Taking LifeEasy, and the West Coast Avengers

Alistair Baptista
Sep 3, 2018 · 3 min read

What’s the appropriate amount of danger for a superhero team to face? If you’re like seasoned writer Kelly Thompson the stakes should definitely be proportionate to the protagonist’s power and capabilities. This is why West Coast Avengers is such a lolfest.

Yup, we know that feel.

As my own professional proofreader, I’m not convinced that my opening paragraph seems like I’m tearing up Thompson’s debut issue, but we both know that my cynical days are forever either behind me, or forever yet to come. West Coast Avengers has the laid back, comedic feel of most California-themed stories and pop culture, especially with the palm trees and the vibrant, cooler colours from cover to cover. Stefano Caselli and Triona Farrell are on point with their art game in this comic, and I think when I revisit this comic sometime in the future I’ll remind myself to keep my 3D glasses handy. So, this is clearly one of those times when you judge a book by its cover, or at least gauge what the subject matter might lean towards….fun, light stuff.

Seeing as it’s a Hawkeye-centric comic, you pretty much know what to expect, the smart quips back and forth between Kate and Clint but now with added doses of Gwenpool. Thompson’s clever use of pacing and time-shifts are handled masterfully, and it feels like watching a superhero film, or a TV adaptation of this comic wouldn’t be too weird at this point in human history. That being said, this is a book that borrows liberally from life, with basic and pragmatic ideas peppered throughout. We don’t get cosmic stakes or anything like that here. Instead we are given somewhat simpler, if more incredible, antagonists in the land sharks, giant-sized Tigra poised to attack the beach, as well as things like the tedium of the hiring process and the hassle of needing real-world money to facilitate dreams.

Sure, sculpted D’Angelos are lush, but dat hedsize tho?

I know, I know, the experienced reader in you was convinced that they introduced Fuse and set him up as Kate’s boyfriend just to probably kill him off and set off Kate’s dark side in what’s otherwise a light-hearted goofy and sunny comic book. But that’s where we were both wrong. Personally, West Coast Avengers was a decent introduction to characters I was only familiar with because of the Lego Marvel video games, such as America Chavez and Tigra, as well as Kid Omega, who I’ve never heard of before. Thompson’s discreet script was the perfect approach, especially considering how muddy and repetitive a team-up script could easily become in experienced hands. She even had time for literary foreshadowing with Gwenpool’s Modok reference.

West Coast Avengers will have its detractors, but only because you can’t please everyone. People who like their comics light and summery, and are fine to just waft along without caring too much about the weight of the soul stone, would do well to take a hit of this joint right here, and pass it to the left.

Alistair Baptista

Written by

Free, radical, free radical, gun-for-hire, rebel scum and wordplay enthusiast. Terrible at writing bios under duress. Make(,) Love, raise hell. Paz.

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