We’re California dreaming with this week’s “So You Want To Read Comics”. This is our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic or genre, then give you two comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic or genre.  This week we’re taking a look at comics on the West Coast.

While there’s a lot of west coasts in the world,  for this article we’re looking specifically at the US West Coast.  In November 1805, Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific Ocean, and while there had been many indigenous people living there for hundreds of years,  the continent was considered fully discovered.   Over the next hundred years, waves of people would migrate out west in search of gold, timber, and agriculture jobs.  A hundred years later even more waves of people had gone out west looking for stardom and silicon fortunes.   Over the years the west coast has gained a reputation of being a land of opportunity,  while carrying a laid back personality, this has been the result of countless movies,  tv shows,  songs,  and books.   From The Beach Boys, to American Graffiti,  to Entourage, to the works of Steinbeck,  the West has been depicted as a place where fun and wealth can be found,  but also some heartache.

Here are a couple of comic books that capture the spirit of The West Coast

WEST COAST AVENGERS

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: John Paul Leon
Publisher: Marvel Comics

First arriving in the mid 80s, The West Coast Avengers have had multiple incarnations over the years, with a common theme being that of heroes who are fresh on the scene, or deliberately trying to reject the legacy of the original Avengers.  In this particular series we see a group of heroes trying to make it on their own while rejecting the old money of The Avengers from back in New York City.  This search for funding eventually leads them with little other option but to try and make their exploits into a reality TV show.   This series captures both the more rebellious and free spirited nature that the west coast has gained,  but also the soul draining impact of show business.  Also,  this series does an admirable job utilizing a roster of characters that is representative of the diversity found on the West Coast,  while also tapping into the history to add flavor.  This series only ran for 10 issues with most of the characters either being fairly new or receiving a decent intro so new readers wouldn’t be lost.

STUMPTOWN

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Matthew Southworth
Publisher: Oni Press

The key to utilizing a location as a key element to a story is knowing what makes that place unique.  In the first volume of Stumptown we find a private investigator named Dex who has found herself on the wrong side of a casino after putting herself way in debt.  But an opportunity arises for her to wipe out the debt by taking on a particularly difficult case.   Throughout this series both well known Portland sites as well as lesser known,  local haunts act as backdrops to a solid device story.  Also, it acknowledges the Native American presence on the West Coast that often is overlooked or ignored.  This series originated as a limited series with a definite end to the initial series.  It later on was picked up as an ongoing series which expanded Dex’s story while also utilizing even more of Portland in its storytelling.  As of right now there are four volumes of this series,  which are also available for free with a Comixology Unlimited or Amazon Prime account.

What are your favorite West Coast comics? What did you think of these recommendations? Let us know in the comments section below.

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