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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
Filed under: Marvel Comics, Reviews | Tagged: Ardien Syaf, Black Knight, Brian Reber, Captain Britain and MI:13, Captain Britain and MI:13 #13 Review, Captain Britain review, Craig Yeung, Dark Reign, Death, Dracula, Excalibur, Faiza, Jay Leisten, Kyle Posluszny, Leonard Kirk, Might Avengers, Norman Osborn, Paul Cornell, Pete Wisdom, Spitfire, Vampire State, vampires, WCBR, Weekly Comic Book Review, weeklycomicbookreview.com
I’ve been thinking about getting into this (not that I need another title on my pull list….). It was between this or Ghost Rider, but now that I’m hearing Jason Aaron might be leaving GR soon, I’m leaning towards this….
Good to hear such a positive review. I’m not sure if it’s reflective of its sales or anything, but I know quite a few people here in the UK who read this. You can even buy the first trade at most standard bookstores over here.
I’m reading GR in trade format since I know Aaron will be leaving the title shortly…I’ll collect his trades and decide whether I’ll stick around when the new creative team is announced. The first Aaron GR trade is AWESOME.
Captain Britain rocks because it’s just so different from anything else Marvel puts out. Cornell gives the book a very distinct feel. I was a bit lost at first because I was unfamiliar with the characters, but once I read a few issues I felt right at home.
Definitely pick up the GR trade…then catch up with Captain Britain so you can start reading it monthly…it’s worth it, that’s for sure.
-Kyle Posluszny
*sigh,* very bad news Kyle.
http://www.paulcornell.com/2009/05/goodbye-captain-britain.html
Cornell has just announced that Captain Britain has been cancelled and issue 15 will be the last of the series. I’ll be grabbing the trades for sure.
NOOOOOO!!!!
-Kyle Posluszny (Eloquent, I know)