West Coast Avengers, Vol. 2, Issue 72 (July 1991)

WEST COAST CREDITS!

Writer: Roy and Dann Thomas

Penciler: David Ross

Inker: Danny Bulanadi and Tim Dzon

WEST COAST SUMMARY!

The team is split up in three different continents and, unfortunately, Dr. Demonicus is one step ahead of all of them.

WEST COAST THOUGHTS!

Tigra, Wasp and Iron Man are in Japan to meet with Mr. Anami, the head of Hasanuma Electronics, to follow up on a lead. Before they can get any answers, the helicopter scene from Lethal Weapon makes a cameo in the book, and Mr. Anami is shot dead. Tigra jumps out of the window and attacks those in the helicopter. Naturally, the copter spins out of control and it’s up to Iron Man to save the day. Because it would be awful if any of the female characters had an awesome moment that ran more than one panel.

Once on the ground, the team learns that the people on the copter are members of the Yakuza. Iron Man talks about how Tony Stark always suspected that Anami was linked with the Pacific Overlords, and why not the Yakuza? Tigra is curious to know how this Iron Man can be so certain about what Stark knows. At this, Iron Man unmasks himself to reveal that he’s actually Stark. Wasp admits that she, Hank and Hawkeye had already suspected the truth, but Tigra is embarrassed and thinks he had been probably laughing at her the whole time.

THEY’RE ALL GONNA LAUGH AT YOU, TIGRA!

(more…)

West Coast Avengers, Vol. 2, Issue 71 (June 1991)

WEST COAST CREDITS!

Writer: Roy and Dann Thomas

Penciler: David Ross and Tom Morgan

Inker: Danny Bulanadi, Ivy and Hudson

WEST COAST SUMMARY!

The team tries to figure out Dr. Demonicus’ plan. Hawkeye and Spider-Woman find a clue that brings them to Hawaii and face-to-face with Pele and…Sunfire?

WEST COAST THOUGHTS!

The team gets the giant mutated toddler they fought last issue back to their compound and lock him up in a cell. However, his cries are so powerful, they actually throw the team around the room. Iron Man’s magnetized boots allow him to remain unaffected, and poor Wasp almost crashes into a wall before Wonder Man safely catches her.

Wanda comes up with the idea of Tigra jumping into the cell with the toddler and purring in order to calm him down. She’s reluctant to do so, but Iron Man literally throws her into the cell against her will. The toddler grabs her and holds her like a doll until her purrs finally get him to fall asleep. Wanda reveals an old teddy bear her children used to play with. Pym uses his Pym particles to enlarge the bear and they switch Tigra out with the bear.

Just to recap, the West Coast Avengers capture a giant-sized toddler, has Tigra cuddle with the toddler until he falls asleep, and then they switch her with a teddy bear.

Why didn’t anyone ever take this book seriously again? (more…)

West Coast Avengers, Vol. 2, Issue 70 (May 1991)

WEST COAST CREDITS!

Writer: Roy and Dann Thomas

Penciler: Steve Butler

Inker: Danny Bulanadi

WEST COAST SUMMARY!

After Spider-Woman accidentally has a run in with members of the Pacific Overlords, she calls on the West Coast Avengers to attack their secret lair. And while the Pacific Overlords aren’t there, that doesn’t mean that other dangers aren’t awaiting…

WEST COAST THOUGHTS!

We start things off with Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter), having just moved from Denver, hanging out at a pier in Newport Beach. She sees a boat coming in from the ocean without any lights on and she assumes it’s thieves. She witnesses a large man (Jawbreaker) getting off the boat carrying a man over his shoulder. He is accompanied by Kuroko, a woman who can appear invisible. Spider-Woman confronts them and Jawbreaker takes her down pretty easily, punching her so hard she’s thrown into the ocean.

At the West Coast Avengers compound, the first meeting with the new team has just concluded. Hawkeye is annoyed that he’s been put on probation due to his fight with U.S. Agent last issue (West Coast Avengers Vol. 2, #69). Tigra is once again flirting heavily with Iron Man. Wonder Man is sulking. Quicksilver shows up with his bags packed to say goodbye to Wanda. And Hank and Janet can’t wait to switch to reserve status so they can both go their separate ways. (more…)

West Coast Avengers, Vol. 2, Issue 69 (April 1991)

WEST COAST CREDITS!

Writer: Roy and Dann Thomas

Penciler: Paul Ryan

Inker: Danny Bulanadi

WEST COAST SUMMARY!

The fight that’s been a couple of years in the making is finally happening: Hawkeye vs. the U.S. Agent! And while this goes down, the team votes in its seven regular members.

WEST COAST THOUGHTS!

The cover promises a fight and the book delivers one. This is the fight that’s been a long time a coming, ever since U.S. Agent was pushed into the team by the government (issue #45). Roy and Dann Thomas really make the fight count too. By the time it’s over, the book’s status quo will be forever altered. And while the fight is big enough to fill a whole issue, the Thomases play with the story’s chronology to show the team convening to vote in its seven regular members. This is perhaps the issue’s saving grace.

The issue starts off with a battle-armored Hawkeye calling out U.S. Agent near the cliffs of the compound. After a little back-and-forth and some Liefeldian posturing (seriously, Hawkeye’s battle armor would make Cable blush), the two go at it. (more…)

West Coast Avengers, Vol. 2, Issue 68 (March 1991)

WEST COAST CREDITS!

Writer: Roy and Dann Thomas

Penciler: Paul Ryan

Inker: Danny Bulanadi

WEST COAST SUMMARY!

The team learns that Ultron-13 is behind the mystery spray turning humans into andrones. But will they be able to stop him from releasing his robot spray at the Rose Parade?

WEST COAST THOUGHTS!

The issue opens with a splash page of the team crashing into Ultron-13′s secret lair in the Metro Rail tunnel. It’s a strong start, but it poses a serious problem. In fact, I had to make sure I didn’t accidentally skip an issue by mistake, because the last issue ended with the team still unaware of who the bad guy was and where his secret lair was. And now, here we are with the team knowing the who and where. On top of this, there’s absolutely no mention of how they came to connect the dots. Weird. The book has a habit of relying too heavily on coincidences and plot holes, but this one is particularly problematic.

The team takes down a group of silent andrones at Ultron-13′s lair, including a child androne that takes U.S. Agent by surprise by simply speaking. Ultron-13 is no where to be found, of course. And before they can find any clues to his whereabouts, one of the adrones activates the auto-destruct sequence. The team escape from the tunnel just in time, only to be confronted by a police officer trying to write them a ticket (see below). (more…)

West Coast Avengers, Vol. 2, Issue 67 (February 1991)

WEST COAST CREDITS!

Writer: Roy and Dann Thomas

Penciler: Paul Ryan

Inker: Danny Bulanadi

WEST COAST SUMMARY!

Hawkeye, Tigra and Quicksilver are turned into mindless robots.  And Ultron-13 makes a surprising ally.

WEST COAST THOUGHTS!

Ultron-13 reveals his big plan to Hawkeye, Tigra and Quicksilver, who have been captured and are trapped in giant glass tubes. Ultron-13 just doesn’t understand this thing called life, which is why he’s using his robotize spray to turn humans into mindless robots (or “andrones”). Soon there won’t be one “flesh and blood human being left upon the face of the earth!” Ultron-13 then robotizes his three prisoners.

While all of this is going down, the Grim Reaper stumbles upon Ultron-13′s secret lair and hears of the robot’s evil plan. He tries to stop Ultron-13 because a world without human beings would mean death for the Grim Reaper. However, he’s subjected to the mental waves being broadcast from Ultron-13′s artificial brain. Ultron-13 is fascinated by the Grim Reaper’s recent transformation and his scythe. Using his eye beams, he performs surgery on the Grim Reaper and fuses the scythe to his body. This impresses the Grim Reaper and he agrees to work alongside Ultron-13. (more…)

West Coast Avengers, Vol. 2, Issue 66 (January 1991)

WEST COAST CREDITS!

Writer: Roy and Dann Thomas

Penciler: Paul Ryan/Rick Levine

Inker: Danny Bulanadi/Keith Williams

WEST COAST SUMMARY!

After Pym reveals the robot farmers they discovered last issue, he sends the team out to investigate what could be behind it. Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Tigra wander off on their own and accidentally stumble upon Ultron 13′s secret lair. Unfortunately, Ultron 13 is ready for them!

WEST COAST THOUGHTS!

Iron Man and U.S. Agent are at the scene of malathion spraying protest where a helicopter is about to dump a whole bunch of the chemical on the protesters. U.S. Agent resents being at the scene, feeling that they’re all too stupid to get out of the way. Iron Man uses his repulsor rays to stop the spraying, but accidentally puts the helicopter in jeopardy. While he’s rescuing the helicopter, U.S. Agent finds himself in a fight with the protesters. One of them is covered in metallic rashes, and tells U.S. Agent that there have been secret night sprayings, and they’ve caused his unusual skin condition.

When they return to the compound, they discover that Tigra is officially back on the team. And the writers waste no time having her aggressively hit on U.S. Agent. I always assumed that Tigra’s flirtations with men was part of her cat-side taking over, but we learned last week (Avengers Spotlight #38) that Agatha Harkness cured Tigra and this is no longer an issue. Now in the Thomases’ hands, this means that Tigra is naturally this aggressive. Frankly, it’s a characteristic I find troublesome.  (more…)

Avengers Spotlight, Issue 38 (November 1990)

WEST COAST CREDITS!

Writer: Roy and Dann Thomas

Penciler: June Brigman

Inker: Doug Hazlewood

WEST COAST SUMMARY!

Tigra disappeared from the main West Coast Avengers book a while ago after Hank Pym shrunk her, and now readers finally see what she’s been up to all this time.

WEST COAST THOUGHTS!

We’re taking a bit of a detour this week. You see, Tigra returns to West Coast Avengers in issue #66 (we’ll be looking at that next week), but her return to humanity was actually dealt with outside of the series in Avengers Spotlight #38. The events of this issue take place immediately after Scarlet Witch was rescued from Immortus (West Coast Avengers Vol. 2, #62) and while the Avengers are battling Terminus (West Coast Avengers Annual #5).

First off, I need to mention June Brigman’s art. I remember her work on Power Pack back in the day and liking it quite a bit. Her work here is good, but it feels like it belongs in a Vertigo book than a Marvel book. That’s not a complaint though, as it’s a refreshing change of pace from the work I’ve been reading for the last two years recapping these books. (more…)