Comic Book Review: West Coast Avengers #1

West Coast Avengers #1

Marvel Comics

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Artists: Stefano Caselli & Triona Farrell

Kelly Thompson has been on a roll lately. Everything she writes has been exceptional and a critical sensation, so it only makes sense that the expectations are high for her latest endeavor, West Coast Avengers. It is with great joy that I say that Thompson exceeds expectations in every way in this delightful series.

Following a massive land shark attack in LA, Kate Bishop realizes that the West Coast doesn’t have the protection that it deserves. With the help of Clint Barton, Kate puts together a team of misfits to act as the new West Coast Avengers.

Kelly Thompson is no stranger to these characters, having worked on 2016’s Hawkeye and America, and it shows. Fans of her Hawkeye run will be happy to find out that not much has changed, and Kate is still the mess that we all love. As great as Kate is, it’s also just nice to see Clint share the spotlight in this series. Thompson has an excellent grasp of the characters, and their chemistry shows throughout the issue. The team also consists of America Chavez, Gwenpool, and Fuse, and Quintin Quire. Each character is written well and the various interactions and banter are nothing short of hilarious.

Stefano Caselli and Triona Farrell make the book look as great as it is written. West Coast Avengers feels like a “Hawkeye and friends” kind of book, and ever since the Fraction/Aja run of Hawkeye, any series with the Hawkeyes have had a distinct artistic style. While the style has been a superb fit for the characters, it’s nice to see Caselli and Farrell make the characters their own. The penciling is superb, with clean lines and hilarious facial expressions. The action scenes are wonderfully written and drawn, making the battles exciting and easy to follow. Farrell’s colors are bright and vivid and establish the tone of the issue.

West Coast Avengers is one of those comic books that should come to mind when we think about what makes superhero comics so great. It is fun, adventurous, and looks great to boot. Kelly Thompson and Stefano Caselli are a match made in heaven, and this series should be on everyone’s pull list.