When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When the road gets tough, the tough get going. Other cliches that mean “make the best of what you have.” But when life throws you into the Thunderdome, made by enemies you never knew you even had, and strips you of your powers, what do you do then?

Obviously, it at least means you’re in the latest issue of West Coast Avengers. Once more, Kelly Thompson returns to decide the fates of our team. With her are Danielle Di Nicuolo on the pens and inks, Triona Farrell on the colors, and Joe Caramagna makes sure the words fit onto the page.

With the rest of her team facing one ludicrous death trap after another, Kate Bishop has found herself teamed up with her long-lost mother and her ex-boyfriend Noh-Varr. Noh-Varr has infiltrated the Supervillain Team-Up of Madamme Masque undercover, but has decided to break out to save Kate and her team. With a person she can’t trust, and another who broke her heart by her side, what could possibly go right?

Another issue, another fantastic script from Kelly Thompson. Superhero comics are an inherently bizarre genre, but few take the time to run with how absurd things can get. Thompson seems to be having the time of her life with this comic, telling the adventures of Kate Bishop and the most ragtag group of Avengers ever, and it shows. The addition of Noh-Varr to the team increases the romantic drama without making it melodramatic, entirely thanks to Kate Bishop’s narration. It’s hard not to recommend someone read this comic on the script alone.

Danielle di Nicuolo once more hits it out of the park. Body language remains a speciality, with the page of the Hawkeyes communicating through sign language being not only accurate, but subtle. There’s also a wonderful sense of scale to the art, with several long shots to pass along how truly massive the circus tent the ‘thunderdome’ is hiding in, or how massive M.O.D.O.K. is compared to everyone else. However, some praise belongs to the newest member of the West Coast Avengers: Jeff. Unexpected and awesome, Jeff is a great addiction to the team.

West Coast Avengers still remains an incredibly enjoyable book, and the plot seems to be moving forward between the antics and character development. While the stakes are nowhere near as high as the main line Avengers, the book feels incredibly more personal, which can make for a more intense drama than the universe being in danger once more. Even if you’re not a fan of either Hawkeye, there’s still something here for every Marvel fan.

Grade: A-