West Coast Avengers No. 8 review: Marvel Boy and the Shifting Sun Cult
By Alex Widen
Marvel Boy drops a mission into his ex’s lap! Can he, or it, be trusted?
West Coast Avengers No. 8
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Gang Hyuk Lim
Cover Artist: Eduard Petrovich
The newest incarnation of the West Coast Avengers, led by Kate Bishop (Hawkeye) and original founding member Clint Barton (also Hawkeye), have eked out at least three victories in their short existence. They’ve saved California from MODOK’s monsters, from a villain literally named after gridlock, and escaped death from Madame Masque’s new Masters of Evil. The eclectic collection of Kate’s friends, lovers, and allies, paired with random vigilantes out of nowhere, are starting to become a cohesive unit. At least for the moment.
Image by Marvel Comics
One of the latter group is Gwenpool, who along with Kid Omega, is mostly there to fill the numbers. The fourth wall-breaking heroine, who literally emerged from an editorial attempt to combine Gwen Stacy and Deadpool, finds herself being chased by a creature. Fortunately, it’s her latest pet, Jeff. One of MODOK’s mutates “land-sharks,” Gwen has named it Jeff and taken a shining to it. Meanwhile, Kate’s two best friends “Miss” America Chavez and Ramone Watts are actively dating, while discussing their roles within Kate’s team.
Image by Marvel Comics
Kate Would Have Preferred Eli Bradly Had Dropped In!
During their last mission, it turned out that Kate Bishop’s former Young Avengers comrade and obnoxious ex-boyfriend Noh-Varr/Marvel Boy was impersonating Graviton. Marvel Boy immediately took the opportunity to kick Kate in the head, then all but defeat Masque’s team single-handedly for her. Ever since, Marvel Boy has insisted that he’s actually been tracking a cult made up of invading Skrull aliens called “the Temple of the Shifting Sun” and insists it’s important.
Image by Marvel Comics
To say that Kate and the rest of her team are skeptical is an understatement. Their team once played host to MODOK, who had transformed himself into the dashing hunk “BRODOK,” and even he may have annoyed them less! While Marvel Boy may hail from a parallel dimension, he is one of the Kree, and they’re all but predisposed to have a bias against Skrulls. Yet when Noh-Varr mentions that the group is behind a series of abductions, even Clint agrees it is time to act.
Image by Marvel Comics
At that point, Kate starts out with those classic team decisions that are both the best and worst for a team leader to do — split up the squad! Posing as a celebrity and his entourage, Clint and most of the team, including Marvel Boy and Kate’s disturbed boyfriend Fuse/Johnny Watts, will infiltrate the temple. Meanwhile, Kid Omega and Gwenpool will keep tabs on Madame Masque’s organization, since she supposedly has ties with this group. Plus, she’s behind the fate of Bishop’s presumably resurrected mother.
Image by Marvel Comics
Who Knew Villains, or Anyone, Watched Jimmy Kimmel?
At first, Quentin Quire is annoyed. The top class psychic considers himself the heavy hitter of the team, even more so than Chavez is. Yet as Gwen proudly reminds him, it’s a chance to hang out with her more, as well as technically “lead” his own squad. The pair quickly steal the costumes of two of Masque’s minions, but their stealth skills leave little to be desired. Quentin’s pink hair and Gwen’s manic personality expose their ruse almost by the time they enter a hallway!
Image by Marvel Comics
In fairness, Kate’s team doesn’t do much better within the “Temple of the Shifting Sun.” Marvel Boy’s hi-tech “image inducer” allows Clint to assume the form of California’s resident superhero, Wonder Man. Yet the rest of the team are merely his entourage, who are immediately separated from him and forced to don dull food server style uniforms. The cult’s presumed leader, Chad, immediately leads them into a “torture room” in which there is no escape.
Image by Marvel Comics
This is an incredibly obvious blunder for Kate, and in fairness, Chad the cult leader calls her on it. He states that they were recognized immediately, and there’s good reason for that. The West Coast Avengers, most of whom wear no disguises beyond sunglasses, all appeared on the nationally syndicated Jimmy Kimmel Live show! In fairness, Kate has literally been suffering from fatigue and head injuries lately, so perhaps her judgement was a little impulsive at best!
Image by Marvel Comics
The Children of the Night!?
A fight between the Avengers and Chad’s crew of cloaked creeps begins immediately, and Kate finds herself outmatched quickly. She may have combat skills, but without her bow and arrows, her lack of super powers show. Yet even Fuse, Marvel Boy, and Chavez are unable to keep the overwhelming number of grunts down for long! Noh-Varr tosses Kate an item that was once his gift to her while they dated — a Kree technology version of her bow and arrow, with energy rounds!
Image by Marvel Comics
Yet not even energy bolts raining down from on high can stop Chad’s creeps for long. As the fight progresses, the team learns two things. At the very least, Marvel Boy’s hyperbole about a global invasion turned out to be wrong, as there are no Skrulls there. Unfortunately, the reality isn’t much better — the cult is full of vampires! This may seem like a random twist, but it’s actually a sense of Kelly Thompson using some previous Marvel continuity well as well as come clever foreshadowing!
Image by Marvel Comics
“Curse of the Mutants” was a story which ran through the main X-Men book (as well as in Namor: The First Mutant, Deadpool, and a few one-shots) from 2010-2011. It featured the X-Men, who at the time were based off the coast of San Francisco, and involved Dracula’s son Xarus leading an invasion of the undead as a new “lord of the vampires.” It was in this story where Jubilee became a vampire. Marvel Boy’s t-shirt even alluded to that, as a brilliant hint which was in plain sight for two issues! It makes perfect sense for clans of vampires to still be stirring up trouble in the area.
Image by Marvel Comics
The Cast Is Key! As It Should Be!
As usual, Kelly Thompson puts together a fun and fast paced team book which amply mixes drama with comedy. Even her seemingly random assemblage of the Avengers has begun to make sense. Quentin are Gwen are the two random figures out of nowhere, but each of them know it, and it causes them to gravitate towards each other. The rest of the cast all gravitate around Kate and aid her in following up her own subplots while furthering their own. Every story needs a centerpiece, and Thompson’s had the perfect voice for Kate Bishop for two years now.
Image by Marvel Comics
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The rest of the characters get their chance to develop, even though Kate is clearly the star. Miss America is at times frustrated that Kate is taking her for granted as the team’s muscle, while Ramone is aware of how “over her head” Kate is with the team. Fuse, who is clearly the rookie of the bunch, has to juggle his sister’s fears for his safety with his newfound doubts of measuring up to Marvel Boy. Clint gives Kate a lot of leeway to lead, but could that be a mistake for a veteran? And both Kid Omega and Gwenpool are fully embodying the “Belligerent Sexual Tension” trope.
Image by Marvel Comics
The “reality TV” segments are rare, but seem to exist to provide an excuse to look into a character’s innermost thoughts for a panel or two. They’re also wisely positioned to break up tension here and there. It’s a common trope — many sitcoms have enjoyed this similar tactic of allowing the characters to literally state their feelings to the camera per an interview or narration — but it is often used for a reason. As usual, Miss America and Gwenpool get the best lines in these bits.
Image by Marvel Comics
Villains, Clones, and Vampires! Oh, My!
The only odd bit is that it seems as if the plots between the vampire cult and Madame Masque are being squished together a tad awkwardly…or conveniently. Comic book solicitations for the month of May are out, and an issue of West Coast Avengers wasn’t among them. It may be possible it’s an off month, which happens with comics from time to time. Or it is possible this could be the series’ last arc, and Thompson has to tie up the plot threads. If so, it will be interesting to see how it sorts out.
Image by Marvel Comics
Gang Hyuk Lim takes over on art and colors for this arc. He’s best known for Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk, but has also done covers and interiors for Tony Stark: Iron Man and Domino recently. His style does reflect an inspiration for many Japanese manga artists, but he also triumphs with facial reactions and body types. He makes Clint and Fuse look a bit more buff than the last two artists, but buff dudes are hardly rare in this genre. Lim excels with the action sequences and earns points for doing so when all of the cast are in alternate costumes! Gwen, in particular, shines here.
Image by Marvel Comics
Next. Marvel Boy Drops in at the Worst Time in No. 7!. dark
While certainly more over he top than Hawkeye was, West Coast Avengers continues to be a creative and fun romp of a superhero title. At its heart, it is about an eclectic collection of costumed vigilantes — some total strangers while others friends and/or lovers — who are trying their best to work together for the greater good (and television). Many superhero books are focused on saving the world or being part of a crossover, while this one focuses on its own space and interrelationships. This is exactly as it should be, and it is worth seeing what the west coast offers with this one!