Captain Britain & MI:13 #13 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Ardian Syaf w/Leonard Kirk (Pencils), Craig Yeung w/Jay Leisten (Inks), and Brian Reber (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Paul Cornell’s Captain Britain and MI:13 series is crazy; crazy in a way that’s entertaining, fun, and downright satisfying. It’s easily one of the most underappreciated books Marvel puts out.

The Story: With the skull of Quincy Harker destroyed, Captain Britain and MI:13 scramble to figure out a way to counter Dracula’s plan. The stakes are high and, magically cut off from the rest of the world, Britain looks to be in serious trouble. Will it fall?

What’s Good: Paul Cornell definitely knows how to make the shit hit the fan! Dead heroes, nonstop action, vampire violence, a sense of hopelessness, and a scene of wooden vampire battleships flying through space… Yep, Captain Britain and MI:13 #13 jacks the insanity of the series up a few notches. And you know what? It makes for a fantastic, intense read that pulls no punches and really takes advantage of the fact that no “A” (or even “B”) list heroes star in the book.

It’s a creative success almost all around as Paul Cornell masterfully builds a sense of dread throughout the issue while the art team crafts some truly unforgettable scenes that simply couldn’t work in one of the bigger Marvel titles. I wish I could go into specifics more, but I don’t want to spoil the fun. So let me just say that, long story short, the latest Captain Britain is a must read in every way.

What’s Not So Good: I can’t help but wonder what a little more detail and polish might have done for the artwork in Captain Britain #13. The art team does a good job handling the challenging story and action, but a few scenes fall a little flat because of the lack of detail. It’s not a huge complaint, but, if anything, it definitely lessens the impact of the rather chilling final page.

Conclusion: “Vampire State” is quickly turning into one of my favorite arcs of all time. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Grade: A-

-Kyle Posluszny

Captain Britain And MI:13 #12 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Leonard Kirk (Pencils), Jay Leisten (Inks), and Brian Reber (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: A story about Dracula attempting to take over Great Britain could easily come across as silly unless the tension and drama manages to set the tone both early and often. Fortunately, Paul Cornell is aware of that fact. He proves it by using the story to both raise the stakes of his series as a whole and create opportunities to add more depth to his already compelling cast.

The Story: Captive under the power of Dracula, Spitfire is escorted around the vampire base by her son. She learns some things about Dracula’s grand plan and the preparations that he has made in order to carry it out. Meanwhile, Captain Britain and the rest of the MI:13 team try to find “the head” that may help them combat Drac’s plans.

What’s Good: Simply put, Paul Cornell is writing one hell of a vampire story. It puts the dense mythology about Dracula and his minions to very good use. In addition, the distinctly British flavor of Cornell’s writing keeps things from becoming too serious thanks to a healthy dose of dry humor and clever wit. As for the artwork, Leonard Kirk and his team continues to make sure Captain Britain is as much fun to look at as it is to read. The action hits hard, most of the vampire-related imagery is downright haunting, and each panel is filled with an impressive amount of detail.

What’s Not So Good: My only real complaint about Captain Britain and MI:13 #12 is that a few scenes come across as visually confusing. Either the action is a bit to cluttered or the perspective used for the scene makes things look a bit off. While it is a minor complaint (and some may not find it distracting), I figured it was still worth a mention.

Conclusion: I really can’t recommend Captain Britain enough. The writing is damn near perfect, the artwork is always pleasing, and the stories are a brilliant mix of insane and intelligent. It’s just good stuff all around.

Grade:  B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Captain Britain and MI:13 #9 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Leonard Kirk & Mike Collins (Pencils), Jay Leisten & Cam Smith (Inks), and Brian Reber & Rain Beredo (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: When I picked up the debut of Captain Britain and MI:13 during the Secret Invasion, I never expected it to become a favorite of mine. But nows, I find myself eagerly awaiting each new issue. The latest, the conclusion to the insanely chaotic Plotka storyline, is no exception. It’s a shame that the numbers for the series are so slow, because it absolutely deserves the attention of nearly every comic fan. It’s that good.

The Story: With the majority of the team stuck in one part of Plotka’s dream corridor thanks to Captain Midlands’ betrayal and Captain Britain still trying to find a way out of another part, things look grim for pretty much everybody. But Pete Wisdom has a plan, as does the person studying the trapped Mindless One outside of Cloverfield Estate. Soon the tides are turned and the team goes on the offensive.

What’s Good: Simply all the factors that make this title wildly imaginative. That’s the only way to describe the conclusion of the latest Captain Britain and MI:13 arc. Despite all the crazy magic, chaotic action, and elements of the occult, Paul Cornell and his art team somehow manage to keep everything in line long enough to wrap up one hell of an entertaining story that also plant the seeds for what promises to be another. In short, if you’ve liked what the series has offered so far, you won’t be disappointed what it offers this time around.

What’s Not So Good: There is one “elephant in the room” element regarding the latest Captain Britain arc that has nagged at me from the start. And guess what? It nagged at me a whole lot more while reading Captain Britain and MI:13 #9. Basically the whole thing is so filled with action and chaos that it rarely stops to take a breath long enough to really work through and explain what’s actually happening. Sure it’s a lot of fun to read and look at, but I just can’t help but wish I had a better grasp on the storyline as a whole. It made sense well enough, but I just can’t shake the feeling I missed out on a few things here and there.

Conclusion: Despite being almost overwhelming at times, the latest issue of Captain Britain is loaded with high-quality, high-concept entertainment. And, while it isn’t the greatest jump-on point if you haven’t checked the series out yet, it’s strong enough to make hunting down back issues a worthwhile endeavor. Consider it highly recommended.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Captain Britain and MI:13 #8 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Leonard Kirk (Pencils), Michael Bair w/Jay Leisten & Craig Yeung (Inks), and Brian Reber (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I initially gave Captain Britain and MI:13 a look because of the way it launched as a tie-in to the Secret Invasion. I fully expected to drop the book following the event because, in all honesty, my pull list was starting to get out of hand. But a funny thing happened during only a few short issues. Thanks to Paul Cornell’s writing and some imaginative, vibrant artwork, I found myself quickly drawn into the magical world of the Marvel heroes operating across the pond. Now, seven (going on eight) issues in, I can safely say that I am glad that I stuck around.

The Story: The team, currently without the help of Captain Britain, continues the fight against the demon Plotka and its army of Mindless Ones at the Cloverleaf Estate. Captain Britain, meanwhile, continues to face down his inner demons as a prisoner trapped within Plotka’s soul stealing Dream Corridor. A lot of questions get answered in this action-packed issue, most notably regarding the nature of Plotka, its army, and its ultimate goal.

What’s Good: In all honesty, I have very few complaints about this latest issue. It excels in nearly every area I take into consideration when writing a review. The twisting storyline is wonderfully bizarre and extremely refreshing thanks to the heavy emphasis on magic and the occult. In addition, the writing is laced with dry, British humor that does wonders for both the team dynamic and the overall flavor of the series. As for the artwork, the creative team perfectly compliments the story with some incredibly trippy, kinetic visuals that somehow manage to keep the nearly non-stop action manageable and, for the most part, fairly easy to digest.

What’s Not So Good: My biggest complaint is that series still hasn’t done enough to get those new to the characters (like me) enough information to get totally up to speed. I like the characters enough to keep reading, but I don’t really feel like I know them at all. For a re-launch, Captain Britain is not exactly friendly to new readers.

The other issue I have with the book is that, occasionally, it feels as though there is just way too much going on at once. The creative team does a nice job keeping everything in check for the most part, but I did find myself re-reading sections from time to time just to make sure I understood everything. It’s not a big complaint by any means, especially considering how much is going on, but I feel it’s something worth noting.

Conclusion: A fine package of storytelling, artwork, and character moments, Captain Britain and MI:13 #8 is well worth the cash. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for something from a different corner of the Marvel Universe.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

NewUniversal: Shockfront #2 – Review

By Warren Ellis (writer), Steve Kurth (penciler), and Andrew Hennessy (inker)

Okay, I have officially lost patience with this book. I mean, is it too much to ask that the so-called protagonists of a book actually do something? In eight issues (counting the previous mini-series), this is what has happened: Spitfire has gotten drunk; Starbrand has whined like a six-year-old girl; Nightmask has spoken to the mothership from Close Encounters and teleported to California. Whoopee. Justice, at least, has killed some people, but what’s he going to do next? Kill more people? Not exactly a masterpiece of suspense.

At this point I should summarize the plot of this issue, but honestly, nothing happens. A bunch of people talk to each other. And they’re not talking about their secret pasts or arguing competing points of view, either. No, they’re summarizing all the stuff we already know! Granted, something finally happens in the last few pages, but I’m not going to spoil the only bit of drama in the whole book.

The biggest problem with the “New” Universe (other than the mediocre art) is there’s nothing really “new” about anything in it. Parallel universe? Seen that. A government that hates and fears its heroes? Seen that, too. Murderous vigilante? Ditto. A reluctant hero that never asked for his powers in the first place? If I tried to list every time we’ve seen that cliché, I’d crash the weeklycomicbookreview server.

The only original bit in the whole storyline is the White Event, but the TV series Heroes did it first and did it better. Now, I know that’s not really fair, since the original “New” Universe predates Heroes by a long time, but the reason the first season of Heroes worked so well (and the second season didn’t) is that there was a clearly defined problem (the impending destruction of New York) that all the characters were trying actively to solve. In New Universal, though, I swear I haven’t seen a group this passive since the Enron oversight committee.

Come on, Ellis. You can do better than this. (Grade: C)

– Andrew C. Murphy

Captain Britain and MI-13 #1 (Secret Invasion) – Review

Paul Cornell (writer), Leonard Kirk (penciler), Jesse Delperdang (inker), and Brian Reber (colorist)

I’ve never liked Captain Britain.

Captain America, I get. Everything that’s important about America revolves around a handful of ideals that can be, more or less, successfully embodied in one man. But Britain is such an older and more complex country. Which one person could truly represent it? King Arthur? James Bond? Sid Vicious? Jeeves? Whoever it might be, it’s sure not bland, boring Brian Braddock.

So it was with some trepidation that I picked up CB&MI13, especially when I heard that one of the key characters was a Skrull disguised as John Lennon. (Beatlemania was thirty years ago, guys. Get over it.) But the book leaves behind the goofiness of old Captain Britain tales, instead tying into the ongoing Secret Invasion story line, and is much better for it.

The story begins in the midst of a Skrull attack on London. There’s a Skrull with all the powers of the Champions, another that combines the Squadron Sinister, and (my favorite) a mash-up of Morbius, Frankenstein, and the Werewolf by Night. The Skrulls have taken a special interest in England because of its history of ancient, powerful magics. Standing in their way are Captain Britain, the Black Knight, MI-13, and Spitfire (She’s a vampire now. When did that happen?). They’ve all had to make sacrifices in defense of the realm, but Captain Britain may end up making the greatest sacrifice of all.

Of course, with the relaxed pace of comics these days, all we really get in this one issue is a prelude of things to come, but the writing is good and the art is beautiful. And the wanna-Beatle? He’s actually my favorite character. He never pretends to be the real John Lennon — who could be a selfish prick at times — but instead tries to represent all the good things John stood for, in sharp contrast to the “fundamentalist” Skrull invaders.

Good show, chaps. Carry on. (Grade: A)

– Andrew C. Murphy

A Second Opinion

I am going to have to respectfully disagree with Andrew on this one, as I found this comic hard to decipher. I’m not a huge Captain Britain fan, either. The extent of my knowledge is derived from the early ’90’s Excalibur series. With that said, I wasn’t expecting Captain Britain to be idolizing Captain America so much throughout the book. Braddock talks for maybe half a page, and it seems like the typical rhetoric of a hero trying to do more. I mean, he flat out says he wants to be the Captain America of the U.K. It’s a great concept to push Braddock back into the spotlight, yet it feels forced in this book.

The writing itself is confusing mess. With a giant “1st Issue” slapped on the cover, I was expecting some sort of premise and a who’s who. But, none of this happens as the reader is thrown in the middle of a Skrull invasion in Britain. The best character that is written isn’t even Captain Britain, it’s Black Knight. The Knight is paired up with a female field medic during a Skrull attack and Paul Cornell gives him some much needed depth. A lot of his persona and motives are displayed here and it’s quite involving. Every other character feels slapped ionto the pages for no real reason other than to give this book “numbers” to repel the attack.

Overall, a very confusing read. Yet, I’m intersted to see a more modern perspective on the superheroes of the U.K., so I’ll give this book another shot. (Grade: C-)

– Robert Hyland