special mention to the use of “yoink” as a sound effect, which is something beautiful that deserves to be celebrated.
Continued belowAll of that is attached to Thompson’s story and dialogue, which is its own treat. I said earlier that this issue makes me want to go back and read all of Thompson’s “Hawkeye” run, and the main reason for that is the dynamic that she has captured between the Hawkeyes in this issue. Clint and Kate are two characters that it is just fun to be around. And the dynamic of the rest of the team, with Gwenpool, Quintin Quire and America Chavez, all bounce off each other in a way that is fun, dysfunctional and fantastic.
“West Coast Avengers” #1 is an absolute joyride of a book. It’s all wacky in the best way possible. This is an absolute blast of a book, the whole team working together to create something that is fun and bizarre and exactly the kind of comic I wanted to read this week. If there is one problem with this book, it’s that it’s only started to come out as summer has started to come to an end. This is the perfect summer comic, but hopefully it will also be able to keep me thinking warm, beautiful summer thoughts throughout the winter months to come. If you’re looking for a fun, low stakes book at still has plenty of excitement, “West Coast Avengers” #1 is the perfect choice.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – “West Coast Avengers” #1 is funny, action packed team book that is definitely worth checking out.
