West Coast Avengers #8 // Review
There’s no rest for the wicked, goes the ancient adage. There’s no rest for the heroes either. The newest issue of West Coast Avengers takes a peek at what our new heroes might do for a day off, before launching them into a new adventure that might mean life and death for the entire world if they can bother to listen to Noh-Varr’s ramblings, anyhow.
Kelly Thompson once again has the reins on this issue as writer, with Gang Hyuk Lim as the sole artist. Joe Caramagna also returns on letters.
It’s a delightful California day, with the story peeking in on the Avengers of the West Coast trying to relax and have a good day off. Gwen Poole plays with newfound team mascot and newest adorable thing in the Marvel Universe, Jeff the Landshark. America has a make-up date with her new girlfriend Ramone Watts, and Noh-Varr somehow sends Kate Bishop into a conspiracy coma with his ramblings. However, his insane blather might be onto something. The Temple of the Shifting Sun certainly sounds suspicious, and they have ties to Madame Masque. Throwing caution to the wind, the Avengers decide to investigate. Nothing possibly could go wrong.
Once again, Kelly Thompson does wonders with words. The entire cast has at least one good line or moment in the book, with no one feeling out of character or even left out. While the team never shies away from the action, Thompson shows their strength lies in their camaraderie with one another, or at least their mutual love of making fun of one another. Gwen and Quentin once again steal the show with some beautiful chemistry, at least when Jeff the Baby Landshark isn’t on the panel.
West Coast Avengers could be done with stick figures and still be entertaining. Lucky for the reader, Gang Huyk Lim does a masterful job on pencils, inks, and colors. There isn’t a single page that doesn’t pop in some respect, be it when Gwenpool is playing with Jeff the Landshark, or when Noh-Varr puts Kate Bishop to sleep with his conspiracy theories. Facial expressions are exaggerated, but in a way that looks anatomically correct and accurate to the characters. Body language is impeccable and oozes personality and charm for everyone. Honestly, this is one of the best-looking books out this week, at least from Marvel.
The Avengers of the West Coast may be a team of utter goofballs, but they’re a team with heart. It’s a beautiful rush not to have to read about the end of the world each week and to have characters grow in ways that won’t be ignored by a solo book coming out that same week. Once again, WCA remains one of the best books in Marvel’s library. You need to check it out, and this would be a great place to start for a new reader.
