I understand it isn't Engelhart's best work, but some of it is so crazy that I just love it, like the story that was taking place in seven different periods in time simultaneously. And this is from someone who usually hates time travel stories. Heck, I actually find Hank Pym interesting in this book. Granted, Engelhart accomplished that by having Hank almost blow his brains out before he got it together, but still. He couldn't make me like Wonder Man, but he's a writer, not a miracle worker. I'm not a huge fan of Al Milgrom's artwork, because it lacks energy, and Iron Man's helmet looks far too conical to actually fit. Could be worse, though. And some of the characters they dredge up. '60s X-Men enemies, the Griffin, the Voice (and assorted other '60s Ant-Man enemies), Zzzax. Hey, no reason not to use them, right?
Near the end of what I have though, things started to get a bit weird, and not really in a good way. I've got the first 36 issues of West Coast Avengers. According to Engelhart's website, after that he started to get a lot of editorial interference, so it seemed like a good place to stop. Plus he was bringing in Mantis, and I've heard she was kind of his pet character, so even though I've liked her as a supporting character as written by Giffen, or the Abnett/Lanning team, there were no guarantees. So I only grabbed #33-36 at the convention last month, rather than press forward. Based on those issues, that was probably for the best.
Part of the problem is that it's been a while since I've read the earlier issues (at least six, seven months), so I can't recall when Khonshu took control of Moon Knight's body, but that's happening throughout these four issues, which threw me a little. Then in #35, the team's stuck in Doom's castle, though it may be Kristoff that has them (or is it Doom in Kristoff's body?), and Khonshu lets Moon Knight's body get knocked out, then starts wandering the castle until he can confront Doom. They have this odd exchange I can't really follow, no matter how many times I read it. Doom tries to attack Khonshu, and appears to get shocked for the trouble, but proclaims that he's fought gods before, so he's not just going to accept Khonshu's claims of who he is. Then they start the back and forth.
Khonshu: Each of us can prove his identity through the use of his powers! Mine to have the Avengers freed!
Doom: I see. . . I might then surmise that you reside within the body of Moon Knight, spirit? If I free the Avengers, will you ensure they labor in my cause? (Calvin's note: That cause is to eliminate the other Doom).
Khonshu: Beware, Doom! For those who displease me, I demand the strictest judgment!
At that point Doom agrees to free the Avengers, because Khonshu called him Doom, and that means he recognizes he is speaking to the real Doom, and so Doom agrees to play nice. OK, so was Khonshu threatening to demonstrate his powers in a fight, or was him calling Doom "Doom" the demonstration, showing that as a god he can see this person's spirit, even if it's trapped in a child's body? It just confuses me, even though I probably shouldn't get that hung up on it, but it's seems such an awkward conversation, and it is fairly relevant to that issues' progression.
The other thing that kind of got to me was the deterioration of Hawkeye and Mockingbird's relationship. During the time travel arc, during a stopover in Two Gun Kid's time, the Phantom Rider became infatuated with Mockingbird, so just before the team gets set to leave he grabs her and takes off, then drugs her so she'll love him. Yeah, skeevy. Two-Gun Kid and Rawhide Kid go in pursuit, but Mockingbird's loyal to Phantom Rider now, so they're fighting both of them, even though Mockingbird's pretty much more than they can handle. Anyway, she eventually comes to her senses (I think she found one of the heads to Hawkeye's arrows that he'd dropped 100 years in the past, and it jolted her memories) and starts kicking the Rider's butt. She knocks him over a cliff, then chooses not to pull him back and down he falls. Except he doesn't stay gone, and now his ghost is haunting her, plus she hasn't told Hawkeye, as he's gung-ho about no killing when you're Avenger.
Anyway, with the Rider watching in an invisible form, Mockingbird finally spills the beans in #34, while she and some of the others are trapped in a Hungarian prison (which Quicksilver helped set up, 'cause he's gone round the bend, talking about becoming the king of the evil mutants. Whoo.) Scarlet Witch and the Wasp understand how she felt, so they're on her side, and Hank Pym thinks the no killing thing is good, in principle, and that she had valid reasons. The Vision says no husband would be mad that his wife upheld her honor, and Moon Knight, well whether it's Marc Spector or Khonshu, I doubt anyone will be surprised he has no issue with her actions. Odds are, Khonshu was thinking she should have stomped on his hands a bit to speed things along.
Seeing all this love and acceptance really pisses the Rider off, so he goes to find Hawkeye, Wonder Man, and Tigra, who've escaped and are on the loose in the city. We don't know what he told them exactly, except that it wasn't the truth, since Hawkeye (in #35) tells Bobbi the Rider said nothing about any drugging. And because Hawkeye's a meathead (and because Mockingbird kept it a secret for about a dozen issues, causing trust issues when it finally comes out), he believes the Rider. So does Wonder Man, but who gives a crap what he thinks? He's an idiot. Really though, given all the mistakes both Hawkeye and Simon have made in their lives, you think they'd have more compassion and understanding. Hank Pym gets it; why can't they? Then again, Wonder Man's died before, so maybe he's kind of touchy when it comes to death. I guess that could be it.
I did wonder about Tigra's feelings on the whole situation, since we got to see the perspective of everyone else that was on the mission, but not hers (at least not up to the point my collection ends). She heard the Rider's version, so she didn't get the whole story, and she seemed to think the Rider was pretty cool, so she might be on his side. On the other hand, she and Moon Knight/Khonshu were getting along pretty well, so if he told her Mockingbird's side, she'd probably listen to him. And Tigra could be pretty fierce, so she might figure Phantom Rider got off easy.
As for me, I was fine with what Mockingbird did. Phantom Rider did something really wrong, and he took some payback for it. That's how it works in the fictionalized West, right? Bad guy gets his in the end? It just so happens Phantom Rider didn't lose a gunfight on Main Street, he just fell off a cliff. Bobbi demonstrated Batman's philosophy from the end of Batman Begins. I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you, so you're outta luck, and all that. The mistake, as it so often seems to be, was in not being upfront with it. Hawkeye's a hotheaded, impulsive twit sometimes, but he usually comes around (like he must have at some point down the line), and if you tell him right from the start, it probably goes over a lot easier. I know, easier said than done, right?
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6 comments:
When they were coming out, West Coast Avengers was one of the books I read any month (weirdly I din't read any of the Avengers and Fantastic Four which made crossovers confusing).
The early issues I don't remember all that well but the next issues down the line are the ones I remember best. The whole Vision/orignal Human Torch arc, Wanda going significantly crazy for the 1st time (including one of my favorite scenes when she drops a mountain on Wonderman). Of course issue 46 is probably my favorite issue of WCA, which is the introduction of the Great Lakes Avengers, before they just became comic relief.
As for Mockingbird/Hawkeye, as I recall the Phantom Rider incident is the main catalyst for the split between Hawkeye and Mockingbird, but he eventually comes around (of course she may die before he does).
You know, I loved that series when I was a kid, but whenever I come across an issue in my collection (I think I have the whole run through Byrne's stuff), it just looks awful. The art was just terrible.
That said, I'm still holding out hope for an essential collection since I did like it so much when I was a kid.
Also, I can't believe you didn't even mention the awful costume they had saddled Wonder Man with for a good portion of that run. No matter how much you hate the guy, you still have to feel bad for him.
Is Wonder Man still best buddies with the Beast? They used to hang out and go drinking and partying all over town together. I wonder if they even still talk?
seangreyson: The crossing over was always a mixed bag. I liked that it kept the Marvel Universe connected, but it's irritating when a major part of a comic your reading is just ramping up for a conclusion in another book, like the Thing rejecting West Coast membership for some reason, which I think got covered in his book and FF.
Were those issues you mentioned, with crazy Wanda and the Vision/Human Torch the John Byrne run?
jason: You mean that green outfit where his rockets were on his back instead of his hips? Oh, that was terrible! I wonder whether it was meant to be seen as hideous, or whether Milgrom (or whoever designed it) thought it was a good costume and fan reaction led to the switch back.
sallyp: I think so. There was that Wonder Man mini-series, last year I think, where Simon was trying to reform some killer-for-hire, and the Beast showed up to help him out, so I guess they're still on good terms. They just don't get to hang out much since the Avengers and the X-Men each stay off in their own little worlds most of the time these days.
having just checked: Yes, the John Byrne run on WCA is where that stuff is all from.
Ah wikipedia, the font of all wisdom (or at least random bits of comic knowledge). :)
seangreyson: I thought as much, but I wasn't sure where Byrne's run began, though I knew the Wanda flipping out stuff was his. I haven't read much of that run, except for one issue where Immortus is trying to use Wanda to become lord of all time or something, and it backfires on him.
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