West Coast Avengers #1 sports a high concept: Iron Man and War Machine put together a team of “work release Avengers,” i.e. villains they’re hoping to redeem so they have to fight less folks in the future. But it also carries a long legacy of the beloved original title, which has run in various iterations since 1984. So given these two big elements, how does the new Marvel title work?
Pretty well, with a bit of “wait and see.” This is essentially an extension of Gerry Duggan’s run on Iron Man, down to the narration from Tony Stark throughout that seems to be written from some point in the future. And there’s plenty of mystery and conflict set up in the first issue, particularly surrounding Ultron, the villainous robot who is now helping out the Avengers for unknown reasons. Along for the ride are also a new former villain named Blue Bolt, Spider-Woman (because she’s a former villain), and there’s a tease in the first issue that Firestar is not doing great after her experiences with the X-Men.
What this issue effectively captures is the soap opera/dysfunctional heroes bent of the classic West Coast Avengers, which was a counterpoint to the “let’s go save the world!” ethos of the main team. The characters were flawed, and some of the most lauded storylines involved the team causing their own problems, whether through romantic entanglements or otherwise. While it’s still early going there — Tony hasn’t made out with Ultron… Yet — it seems like the setup is on the table if the title wants to go in that direction.
What is a little shakier is the team lineup. First, there’s a lot of armored individuals, including Iron Man and War Machine, and at least one Ultron. Spider-Woman doesn’t really want to be there. And Blue Bolt is a question mark, as a new character. While the point of the issue is that they’re not gelling as a team, it’s tough to tell what this team could be based on the first 20ish pages. It’s mostly an Iron Man book, with some extra cast members.
That said? Duggan knows how to write an Iron Man book, and there’s plenty of fun to be had with classic armor, and bringing the pain to “America first!” baddies. There’s also a bigger conflict brewing in the background that should be intriguing to follow. Overall, there’s promise here — particularly given the thematic resonances to the classic “Demon in a Bottle” storyline… Tony is always trying to fix himself; can he fix others, or will he break them too?
West Coast Avengers #1 Rating:
West Coast Avengers #1 Official Synopsis:
ULTRON RETURNS…REDEEMED? Iron Man and War Machine have put together a new team of Avengers – one that includes villains seeking a path to redemption. Their case study? Ultron – who, against all odds, seems to be walking the straight and narrow…for now. But does the success of one guarantee the success of all? Spider-Woman and Firestar have their doubts. And can any amount of heroics really absolve Ultron of his past?
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