Avengers West Coast Visionaries - John Byrne, Vol. 1: Vision Quest (Prelude to Avengers Disassembled) [Paperback]

John Byrne (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 2005

See how one of comicdom's most recognizable talents remade the West Coast Avengers, starting with the readjustment of the Vision! Ancient secrets of humanity revealed! The Scarlet Witch's first step into the descent that disassembled the Avengers! Introducing the Great Lakes Avengers and featuring the triumphant return of one of Marvel's hottest golden age greats! Battles, betrayals and the bizarre as only Byrne could bring you! Collects Avengers West Coast #42-50.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Comics (August 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785117741
• ISBN-13: 978-0785117742
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Byrne's Avengers West Coast, vol. 1, June 10, 2008

By 

"extreme_dig_cm" (Chicago, Il USA, Amazon.com Fan!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Avengers West Coast Visionaries - John Byrne, Vol. 1: Vision Quest (Prelude to Avengers Disassembled) (Paperback)

Before this 80's work- Byrne drew the Avengers in the late 70's, issues 181-191, with 189-191 being some of my all-time favorites. After his great work with DC's Man of Steel in the mid-80's, he returned to Marvel's Avengers in '89, this time with this west coast team.

Highlights here for me...
*Issues 43 & 44- Hawkeye & Mockingbird reunited. And the west coast team searches for & finds the Vision. I've never seen Vision quite like this! The team is in turmoil, and the government intervenes, bringing them a special new member. Features Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Hank Pym, Wasp, Tigra, Scarlet Witch & more.
*Issue 45- U.S. Agent & the new Vision. And Hawkeye quits the team?
*Issue 46- The Great Lakes Avengers. 'Nuff said!
*Issue 50- The *original* Human Torch! It's the return of a Golden Age great, and he actually joins the team.

I love Byrne's artistic vision, the Avengers in general, and especially the Avengers west coast team in the '80s. Here we get all three! This isn't usually considered his best work, but it *is* among my favorites. The clarity & consistency in his artistic vision never ceases to amaze me. In this paperback he touches on story points he previously visited in titles like Avengers & Fantastic Four. He especially, continually references the Invaders all throughout his career, and I actually appreciate these brief flashbacks.

Visually speaking, maybe the biggest standout feature here is the varied and/or inconsistent inking(!). It's amazing how the overall visual style of Byrne's run seems to change from issue to issue here. This might be the main reason why this isn't usually considered Byrne's best work, but I actually love these issues, in part, *because* of the various visual styles on display. I guess only Byrne & Machlan can say for sure why the visual style keeps changing all throughout this great '89 series.

Included in this volume:
*Issues #42 to #48 & #50- John Byrne writes & pencils; Mike Machlan inks
*Issue #49- John Byrne writes, pencils & inks

P.S. And check out this definitive career interview with Byrne: Modern Masters, Vol. 7: John Byrne. With great art & information, it's highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have for all Avengers fans, July 15, 2009

By 

Shasta (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Avengers West Coast Visionaries - John Byrne, Vol. 1: Vision Quest (Prelude to Avengers Disassembled) (Paperback)

I recently purchased this book hoping to get some further knowledge on older Avengers story arcs. And boy am I happy I did!

The way Byrne writes, and draws, these characters is fantastic. Hawkeye is just as angsty as ever, Scarlet Witch and Vision's relationship is written perfectly, AND...you get The Great Lakes Avengers!

I can't say enough good things about this book, and other reviewers have said plenty about its content. Just know that if you like the Avengers you should buy this and the follow up John Byrne Avengers West Coast book, Darker than Scarlet.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars prequel to Avengers Disassembled?, August 12, 2005

By 

D. R. McGaffin "Dan" (Hollidaysburg, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Avengers West Coast Visionaries - John Byrne, Vol. 1: Vision Quest (Prelude to Avengers Disassembled) (Paperback)

This story is good but incomplete. It tdeals with the first half of the Scarlet Witch's mental breakdown(issues 42-50). The premise of the graphic novel is that the Vision is missing and his team mates must find him. The story is good and the villains behind the kidnapping are unexpected.
The original 19 issue story arc (WCA 42-60) is basically Avengers Disassembled on a smaller scale. It details the different factors that drive the Scarlet Witch to become a blood thirsty anti-human villain and the person who is behind this.