A couple of issues ago, Killerwatt — WCA’s favorite bad boy — decided to change his superhero moniker to “Wonder Man” — a decision that now returns to haunt him as Simon Williams, the original Wonder Man, touches down in L.A. with a bone to pick. Meanwhile, the Church of Ultron receives a surprise visitor: Ultron?
After West Coast Avengers #6’s heavy focus on some pretty low-stakes “been there, done that” hero-versus-hero action, I was a little apprehensive at Wonder Man’s arrival. We really don’t need any more misunderstandings between heroes for the sake of smashing them together like action figures.
But then, West Coast Avengers #7 did something totally unexpected: a flashback to why Killerwatt decided to rebrand himself as Wonder Man, followed by some direct conversation to clear the air between the heroes — conversation that ends amicably with nary an energy blast fired from either Wonder Man. In fact, these two characters actually go on to have a pretty fun dynamic.
Marvel
This subversion of expectations was much appreciated but also entirely necessary for the continued success of the comic. Not only would another superhero punch-out have killed any sense of momentum this story had going, the flashback to Killerwatt’s childhood was another vital step in helping us to get to know this character.
Said flashback isn’t exactly rich with nuance, but it did set up an important trauma for Killerwatt that will help fence-sitting readers to relate to him a bit more. His slow redemption has been one of the highlights of West Coast Avengers so far, so the more context we have for his actions, the better.
That said, there is a sequence later in the issue that attempts to resolve some of what was set up in this flashback, but said sequence feels far too rushed. Essentially, the scene skips past what anyone would assume was an important confrontation/conversation and only gives us the events’ closing moments. This interaction was where the juiciest of character interactions in the whole issue could’ve taken place, but we just breeze right past it, which was frustrating.
Marvel
While one half the issue primarily concerns itself with Killerwatt, the other half explores a new development in the Church of the One. A dangerous, new iteration of Ultron visits the Church and is disgusted to find that The One—The priestly iteration of Ultron—is helping people by giving them cybernetic implants/replacement limbs.
Cue much rage and destruction in a sequence that culminates with a splash panel by artist Danny Kim that’s a clear nod to a certain famous painting. It’s deliciously creepy and offbeat and sets the stage for some really fun Ultron action to come in a future issue. While I liked how some of this carnage looked, it must be noted that once again, this book is somewhat hobbled by inconsistent artwork.
The action generally looks great—especially how these flashy new Ultron iterations reflect light and harness energy—but some of the characters look downright wonky. It’s been a bit of a problem for me with West Coast Avengers so far, but if you’ve made it this far into the series and it doesn’t bother you—then by all means ignore me.
Overall, West Coast Avengers #7 does a great job at getting us to care even more about its best character: Killerwatt. This, combined with a fun subversion of expectations — plus a wild Ultron v. Ultron fight sequence — makes for a pretty enjoyable issue, so long as you can overlook the iffy art and the way the narrative skips over what could’ve been a really great scene.
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