West Coast Avengers #1
Written by Kelly Thompson
Art by Stefano Caselli
Colors by Triona Farrell
Lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover by Stefano Caselli and Nolan Woodard
California love. The west coast is getting an Avengers squad with this weeks relaunch of West Coast Avengers #1 by Kelly Thompson and Stefano Caselli. The series kicks off with a strong issue that includes all of the crazy that involves these characters and their exploits as a team. Thompson does a great job of framing this issue to introduce the team and the dynamic.
Picking up where the Hawkeye series left off, Thompson delivers a high energized tone that establishes from the beginning that this is going to be a fun book overall. The established relationships are already there and are translated to this team-up in a very organic fashion. These characters know each other, which is great when readers are trying to get into a book. The readers are being introduced to this new series and having relationships that already exists allows for the book to flow and not be bogged down by introduction. The playful tone that the characters exude works well in this issue, which is evident in the interview process, that includes, and I will just leave this here, a character called The Dutch Oven with bed comforter included, done by Hawkeye, Kate. Yes, the issue also plays into the confusing nature of two Hawkeyes and Thompson handles that beautifully by making the character self-aware of this “problem.” Kate is the leader and Thompson shows her as someone who is struggling to find the balance of being the head of the team. She brings together a team of characters that get their little times to shine but are not fully realized as characters just yet. The teases of each character really pull you in and make sure that this goes on the pull for sure. Both Hawkeyes work inside of this story, Fuse is going to be a great way to look at both sides of Kate’s life, Gwenpool is Gwenpool, and America Chavez is the most interesting of the bunch. America is the no holds barred person who will not take anything from anyone, setting her up to be the brute of the group. These characters are relatable and this issue serves as a great way for long time readers and newcomers to come on board for this new West Coast Avengers book.
Stefano Caselli uses the playfulness of this script to his advantage and draws a really fun book as well. With a realistic style, as realistic as land sharks can get, Caselli conveys the humanity of each of these characters with the facial expressions used to convey emotion throughout. Either the action sequence or the interview scenes are the best part of this issue depending on your tastes as a reader. The action is outlandish and crazy, allowing for the artist to sort of go nuts. The interviews are conceptually done so well that you will want them to keep going and going. Triona Farrell uses bright and vibrant colors to make these images really pop and works wonderfully with the playful tone, as well.
This is a fun comic book. That is it, plain and simple. The action and comedic nature are balanced perfectly, the setting is gorgeous, and the characters are compelling. The energy is high which allows for the book to flow at a rapid pace and gives readers of any age the opportunity to enjoy this issue. This has been high on the cannot wait for it to come out list and the first issue did not disappoint.
Cover: A-
Script: A-
Pencils and Colors: A-
Overall: A-
Heroes At The Summit 