West Coast Avengers [2024] #2 - Marvel Comics

WEST COAST AVENGERS No. 2, February 2025

Whilst parts of this twenty-page periodical may strike some within its audience as being a little rough around the edges, Gerry Duggan’s script for Issue Two of “West Coast Avengers” certainly should have held their attention. Indeed, the comic contains a genuinely enthralling mixture of pulse-pounding pugilism and dysfunctional super-team dynamics, as Iron Man’s squad face-off against an international arms smuggling ring and Firestar “officially joins” the "Wackos"; “All right. I admit I have a thing about robots at the moment. But… Why are you trusting Ultron.?!”

Furthermore, the book initially provides Spider-Woman with a significant amount of ‘screentime’, and this really helps sell the covert operative background to Jessica Drew’s colourfully costumed alter-ego, before she then just brutally batters Flag Smasher and his minions aboard Grant Rogers’ re-papered sea vessel. Such an insight proves a great reminder to the reader as to the character’s lengthy background, and also helps inject some humour into the tense situation by showing how grossed out she becomes when the lecherous Blue Bolt pays some interest in her.

Equally as enjoyable however is this book’s much more sedentary second-half, which focuses upon Angelica Jones’ arrival at the Los Angeles Avengers Campus. There’s a very clear suggestion in this publication that all is not what it seems with Tony Stark’s supposed “A-List Hero”, and her extreme overreaction upon first encountering the former, would-be world conqueror Ultron, does not bode well for whichever reformed villain Chris Claremont’s co-creation is meant to be mentoring.

Unfortunately, the same praise can not be heaped upon the interior artwork of this comic due to some occasional, jarringly weak pencilling by Danny Kim. There is no doubt that the illustrator can create some dynamic, adrenalin-fuelled moments with his drawing – such as when Spider-Woman singlehandedly takes down a helicopter crammed full of heavily-armed goons. Yet, every now and then, a panel or two will look disconcertingly amateurish at best, like one picture where an exasperated Stark is shown clasping his hands to the sides of his head. Sadly, such sketches will undoubtedly snatch any perusing bibliophile straight out of the moment, and make them question just how much time the creative team were given before this particular title was thrown together.

The regular cover art of "WEST COAST AVENGERS" #2 by Ben Harvey

West Coast Avengers [2024] #1 - Marvel Comics

WEST COAST AVENGERS No. 1, January 2025

Announced at the 2024 San Diego Comic Con, and promising an “iconic team with a superstar lineup of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including a seemingly redeemed Ultron”, Gerry Duggan’s script for Issue One of “West Coast Avengers” arguably lives up to all its pre-publication hype. In fact, the comic contains a considerable number of intriguing conundrums which should keep its audience well and truly engrossed throughout the ongoing series’ run; “Did you ask me to join because I have a rap sheet?”

Foremost of these hooks has to be the inclusion of Hank Pym’s homicidal robot on the super-team’s roster. Responsible for countless failed attempts to dominate the world, the mass-murdering machine understandably brings an element of menace to every scene in which he appears - including those where he is clearly saving the lives of innocent Californians. So palpable an atmosphere of deadly duplicity should genuinely convince this book’s audience that at any moment the adamantium-bodied artificial intelligence will brutally betray his team-makes, and such unease will arguably make it really difficult for any reader to put this twenty-six page publication down.

In addition, the American author is very good at sowing plenty of discontent and disharmony within the remaining squad members, despite the likes of Iron Man, War Machine, and even Spider-Woman having plenty of experience working with others. Much of this friction is undoubtedly caused by the disagreeably arrogant Blue Bolt, who seems utterly resistant to any other options than just blowing his opponents up with his Electrokinesis. However, Tony Stark too appears to be fighting plenty of other demons himself, as well as rather humorously weighing a couple more pounds than he did when he first donned his Silver Centurion armour.

Disappointingly, what does let this comic down though are some of Danny Kim’s layouts, which whilst being proficiently pencilled overall, also appear a little too rough and ready from time to time. Indeed, a considerable number of the artist’s panels contain little to no background whatsoever, and after a while this frustratingly bland-looking technique unfortunately gives the impression that the illustrator was in some sort of a hurry to get on to the next drawing assignment, rather than provide his audience with an enticing view of events as they unfold.

The regular cover art of "WEST COAST AVENGERS" #1 by Ben Harvey

Doctor Strange [2015] #24 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 24, October 2017

As cataclysmic confrontations between Karl Amadeus Mordo and this comic’s titular character go, Dennis Hopeless’ script for Issue Twenty Four of “Doctor Strange” must have pleased the vast majority of its 28,992 strong audience, with its excellent blend of heart-pumping shenanigans, multi-faceted strategies and dark incantations. Indeed, as conclusions to multi-part storylines go, the Missouri-born’s decision to depict the Sorcerer Supreme utilising his wits as opposed to simply relying upon exotic magical items, not only allows the rest of this book’s supporting cast to share in the ‘limelight’ as they collectively attempt to penetrate the Baron’s formidable protective bubble, but for once shows the Master Of The Mystic Arts relying upon his intimate knowledge of Hydra's “trumped-up pawn” so as to use his arrogant vanity against him; “No one was going to defeat you from the ground. Not while you held the Sanctum. I had to compel you to gather up your mindless beasts and ill-gotten spells -- and leave my house.”

Such a pleasantly surprising plot-twist also results in a far more physically dynamic battle than perhaps this publication’s bibliophiles were ordinarily used to, most notably Spider-Woman’s fantastic flying display behind the cockpit of the Phantom Eagle. Terrifically pencilled and coloured by Niko Henrichon, this “exhilarating… gun run in a zombie airplane with no roof” makes for a thrilling read, with Jessica Drew narrowly evading the tentacles of Mordo’s “great beasties of the Darkforce” and engaging in “a rousing round of hide-and-go death serpent”.

Likewise Benjamin Urich’s phantasmagorical swordplay against a “gangrenous horde” whilst inhabited by a spiritual Light Knight packs the Kansas State University alumnus' narrative full of scything sensationalism as the “investigative journalist for the New York newspaper The Daily Bugle” chops down an “abominable army of rot” with both his “luminous blade light” and bluster. It’s rare to see the chain-smoker portrayed as such an obvious action hero, and Hopeless’ dialogue strongly suggests just how much the reporter is enjoying himself by penning Ben confidently wading into a zombie host alongside a similarly super-powered Wilson Fisk.

Of course, this comic’s arguable highlight however, has to be the Baron’s utter astonishment at having been bested once again by a magician whose modern-day abilities are far inferior to his own. Dethroned by Strange’s astral projection “rope-a-dope” ruse, and faced with the combined physical might of such notable costumed crime-fighters as Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Cloak and Spider-Woman, the beaten Transylvanian nobleman is so enraged with frustration that he rather humorously stands indignantly transfixed before his foes spouting his unrealistic defiance until Matt Murdock mercifully socks him in the jaw.

Writer: Dennis Hopeless, Artist & Colorist: Niko Henrichon, and Letters: VC's Cory Petit

Doctor Strange [2015] #23 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 23, September 2017

Featuring a fascinating phantasmagorical face-off between Benjamin Urich and Wilson Fisk due to the long-feuding antagonists inadvertently donning magical manifestations whilst thwarting Karl Mordo’s latest attempt to murder this comic’s titular character, Dennis Hopeless’ script for Issue Twenty Three of “Doctor Strange” certainly delivered plenty of pulse-pounding action to its 32,745 strong audience in July 2017. But whilst this mastery of the dark arts proves an intriguing moment within the Kansas City-born writer’s story-line, especially for those readers aware of the feuding pair’s violently short-lived relationship as depicted during the first season of Drew Goddard’s American web television series “Daredevil”, the supernatural duel featuring the “chain-smoking, tough-as-nails investigative journalist” as a Light Knight debatably detracts from the far more operatic-scaled battle taking place elsewhere between Power Man, Iron Fist, Cloak and the Sorcerer Supreme’s greatest rival.

In fact, the Baron’s battle against the street-level costumed crime-fighters is arguably well worth this publication’s cover price alone, as artist and colourist Niko Henrichon really pulls out all the stops to pencil a truly horrifying bout of fisticuffs involving multi-fanged mythical monstrosities, the blackest of arcane spells and Manhattan’s finest going toe-to-toe with all manner of slithering tentacles; “Mordo may look like a chump but he’s hiding a serious god complex under those Slytherin robes.” Disappointingly however, this admittedly rather one-sided affair is frustratingly cut short by the Harvey Award-winner’s evident desire to give the lion’s share of the ‘spotlight’ to his comic’s leading cast and resultantly, just as Tyrone Johnson is somehow shockingly sucked inside Karl’s spell book, the audience is disconcertingly snatched back to witness Spider-Woman being scooped up by the Phantom Eagle whilst preoccupied with her team-mates’ immature in-fighting.

This ‘change of view’ really is annoying when it quickly becomes clear, courtesy of this book’s concluding cliff-hanger splash illustration, that the “unbreakable brawler” and “immortal living weapon” have both subsequently been overpowered by the Transylvanian nobleman ‘off-screen’. Of course, such a dalliance with Stephen’s now magically-enhanced ‘friends’ appears entirely appropriate given that it sets up this story-line for an almighty altercation with the master of New York City’s darkforce bubble in the ongoing series’ next instalment. Yet surely such a premeditated re-positioning of Hopeless’ heroes within his narrative could have been otherwise manufactured without refocusing the publication’s attention away from such sense-shattering shenanigans as Luke Cage and Danny Rand’s disconcerting defeat..?

Writer: Dennis Hopeless, Artist & Colorist: Niko Henrichon, and Letters: VC's Cory Petit

Doctor Strange [2015] #22 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 22, August 2017

Firmly focused upon the demonic events occurring within a truly terrifying “Darkforce bubble that envelops New York City”, Dennis Hopeless’ script for Issue Twenty Two of “Doctor Strange” must have somewhat surprised its 35,918 strong audience in June 2017 with its interestingly fresh look inside the financially biased world of Wilson Fisk. For whilst the “Secret Empire” tie-in certainly delivers upon its pre-publication promise of portraying “the incredible current events” occurring within the metropolis and its titular character’s action-packed efforts to protect the island of Manhattan from the Darkforce Dimension, the twenty-one page periodical’s central plot thread seemingly revolves around revealing the Kingpin’s startling relationship with black magic rather than the formidably-fat villain’s usual physically-violent machinations.

Indeed, for the majority of this comic’s length the pragmatic businessman genuinely appears to be the sole ‘voice of reason’ amongst the narrative’s four survivors, with the likes of Ben Urich disconcertingly taking up the mantle of the group’s incoherent madman when the former “leader of the Hand (American Branch)” offers Strange invaluable magical resources in return for the Sorcerer Supreme’s help to save his “dear” city. Of course, the plans of Don Rigoletto’s one-time bodyguard derail just as soon as the unlikely band of allies encounter his so-called ‘partner’ in the dark arts and discover the unnamed witch has switched allegiances. Yet even during this misfortune, as the party appear to be about to be overwhelmed by a mass of Mindless Ones, the bald-headed mass-murderer is quick to take the lead and supposedly save the day, courtesy of a disturbingly evil-looking energy-blasting weapon; “I’ve got no time for your white hat hand-wringing, Strange. We’re literally surrounded by weapons. Just pick one up and…”

Quite possibly this book’s ‘highlight’ however, doesn’t actually ‘spotlight’ Fisk’s insurmountable talents for death and misery, but rather concerns a truly inspirational-looking duel between Stephen and Wilson’s aforementioned treacherous ally. This battle of bodily transformation and counter-spells is highly reminiscent of the confrontation between Merlin and Madame Mim as depicted during the 1963 “Walt Disney” animated feature film “The Sword In The Stone”, albeit Niko Henrichon’s ability to pencil a truly furious-looking giant flaming tiger makes the Master of the Mystic Arts’ combat appear infinitely more death-defying and dramatic than the late Bill Peet’s family fun focused fight involving polka-dot purple dragons and comically-coloured blue walruses.

Writer: Dennis Hopeless, Artist & Colorist: Niko Henrichon, and Letters: VC's Cory Petit

Marvel Two-In-One #31 - Marvel Comics

MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE No. 31, September 1977

It is genuinely hard to reconcile the fact that Issue Thirty One of “Marvel Two-In-One” was penned by the same man who would later go on to spearhead “DC Comics” Eighties revival of “The New Teen Titans” with George Perez. For whilst Marv Wolfman’s seventeen-page long narrative occasionally proves an entertaining experience, such as when the Thing battles a couple of impressively drawn HYDRA-Foils in the Thames and makes them “go boom”, the vast majority of it contains so many ludicrous plot devices that it is little wonder the former “Marvel Comics Group” Editor-in-Chief purportedly described this ‘Spider-Woman’ story-arc as “poor” and “hideous” in “a late 1978 interview”.

To begin with “My Sweetheart.. My Killer!” features an almost schizophrenic Benjamin Grimm, whose cover illustration depicting him with five toes on one foot and four on the other is genuinely the least of the human mutate’s problems, as he desperately searches the depths of the River Thames for “the Spider-broad… ‘cause only she knows where [the abducted] Alicia is.” Grief-stricken, distraught at the prospect of “my gal” being dead, and threatening to “re-arrange yer face… [as] my Alicia’s too important ta me ta not take off the kid gloves” Bashful Benjy then incomprehensibly lets his foe go simply because the hypnotised HYDRA agent explains “the explosion must have cleared my mind”, yet made her memories as to where she took Masters “vague in my mind.”; “Awright, Lady, gimme yer hand… an’ let’s go sit down fer awhile. Mebbe, if ya rest up a bit, you’ll start rememberin’.” 

Such a total change of heart for the series’ main protagonist is as convincing as HYDRA selecting a blind sculptress to be the first of the terrorist organisation’s “invincible warriors”, especially when the Inkpot Award-winner describes the Thing as being “mad, perhaps madder than he has ever been before in his life.” Little wonder Ron Wilson subsequently pencils the rock-skinned powerhouse rather disconcertingly gnawing some metal tubing apart with his bare teeth…

Equally as poorly conceived is Wolfman’s revelation that the middle-aged heavily-moustached criminal Chauncy is in reality a Dutch “specially trained” Nazi agent who during the war buried a treasure worth “untold millions” somewhere in the House of Commons. Admittedly it’s not too hard to believe that a German spy may well return to the location of his wealth after the political institution had been rebuilt, and subsequently become confused as to precisely where he concealed his fortune. But just why would Heinrich Buerer create a map by carefully etching “the exact location of the treasure on” five pieces of “valuable merchandise” so he would decades later have to locate all of the “separated” artefacts first? 

Writer/Editor: Marv Wolfman, Pencils: Ron Wilson, and Inks: Irv Watanabe

Marvel Two-In-One #30 - Marvel Comics

MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE No. 30, August 1977

Arguably little more than a vehicle to firmly establish then-publisher Stan Lee’s copyright to the name Spider-Woman, following the character’s “Marvel Spotlight” debut in February 1977, this rather inconsistent Marv Wolfman narrative is made all the more inaccessible by the Editor’s disconcertingly bizarre attempt to imbue all of his English locals with a stereotypical ‘Limey’ dialect that causes armed robbers to repeatedly refer to one another as “mate” and “lad” as they go about their nefarious business, and has London’s truncheon-armed “blinkin’ Bobbies” commenting “It’s like the ruddy Blitz all over again!” whenever an explosion occurs. Indeed the irritation caused by the American author’s obsession for his characters’ persistent (and inaccurate) verbalisation of “‘ave, ‘old and ‘ey!” is only bested throughout the seventeen-page periodical’s dialogue by his insistence on having every Policeman and Queen’s Guard yelling “bloody” profanities whenever trouble occurs.

Blade’s co-creator also seems to have tried to cram Issue Thirty of “Marvel Two-In-One” with as many coincidental contrivances as possible. The biggest being Ben Grimm just “‘appenin’” to hear a “muffled explosion” whilst nonchalantly passing Westminster Abbey “on his way back to his London hotel” and then subsequently literally bumping into the two self-same thieves responsible for the blast inside the Tower of London. Indeed The Thing’s early observation that “everywhere I go, problems!” Problems!” is a major understatement considering the numerous unlucky happenstances which befall the “ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Benjamin J.” within this magazine; “Y’Got that, Creepy?”

Quibbles as to Wolfman’s manufactured plot development and annoying clichéd colloquialisms aside, the biggest disappointment of the “Battle Atop Big Ben!” has to be the Shazam Award-winner’s ineffective use of Jessica Drew. For although the HYDRA agent features rather prominently throughout the adventure, Spider-Woman’s subjugation to the worldwide subversive organisation’s “superior hypnosis techniques” provides the colourfully-costumed “dame” with scant opportunity to display any sort of personality and instead disappointingly restricts “Web-Head’s sister” to such banal statements as “Impossible” My spider venom-blast didn’t stun you? But it could kill a raging rhinoceros” and “H-He’s stronger than they told me. I can’t destroy him… not yet. Better retreat… Return for further instructions.”

Fortunately John Buscema’s well-detailed breakdowns still helps make this Bronze Age “battle over London for the life of Alicia Masters!” a rather entertaining experience, courtesy of the Port Jefferson-born artist’s animated illustrations of the comic’s “orange monster” battling the brightly garbed, gracefully gliding anti-heroine, and the machinations of characterful criminals Chauncy and Trevor.

Writer/Editor: Marv Wolfman, Pencils: John Buscema, and Inks: Pablo Marcos