By Paul Cornell (Writer), Leonard Kirk (Penciller), Jesse Delperdang (Inker), and Brian Reber (Colorist)
Swords are for killing people. They can be ornamental, they can be used ceremonially, occasionally they carve mutton, and once in a great while they are used to cleave the Gordian knot, thus uniting all of Asia. But for the most part their purpose is to separate significant portions of a person’s anatomy in the hope that that person will then stop moving, preferably permanently.
Of course, for a long time killing was verboten in comics. That’s why Colleen Wing was always whacking people with the flat of her sword, which even as a kid I thought was pretty silly. But the old Comics Code rules no longer apply. Now Wolverine can actually gut an enemy, where once he only talked about it. And Ed Brubaker, God bless him, has acknowledged that Cap and Bucky may have actually shot one or two Nazis, instead of just punching them.
So why, why, in the latest issue of CB&MI:13, does Captain Britain set Excalibur aside, saying it belongs to someone who would never use it to kill? What kind of weak-kneed, namby-pamby, in-America-the-neocons-would-eat-you-alive nonsense is that? Especially since Peter Pan (sorry, Peter Wisdom, cough*lame*cough) has just unchained Satannish, Umar, and every other form of unspeakable ancient evil, and they are at this very moment descending upon fair Albion’s shores to turn his countrymen into slaves, corpses, and/or dinner?
Words fail me. I admire high moral standards, and Lord knows the world needs more of them, but this is just about the silliest thing I’ve ever read.
Which is too bad, because otherwise this is a good book. The art is nice. Faiza, the Arab doctor, continues to be an interesting character. The John Lennon Skrull gets one last, very satisfying laugh at the other Skrulls’ expense. And the fight between Captain Britain and Super-Magic-Skrull is pretty cool. Overall, I like the way Cornell has handled the book, giving it its own, distinctly British flavor, while keeping it firmly within the confines of current Marvel continuity.
But that bit with the sword still bothers me. (Grade: B-)
- Andrew C. Murphy
Filed under: Marvel Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Brian Reber, Captain Britain, Captain Britain And MI:13 #4, Jesse Delperdang, Leonard Kirk, Paul Cornell, Secret Invasion
