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West Coast Avengers (1985-1994) #1-9
Avengers: West Coast Avengers: Family Ties
Hawkeye! His wife, Mockingbird! Wonder Man! Tigra! Iron Man! When the Avengers set up shop in California, there's no shortage of enemies waiting to destroy them--from Kraven the Hunter to Morbius the Living Vampire to a war between Ultrons! Plus: It's the most complicated family tree this side of Cyclops when the Vision marries the Scarlet Witch, and the Grim Reaper wants revenge! Guest-starring Hank Pym, the Wasp and the Thing!
292 pages, Hardcover
First published May 18, 2011
About the author
Steve Englehart
1,392 books100 followersSee also John Harkness.
Steve Englehart went to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After a stint in the Army, he moved to New York and began to write for Marvel Comics. That led to long runs on Captain America, The Hulk, The Avengers, Dr. Strange, and a dozen other titles. Midway through that period he moved to California (where he remains), and met and married his wife Terry.
He was finally hired away from Marvel by DC Comics, to be their lead writer and revamp their core characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern). He did, but he also wrote a solo Batman series (immediately dubbed the "definitive" version) that later became Warner Brothers' first Batman film (the good one).
After that he left comics for a time, traveled in Europe for a year, wrote a novel (The Point Man™), and came back to design video games for Atari (E.T., Garfield). But he still liked comics, so he created Coyote™, which within its first year was rated one of America's ten best series. Other projects he owned (Scorpio Rose™, The Djinn™) were mixed with company series (Green Lantern [with Joe Staton], Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four). Meanwhile, he continued his game design for Activision, Electronic Arts, Sega, and Brøderbund.
And once he and Terry had their two sons, Alex and Eric, he naturally told them stories. Rustle's Christmas Adventure was first devised for them. He went on to add a run of mid-grade books to his bibliography, including the DNAgers™ adventure series, and Countdown to Flight, a biography of the Wright brothers selected by NASA as the basis for their school curriculum on the invention of the airplane.
In 1992 Steve was asked to co-create a comics pantheon called the Ultraverse. One of his contributions, The Night Man, became not only a successful comics series, but also a television show. That led to more Hollywood work, including animated series such as Street Fighter, GI Joe, and Team Atlantis for Disney.
Steve Englehart went to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After a stint in the Army, he moved to New York and began to write for Marvel Comics. That led to long runs on Captain America, The Hulk, The Avengers, Dr. Strange, and a dozen other titles. Midway through that period he moved to California (where he remains), and met and married his wife Terry.
He was finally hired away from Marvel by DC Comics, to be their lead writer and revamp their core characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern). He did, but he also wrote a solo Batman series (immediately dubbed the "definitive" version) that later became Warner Brothers' first Batman film (the good one).
After that he left comics for a time, traveled in Europe for a year, wrote a novel (The Point Man™), and came back to design video games for Atari (E.T., Garfield). But he still liked comics, so he created Coyote™, which within its first year was rated one of America's ten best series. Other projects he owned (Scorpio Rose™, The Djinn™) were mixed with company series (Green Lantern [with Joe Staton], Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four). Meanwhile, he continued his game design for Activision, Electronic Arts, Sega, and Brøderbund.
And once he and Terry had their two sons, Alex and Eric, he naturally told them stories. Rustle's Christmas Adventure was first devised for them. He went on to add a run of mid-grade books to his bibliography, including the DNAgers™ adventure series, and Countdown to Flight, a biography of the Wright brothers selected by NASA as the basis for their school curriculum on the invention of the airplane.
In 1992 Steve was asked to co-create a comics pantheon called the Ultraverse. One of his contributions, The Night Man, became not only a successful comics series, but also a television show. That led to more Hollywood work, including animated series such as Street Fighter, GI Joe, and Team Atlantis for Disney.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 10, 2021
I bought WCA at the time because I bought anything Marvel I could find - this collection ends an issue or two before I started, but Steve Englehart has already firmly established the comic’s mood. And what a strange mood it is - a mix of Hollywood shenanigans, poolside intrigues, and a heavy dose of Englehart’s typical post-hippie mysticism courtesy of the book’s signature villain Master Pandemonium, the dude with demons for arms (and legs). Stoical vet Al Milgrom draws it all in dutiful fashion: to his credit you only actually notice how pedestrian it looks when Kyle Baker drops in for an issue.
Even so this is a heady and unique blend once it starts to come together, though the resulting comics aren’t always actually good. Englehart is one of Marvel’s continuity nerds, with the twist that he’s mostly interested in exploring bits of old continuity mapped out by... Steve Englehart. Chunks of this are drawing on stories that were arcane even in 1985 - stuff from mid-70s issues of Fear, for instance. But those stories - where the comic gets into the origins of the Cat People, for instance - have an energy and enthusiasm entirely missing from run-outs for the likes of the Grim Reaper and Ultron. Englehart very obviously preferred to be writing about demons and weirdos with holes in their chest and supernatural cat sex, and honestly who can blame him?
Even so this is a heady and unique blend once it starts to come together, though the resulting comics aren’t always actually good. Englehart is one of Marvel’s continuity nerds, with the twist that he’s mostly interested in exploring bits of old continuity mapped out by... Steve Englehart. Chunks of this are drawing on stories that were arcane even in 1985 - stuff from mid-70s issues of Fear, for instance. But those stories - where the comic gets into the origins of the Cat People, for instance - have an energy and enthusiasm entirely missing from run-outs for the likes of the Grim Reaper and Ultron. Englehart very obviously preferred to be writing about demons and weirdos with holes in their chest and supernatural cat sex, and honestly who can blame him?
June 5, 2021
tigra do be annoying as Heck ngl
May 1, 2015
The West Coast Avengers kicked off their ongoing title with a four-part crossover with the Vision & the Scarlet Witch limited series. Original Iron Man Tony Stark replaced Jim Rhodes on the team as Wonder Man’s mad brother, the Grim Reaper, returned leading a new Lethal Legion that included Ultron-12, Goliath, Man-Ape, Black Talon and Nekra. After a twisted “family” showdown, Hank Pym raised the eyebrows of his former teammates by offering to run the compound for them, while Tigra struggled with her dual human/cat nature, especially in a fight with Kraven the Hunter. Latina heroine Firebird arrived in pursuit of the mysterious Master Pandemonium. Also on hand was the Thing, who’d just quit the Fantastic Four. Tigra caused waves by getting involved with all the single men on the team. A confrontation with Werewolf led the team to the land of the Cat People, whose king offered to fix Tigra’s conflicted nature if she’d kill Master Pandemonium. Meanwhile, Wonder Man’s public admission of a past misdeed kicked his acting career into high gear. Ultron-12 returned, having “evolved” out of his evil phase, and formed a father-son bond with his creator Hank Pym that was cut short when another version of Ultron emerged and killed Ultron-12. The return of Firebird’s one-time allies The Rangers revealed an unexpected connection to Master Pandemonium.
Writer Steve Englehart was a master at mixing the various superhero and soap opera elements that kept the series engrossing. The various character beats mostly worked, especially Tigra’s anguish and the ascent of Wonder Man. Veteran artists Al Milgrom and Joe Sinnott turned in clean, traditional pages that choreographed the action quite well. It wasn’t quite the flashy style that was developing in that time period, but it got the job done. The entire creative team found ways to make use of the western setting, giving the series a flavor that was distinctive from the parent book. Overall, Avengers: West Coast Avengers: Family Ties is a strong collection that’s recommended, especially for fans interested in an underappreciated chapter of Avengers history.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
Writer Steve Englehart was a master at mixing the various superhero and soap opera elements that kept the series engrossing. The various character beats mostly worked, especially Tigra’s anguish and the ascent of Wonder Man. Veteran artists Al Milgrom and Joe Sinnott turned in clean, traditional pages that choreographed the action quite well. It wasn’t quite the flashy style that was developing in that time period, but it got the job done. The entire creative team found ways to make use of the western setting, giving the series a flavor that was distinctive from the parent book. Overall, Avengers: West Coast Avengers: Family Ties is a strong collection that’s recommended, especially for fans interested in an underappreciated chapter of Avengers history.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
June 7, 2021
Nothing but nostalgic love :D
March 7, 2021
This book certainly grew on me. It was evident that Steve Englehart was way more comfortable writing the West Coast Avengers than he was with The Vision and the Scarlet Witch. Sometimes it’s a corn fest and I irk a bit, but overall it’s just 80s super-hero fun. Some of the characters are real nicely portrayed, like The Thing, and it kept the stories colorful and fun.
It was a nice read. And now I just wonder if I should keep going with the West Coast Avengers or continue catching up with the X-Men...
It was a nice read. And now I just wonder if I should keep going with the West Coast Avengers or continue catching up with the X-Men...
October 17, 2013
The comics from the 80's can be a bit of a slog. There is way too much text. At some points you don't need the art to tell the story. The dialogue and the narrator could absolutely be enough to get you the complete story. Which is not something I'm a fan of. It's rough and not fun for reading.
That being said. The story itself is pretty cool. There are parts that are just annoying but I really love Hawkeye and it's good to see Mockingbird. I want to read more with Wonder Man because he definitely fell out of use in the 2000's, but he's a fun character.
The Tigra storyline is a little obnoxious but she's still an interesting character. At least all of her stories aren't just about who she's banging.
That being said. The story itself is pretty cool. There are parts that are just annoying but I really love Hawkeye and it's good to see Mockingbird. I want to read more with Wonder Man because he definitely fell out of use in the 2000's, but he's a fun character.
The Tigra storyline is a little obnoxious but she's still an interesting character. At least all of her stories aren't just about who she's banging.
January 14, 2022
I liked the idea of a second Avengers team, but man did they let me down here. After a promising miniseries to introduce the idea, this is the first collection of their full-fledged series and it's....stupid. Really really stupid.
Steve Englehart is a furry and the very clear evidence of this is his handling of a previously pretty standard hero named Tigra whom he turns into a overly sexual bikini-clad bimbo here to fulfill his weird fantasies. Want proof Englehart was writing Tigra's character with one hand? He has an issue where she bangs Wonder Man and Hank Pym within a few pages of each other. Then there's Issue #6, where they explore not just how she became a tiger woman, but also the origins of the cat people that turned her into Tigra. It is one of the worst Marvel comics I've ever read. It's garbage poorly contrived fantasy nonsense that barely relates to the Marvel Universe in any way and whoever was approving these stories at the time should be ashamed.
Tigra aside, his handling of the other members of West Coast Avengers (Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Wonder Man, and Iron Man) is so bad. They act like they have maybe 5 brain cells between all of them and make decisions accordingly. Wonder Man spends the first 150 pages of this book feeling guilty that he embezzled money in his early years and is trying to make amends for it and does so by going on TV to admit his crime. For some reason everyone loves this. Hawkeye and Mockingbird are just a bickering married couple who occasionally spend time not fighting. Iron Man walks around in his armor the entire book, even in the mansion, and it makes for some unintentionally hilarious moments like him in full armor telling Hank Pym he banged Janet shortly after their divorce and asks if he's mad at him about it.
It's a huge mess and it's honestly surprising anyone thought this was a good idea.
Steve Englehart is a furry and the very clear evidence of this is his handling of a previously pretty standard hero named Tigra whom he turns into a overly sexual bikini-clad bimbo here to fulfill his weird fantasies. Want proof Englehart was writing Tigra's character with one hand? He has an issue where she bangs Wonder Man and Hank Pym within a few pages of each other. Then there's Issue #6, where they explore not just how she became a tiger woman, but also the origins of the cat people that turned her into Tigra. It is one of the worst Marvel comics I've ever read. It's garbage poorly contrived fantasy nonsense that barely relates to the Marvel Universe in any way and whoever was approving these stories at the time should be ashamed.
Tigra aside, his handling of the other members of West Coast Avengers (Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Wonder Man, and Iron Man) is so bad. They act like they have maybe 5 brain cells between all of them and make decisions accordingly. Wonder Man spends the first 150 pages of this book feeling guilty that he embezzled money in his early years and is trying to make amends for it and does so by going on TV to admit his crime. For some reason everyone loves this. Hawkeye and Mockingbird are just a bickering married couple who occasionally spend time not fighting. Iron Man walks around in his armor the entire book, even in the mansion, and it makes for some unintentionally hilarious moments like him in full armor telling Hank Pym he banged Janet shortly after their divorce and asks if he's mad at him about it.
It's a huge mess and it's honestly surprising anyone thought this was a good idea.
February 1, 2024
Slightly disappointing start to Steve Englehart's run on the West Coast Avengers, especially after how great I thought his 70's work on the Celestial Madonna and Kang War sagas was.
The opening story featuring the Vision and Scarlet Witch is decent enough. I always enjoy the Grim Reaper as a villain. Afterwards, however, it becomes a lot less interesting. Master Pandemonium is a pretty generic adversary, as far as I'm concerned, and the stories with the Cat People and the good Ultron called "Mark" are missing that special spark to make them compelling.
Plus, I really don't think the Thing is a good fit for the Avengers. I have no idea what Englehart was thinking during this period.
The opening story featuring the Vision and Scarlet Witch is decent enough. I always enjoy the Grim Reaper as a villain. Afterwards, however, it becomes a lot less interesting. Master Pandemonium is a pretty generic adversary, as far as I'm concerned, and the stories with the Cat People and the good Ultron called "Mark" are missing that special spark to make them compelling.
Plus, I really don't think the Thing is a good fit for the Avengers. I have no idea what Englehart was thinking during this period.
January 1, 2023
Not many A-listers here...yet, but we get a lot of background on some up and comers. We do get some appearances from Thing, Ultron, and the Avengers proper, but we also learn a lot about Tigra, Firebird, Mockingbird, and Wonder Man. By the end, the team finds their groove. I can't wait until the Master Pandemonium arc comes to a close though.
Great art throughout.
Great art throughout.
January 18, 2021
A fun little volume, but leaving in the kind of big bad that makes these sorts of things pop
November 18, 2023
Nostalgia is a funny thing. If you had asked me how long I read this title prior to reading this hardcover I would have answered “a long time”. The truth of the matter is that I bailed after issue 8 and didn't return until John Byrne took the title over a few years later. What made this title seem so lasting to me was the simple fact that my family was poor and didn't have cable, so I re-read all of these issues countless times back when this series came out. I managed to buy all of these issues off of the stand except for Vision and the Scarlet Witch No. 1 as well as issue 9 of the main title.
This was my first exposure to Engelhart's writing, and it is kind of surprising that they launched this series as part of a crossover with the Vision and the Scarlet Witch mini-series. Issue 1 remains a favorite, as I loved the battle with Ultron-12, Goliath, and the Man-Ape. I must have read that a dozen times in July of 1985 alone.
I love the dynamics of this rag-tag group of heroes. You have Hawkeye, a veteran Avenger, as the leader. I never liked Hawkeye except for when he ran the show in this series. He is normally an insubordinate jerk, but here he tries to be the voice of reason. Mockingbird, his wife, essentially an unknown bit player thrust into the big time. Iron Man, founding member of the original team. Tony Stark had only recently resumed being Iron Man and had an underdog, tarnished reputation aspect to him at this time. I always felt that him belonging to this team was part of his redemption. Wonder Man was always a second stringer but I liked him well enough. And Tigra, who looked cool but was pretty useless as an Avenger. The Thing appeared on the last page of issue 3 and hung around until issue 10. He was kinda sorta not really a member, ditto Firebird, who assisted the team in an unofficial capacity for a while. I enjoyed the loose knit vibe of the team. Having Hank Pym (founding member, formerly Ant-Man/ Giant-Man/ Goliath/ Yellowjacket) aboard in a non-heroic capacity served to spice things up as well.
Englehart brings in an enemy unique to this team in issue 4, Master Pandemonium. He fights the team on and off throughout this book. The search for him ends up leading to a fight with my beloved Werewolf By Night in issue 5. That cover still kills me to this day. I remember how excited I was when I pulled that issue off if the spinner rack back in November of '85. Little did I realize that it was either an homage or a swipe from the cover of Moon Knight #29. I knew nothing of such things at age 12, nor would I have cared. I do miss the no spoiler environment of fandom back then. You almost never knew what a cover would look like, or what the next issue was about aside from a letters page Next Issue hype blurb. There was a lot of joy of discovery back then. Oh well, things have moved on, mostly for the better. This was a very lonely hobby back then.
Issues 5 and 6 also featured a then-cured Dr. Michael Morbius, otherwise known as Morbius the Living Vampire. Issue 6 had artwork by Kyle Baker instead of the regular team of Milgrom and Sinnott. I'm not much of a Baker fan, although I do appreciate his work a helluva lot more now than I did back then. Al Milgrom's artwork is best described as serviceable, but when paired with a heavy handed inker like Sinnott his work really shines.
I enjoy Engelhart's characterizations, especially Tigra. What on the surface seemed like fanboy fantasies with Tigra were in reality foundation building for her losing her soul to her cat side. Her coming on to her teammates was done as a demonstration of her becoming more animal-like...or at least I hope it was. Otherwise, it would be sophomoric.
All in all, this was an entertaining read. It's not quite as good as I remembered it being. In all honesty this was never a favorite title of mine, even back when it was originally published. They are just solid, well done comic books. Not every comic book published has to set the world on fire or redefine the medium as a whole. Sometimes it's fun just to see superheroes save the day and maybe grow a little as characters along the way.
The late, lamented Marvel Premiere Classic line was sort of a junior Masterworks line. Classic material presented in hardcover with nice paper and sewn binding at a much lower MSRP.
This was my first exposure to Engelhart's writing, and it is kind of surprising that they launched this series as part of a crossover with the Vision and the Scarlet Witch mini-series. Issue 1 remains a favorite, as I loved the battle with Ultron-12, Goliath, and the Man-Ape. I must have read that a dozen times in July of 1985 alone.
I love the dynamics of this rag-tag group of heroes. You have Hawkeye, a veteran Avenger, as the leader. I never liked Hawkeye except for when he ran the show in this series. He is normally an insubordinate jerk, but here he tries to be the voice of reason. Mockingbird, his wife, essentially an unknown bit player thrust into the big time. Iron Man, founding member of the original team. Tony Stark had only recently resumed being Iron Man and had an underdog, tarnished reputation aspect to him at this time. I always felt that him belonging to this team was part of his redemption. Wonder Man was always a second stringer but I liked him well enough. And Tigra, who looked cool but was pretty useless as an Avenger. The Thing appeared on the last page of issue 3 and hung around until issue 10. He was kinda sorta not really a member, ditto Firebird, who assisted the team in an unofficial capacity for a while. I enjoyed the loose knit vibe of the team. Having Hank Pym (founding member, formerly Ant-Man/ Giant-Man/ Goliath/ Yellowjacket) aboard in a non-heroic capacity served to spice things up as well.
Englehart brings in an enemy unique to this team in issue 4, Master Pandemonium. He fights the team on and off throughout this book. The search for him ends up leading to a fight with my beloved Werewolf By Night in issue 5. That cover still kills me to this day. I remember how excited I was when I pulled that issue off if the spinner rack back in November of '85. Little did I realize that it was either an homage or a swipe from the cover of Moon Knight #29. I knew nothing of such things at age 12, nor would I have cared. I do miss the no spoiler environment of fandom back then. You almost never knew what a cover would look like, or what the next issue was about aside from a letters page Next Issue hype blurb. There was a lot of joy of discovery back then. Oh well, things have moved on, mostly for the better. This was a very lonely hobby back then.
Issues 5 and 6 also featured a then-cured Dr. Michael Morbius, otherwise known as Morbius the Living Vampire. Issue 6 had artwork by Kyle Baker instead of the regular team of Milgrom and Sinnott. I'm not much of a Baker fan, although I do appreciate his work a helluva lot more now than I did back then. Al Milgrom's artwork is best described as serviceable, but when paired with a heavy handed inker like Sinnott his work really shines.
I enjoy Engelhart's characterizations, especially Tigra. What on the surface seemed like fanboy fantasies with Tigra were in reality foundation building for her losing her soul to her cat side. Her coming on to her teammates was done as a demonstration of her becoming more animal-like...or at least I hope it was. Otherwise, it would be sophomoric.
All in all, this was an entertaining read. It's not quite as good as I remembered it being. In all honesty this was never a favorite title of mine, even back when it was originally published. They are just solid, well done comic books. Not every comic book published has to set the world on fire or redefine the medium as a whole. Sometimes it's fun just to see superheroes save the day and maybe grow a little as characters along the way.
The late, lamented Marvel Premiere Classic line was sort of a junior Masterworks line. Classic material presented in hardcover with nice paper and sewn binding at a much lower MSRP.
June 21, 2016
Reprints West Coast Avengers #1-9 and Vision and the Scarlet Witch (Limited Series 2) #1-2 (October 1985-June 1986). The West Coast Avengers are trying to find their footing and fill out their ranks. As Wonder Man and Vision find a greater link between each other, Tigra struggles with trying to keep her humanity. The return of Ultron could bring about a change for the robot but a hunt for the demonic Master Pandemonium could be the new team of Avengers’ undoing!
Written by Steve Englehart, Avengers: West Coast Avengers—Family Ties features art by Al Milgrom, Richard Howell, and Kyle Baker. The collection follows Avengers: West Coast Avengers—Assemble and collects the beginning of the continuing West Coast Avengers series (following the mini-series) and the first two issues of the twelve issue Vision and the Scarlet Witch limited series.
I started reading comic around the time that West Coast Avengers kicked off. It was a great time in comics that correctly found the balance between fun, art, and story. The West Coast Avengers was the more angst-y version of the Avengers and always my favorite of the two.
Despite most ’80s comics not having big continuing storylines, West Coast Avengers did seem to do a better job of getting multiple stories going within the comic. This series has a lot of stories going on, and in true ’80s fashion, not all of them are solved in the collection (unlike the current popularity of more standalone story arcs). It is kind of refreshing to read a comic that feels like there is a reason to read past six issues.
The other thing that I always liked about the West Coast Avengers is the cast of characters. Hawkeye never was a favorite, but he was tolerable in this series. I liked Wonder Man and Tigra and enjoyed some of the stuff Englehart did with Hank Pym and Firebird. This volume is all about trying to find a new member and having the slighted Firebird (who kind of reminds me of how the Avengers treated Jocasta).
Likewise, the art for the volume is rather standard. This was before the real stylized art of the ’90s and the goal of most artists seemed to be coherent art that matches the story. If one artist left and another took over, you were less likely to realize it. It might not have been dynamic, but it was good.
Rereading these issues makes me miss what has been lost in current comics. There was much more fluidity between teams (like Thing joining the WCA) and at the same time there was a much more structured timeline within the comics. If Thing was in LA, he wasn’t hanging with the Fantastic Four. This continuity has been thrown out the window over the years with Spider-Man and Wolverine being wherever they need to be. I wish we could go back. Avengers: West Coast Avengers—Family Ties was followed by Avengers: West Coast Avengers—Sins of the Past.
Written by Steve Englehart, Avengers: West Coast Avengers—Family Ties features art by Al Milgrom, Richard Howell, and Kyle Baker. The collection follows Avengers: West Coast Avengers—Assemble and collects the beginning of the continuing West Coast Avengers series (following the mini-series) and the first two issues of the twelve issue Vision and the Scarlet Witch limited series.
I started reading comic around the time that West Coast Avengers kicked off. It was a great time in comics that correctly found the balance between fun, art, and story. The West Coast Avengers was the more angst-y version of the Avengers and always my favorite of the two.
Despite most ’80s comics not having big continuing storylines, West Coast Avengers did seem to do a better job of getting multiple stories going within the comic. This series has a lot of stories going on, and in true ’80s fashion, not all of them are solved in the collection (unlike the current popularity of more standalone story arcs). It is kind of refreshing to read a comic that feels like there is a reason to read past six issues.
The other thing that I always liked about the West Coast Avengers is the cast of characters. Hawkeye never was a favorite, but he was tolerable in this series. I liked Wonder Man and Tigra and enjoyed some of the stuff Englehart did with Hank Pym and Firebird. This volume is all about trying to find a new member and having the slighted Firebird (who kind of reminds me of how the Avengers treated Jocasta).
Likewise, the art for the volume is rather standard. This was before the real stylized art of the ’90s and the goal of most artists seemed to be coherent art that matches the story. If one artist left and another took over, you were less likely to realize it. It might not have been dynamic, but it was good.
Rereading these issues makes me miss what has been lost in current comics. There was much more fluidity between teams (like Thing joining the WCA) and at the same time there was a much more structured timeline within the comics. If Thing was in LA, he wasn’t hanging with the Fantastic Four. This continuity has been thrown out the window over the years with Spider-Man and Wolverine being wherever they need to be. I wish we could go back. Avengers: West Coast Avengers—Family Ties was followed by Avengers: West Coast Avengers—Sins of the Past.
June 27, 2016
My tour of the 1980's collections of Marvel comics continues. This volume picks up a few months after West Coast Avengers Assemble. The collection includes West Coast Avengers #1-9 and Vision and Scarlet Witch #1-2.
The core team for these issues is: Hawkeye (chairperson), Mockingbird, Tigra, Wonder Man, and Iron Man.
The collection is titled "Family Ties" and lives up to that moniker. We have married couples (Vision + Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye + Mockingbird), brothers (Wonder Man + Grim Reaper + Vision), Fathers/creators (Hank Pym for Ultron and the Cat People for Tigra), and we even have a hint of a child coming along for the odd couple (Vision and Scarlet Witch).
These familial interactions add a lot of sub-text and plot-spins to an otherwise less-than-stellar beginning to the ongoing West Coast Avengers series.
A lot of the plots from the 4-issue limited series continue here, but some are resolved. Everyone had confidence issues in the limited series. It seems that Hawkeye is over that and has become a 'real' chairperson. Wonder-Man deals with his past secrets and regains his fervor for heroics, Iron Man (James 'Rhodey' Rhodes) gets replaced by the original (Tony Stark). Only Tigra has lingering problems, but the plot includes a quest to fix her problems.
The big question mark through this collection is...who will be the sixth member??? We have guest appearances by Hank Pym, The Thing, Firebird, Vision, and Scarlet Witch. Will any become that final member? We don't finds out until the end of the book.
The final highlight of this collection is the primary villain, Master Pandemonium. His first appearance comes in #4, then his presence and influence seeps through the plot of #5-8, and he reappears in #9. I love a recurring villain that can easily become the team's arch-nemesis.
This ended up being a really fun read. Hawkeye continued to be my favorite character. For Avengers completists...highly recommended!
The core team for these issues is: Hawkeye (chairperson), Mockingbird, Tigra, Wonder Man, and Iron Man.
The collection is titled "Family Ties" and lives up to that moniker. We have married couples (Vision + Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye + Mockingbird), brothers (Wonder Man + Grim Reaper + Vision), Fathers/creators (Hank Pym for Ultron and the Cat People for Tigra), and we even have a hint of a child coming along for the odd couple (Vision and Scarlet Witch).
These familial interactions add a lot of sub-text and plot-spins to an otherwise less-than-stellar beginning to the ongoing West Coast Avengers series.
A lot of the plots from the 4-issue limited series continue here, but some are resolved. Everyone had confidence issues in the limited series. It seems that Hawkeye is over that and has become a 'real' chairperson. Wonder-Man deals with his past secrets and regains his fervor for heroics, Iron Man (James 'Rhodey' Rhodes) gets replaced by the original (Tony Stark). Only Tigra has lingering problems, but the plot includes a quest to fix her problems.
The big question mark through this collection is...who will be the sixth member??? We have guest appearances by Hank Pym, The Thing, Firebird, Vision, and Scarlet Witch. Will any become that final member? We don't finds out until the end of the book.
The final highlight of this collection is the primary villain, Master Pandemonium. His first appearance comes in #4, then his presence and influence seeps through the plot of #5-8, and he reappears in #9. I love a recurring villain that can easily become the team's arch-nemesis.
This ended up being a really fun read. Hawkeye continued to be my favorite character. For Avengers completists...highly recommended!
March 28, 2015
This is just a fun, fun book. There are elements of cheesy eighties writing and wonderfully silly images like the Vision and Scarlet Witch riding in costume in an old jalopy, wondering why they're getting stares from passersby. Ultron 12 is a major character and he starts as a villain, then wants a real father-son relationship with Henry Pym before something tragic happens. The first arc involves the Grim Reaper wanting to exact revenge of Wonder Man and Vision for stealing his brother from him (Wonder Man is actually Simon Williams and the Vision was created using his brain waves) and he enlists the help of Ultron and Nekra (and a couple of other villains) to help. Tigra fights Kraven and has sex with three different males (one is a cat person) and tries to rid herself of her cat nature by killing Master Pandemonium. The interactions among the characters is great and has a real soap opera element to it. The WCA are trying to be as classy as the original Avengers, but they can't seem to get their act together and that's a part of what makes them appealing as a team. Art is not too bad. Milgrom/whoever is doing finishes can't seem to get Iron Man's helmet quite right, so it occasionally looks misshapen. Kyle Baker does the art for issue 6 and it's a nice change of pace.
August 28, 2015
Brothers (1-2). Yeah, this is an '80s comic. It's wordy, it's 4-color. But nonetheless, this is a good one. It's got a heavy focus on characterization not just for the heroes, but for the villains as well. In fact much of this story is about the relationship between Wonder Man, the Vision, and the Grim Reaper. Maybe it'd be done better in a modern book, but this is still a classic. Mind you, this comic still has faults. There's a confusing mishmash of villains, and Ultron is used very poorly. Plus, the dialogue is often over the top. But, it was the '80s! [7/10].
The Rest (3-9)> The rest of the stories in this volume are an interesting mix of character arcs and plot arcs, all mixed together and slowly advancing. And, there's quite a lot to like here, including: a Battle of Ultrons, the return of the Cat People, the introduction of Master Pandemonium, and the usage (and detailing) of both Firebird and the Rangers. My only complaint is the non-conclusion of Pandemonium's story, despite two big fights with him. [6/10]
Overall, this was a superior book for the time period, and still interesting today.
The Rest (3-9)> The rest of the stories in this volume are an interesting mix of character arcs and plot arcs, all mixed together and slowly advancing. And, there's quite a lot to like here, including: a Battle of Ultrons, the return of the Cat People, the introduction of Master Pandemonium, and the usage (and detailing) of both Firebird and the Rangers. My only complaint is the non-conclusion of Pandemonium's story, despite two big fights with him. [6/10]
Overall, this was a superior book for the time period, and still interesting today.
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October 13, 2013The first American comics I read were mid-eighties Marvel, and while I don't recall whether any of them were actually West Coast Avengers, the team were definitely part of the landscape. So this is ultimate comfort reading for me - just seeing the red-and-white Iron Man armour gives me a nostalgic glow. Beyond that, the stories here are really strange - convoluted and soapy, starting to engage with serious issues but not quite having the techniques to do so properly. You'll believe a robot can emote! Meanwhile, Tigra is torn between her two natures - is she feminist, or cat? - and new villain Master Pandemonium is introduced. He has demons for arms. And legs. And a literal hole where his soul used to be (it's star-shaped).
March 3, 2012
Received this collection for my birthday. It immediately took me back to 1985; I was astounded by the number of word balloons, dialogue boxes and overall words per page compared to today's comics. We really had to read back then!
The reads themselves are great! This team is surely finding its footing in these issues and it's good to see the roots of stories that are now being more fully developed in modern books like Avengers Academy.
The reads themselves are great! This team is surely finding its footing in these issues and it's good to see the roots of stories that are now being more fully developed in modern books like Avengers Academy.
May 16, 2017
The writer, Steve Englehart, is a favorite of mine. And while these do not represent his best work at Marvel, this is enjoyable and entertaining.
November 25, 2019
We interviewed Steve Englehart for a special episode of Previously on X-Men.
You can find it here: http://previously-on-x-men.libsyn.com...
You can find it here: http://previously-on-x-men.libsyn.com...
July 23, 2015
Gawd, that was boring. I can't believe I finally finished it. It seems Avengers stories from the 80's don't age as well as X-Men stories from the same era.
October 23, 2015
Je to strašné béčko, je to telenovela a občas je to dost pitomoučké. Přesto mě to šíleně baví a neskutečně si to užívám.
May 24, 2016
Who knew that Grim Reaper was super racist? And the power of TV-body Ultron is amazing!
May 2, 2015
The west coast team faces Ultron and other enemies.
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