Memories of the West Coast

[falcadore]

No this isn't a blog about Huey Lewis and the News style 80s music. I was at my comic shop today - for the final issue of Transformers: Windblade limited series - and I got to talking about - initially about the new Transformers/GI Joe cross over. After the #0 on free comic book day I found the retro 80s, very retro 80s art off-putting. If anything

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[dragontail]

The other option is to hit up the comiXology app, which often runs sales on the Avengers titles (just before my US trip, I picked up the entire Busiek/Perez run from the mid-90s for the whopping total of $30... or about as much as you'd pay for a single trade paperback). So long as you don't mind reading on a phone/tablet/computer screen, it's a cheap way of filling gaps (though, admittedly, I much prefer back issues).

You'd also be well served to pick up Young Avengers and its sequel, Avengers: The Children's Crusade as it acts as a direct sequel to some of the very stories you outline above (in some unexpected ways). It's also just a brilliant series all of its own, gifting Marvel with young grown-up heroes every bit as interesting and developed as DC's second- and third-generation do-gooders.

Oh: and the first six issues of the current Moon Knight run are deliciously brilliant. Mad as a cut snake, but brilliant.

[falcadore]

Can't remember how I came across YA, but I have briefly semi-recently. Enough to recognise Vance Astrovik and Julie Power in the cast. Which was a double-sized mind-truck. It caused me all kinds of confused expectations regarding the forthcoming Guardians of the Galaxy film thinking what the heck was the racoon doing doing in the trailer and since when has Vance Astro been such a wisecrack. And who is Starlord - he sounds like a Galactus herald. Then there is one of the Power Pack kiddies all grown up. Her rainbow coloured comet-trail had obviously given the writers the idea that she had to represent LGBT. I don't mind in the slightest but the symbolism is not in the least bit subtle.

Plus I'm a philistine. I have no tablet :P I had been given some cash to buy one, but I vacillated so long it got used to pay bills. When I do eventually there's a bunch of stuff I want to pick, not the least of which is the Matt Fraction Hawkeye run.

[dragontail]

Except that's not Young Avengers. I'm... not sure what it is, actually (possibly Avengers Academy?), but it ain't YA, which is a totally different kettle of fish involving all-new characters with legacy ties to Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Smartly executed with gorgeous art, too.

As far as GotG goes: it's a newer version of the team from the Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning reboot a few years back (which tied into Marvel Cosmic's Annihilation mega-events), not the team from the 31st Century who time-traveled back to fight Korvac alongside the Avengers.

... only in comics does that second paragraph make sense. Hooray for comics!

[falcadore]

Yes I was thinking of Academy. AA is also based in the old WCA compound, doubling my memory confusion when you suggest it's a sequel to those stories. Hank Pym and Tigra too figure in Academy.

And re: Guardians, I know that now. My first clue was seeing the Guardians episode of the Earth Mightiest Heroes cartoon episode now that it is being run on ABC3. You're right when you recommended that series to me a few years back. I am enjoying the heck out of it.

... only in comics does that second paragraph make sense. Hooray for comics!

I'm pretty sure that is very oddly close to what someone else said when I explained my Guardians confusion on Facebook a few months back.

And Karen Gillan/Amy Pond as Nova! Bad girl Thanos girlfriend Nova the Eternal that is; not long succession of helmetted heroes Nova (or No-Varr. Kree you think :P).