By Paul Cornell, Leonard Kirk, Jesse Delperdang & Scott Hanna (Marvel/Panini UK)
ISBN: 978-1-84653-407-2
Collecting issues #1-4 of the surprise hit comic, this rousing romp sees mutant super-spy Peter Wisdom helm a new team of British superheroes as part of a big company crossover from Marvel. Secret Invasion described the all-out attack of the insidious shape-changing Skrulls, whose long-term plan to infiltrate all strata of Earth society nearly resulted in the total subjugation of mankind.
The British front saw the aliens attack our Sceptr’d Isles in an attempt to control all Earth’s inherent magic, only to be held at bay by the Dunkirk spirit of Wisdom, Black Knight, Spitfire, John the renegade Skrull, newcomer (and female Muslim hero) Faiza Hussain and a revamped Captain Britain.
I could further outline the plot for you but as this is a lovely example of beguiling, back-to-the-wall, last stand super-heroics with the added advantage of being easily assimilated by even the most uninformed new reader, I’ll simply state that this is a grand adventure of evil aliens, valiant heroes, the Bulldog Breed and spectacular action on a fresh yet ancient magical canvas, which almost any devotee of graphic literature will adore.
Make it your personal quest to possess this gem…
Marvel UK set up shop in 1972, reprinting the company’s earliest US successes in the traditional British weekly papers format, swiftly carving out a corner of the market – although the works of Lee, Kirby et al had already been appearing in other British comics (Smash!, Wham!, Pow!, Eagle, Fantastic!, Terrific!, and the anthologies of Alan Class Publications) since their inception, thanks to the aggressive marketing and licensing policies of and Stan and the gang.
In 1976 the company decided to augment their output with an original British hero – albeit in that parochial, US style and manner beloved by English comics readers – in a new weekly, although fan favourites Fantastic Four and Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. reprints filled out the issues. One bold departure was the addition of full colour printing up front for the new hero, and the equivalent back quarter of each issue.
This second collection of those all-original adventures covers issue #24 through 39, the end of Captain Britain the comic, and includes the continuation of the strip when it was merged with a more successful comic to form Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain Weekly #231-238. Except for the covers the art had reverted to black and white midway through the previous volume.
Kicking off with the conclusion of the epic struggle against the Red Skull, Gary Friedrich and Larry Lieber have the benefit of artwork by comics legends John Buscema and Tom Palmer. The latter is replaced by a less well known but just as worthy inker, Fred (Airboy, The Heap) Kida, who stayed as the main brush-man for the majority of the strip’s run. The Skull, Nick Fury and Captain America hung around for the next four chapters before our boy flew solo again, but with #28 a new adventure started with the eccentric Lord Hawk whose weaponized robot raptor terrorised England until CB shut them both down. Kida alternated with Palmer on some truly brilliant Buscema super-hero art on this rather mediocre tale, but the quality lurched just a tad when Ron Wilson and Bob Budiansky assumed the pencilling chores.
With issue #33 Captain Britain’s powers got upgraded as his patrons Merlin and Roma tested him in another dimension, and on his return first Len Wein and then Jim Lawrence (best known in Britain as the scripter of the James Bond newspaper strip) took over the writing in a tale of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee with defrocked African dictators and a high-tech Highwayman. During this epic Pablo Marcos also joined the art team, alternating with the regulars on the punishing weekly production.
Midway through this story Captain Britain folded, and in tried and true tradition was merged with Super Spider-Man. Regrettably it did not improve the quality of the story-telling. Always a painful effort, it became increasingly clear that the US team had no real grasp of the British comics-reading experience (at this moment in time 2000AD was revolutionising our industry and the Beano was still the top-selling comic in the country).
Equally the creators seemed wedded to the idea that they needed to tailor their own – successful – Marvel style and formula to a separate, distinctly “English†audience. But if they were reading Marvel reprints didn’t it stand to reason that the buyers wanted established super-villains, and guest-stars?
Despite solid, professional art the last two adventures, ‘The Monster from the Murk!?’ (a Loch Ness and aliens yarn) and a gothic monster tale of vampires, werewolves and demons set in ‘Nightmare Castle’ make for an embarrassing end to this book.
Included in this primarily black and white volume are comments from Gary Friedrich, Ron Wilson and Bob Budiansky, a feature on the abortive Captain Britain project cancelled by Fleetway Publishing in 1973 and a nice selection of colour covers and reproduction ad pages.
Despite the reservations stated this book has a lot to commend it, especially to art fans with a tolerant or forgiving disposition, and in a world of angst and trauma, surely there’s still room for old-fashioned adventure?
Marvel UK set up shop in 1972, reprinting their earliest successes in the traditional weekly papers format, swiftly carving out a corner of the market – although the works of Lee, Kirby et al had been appearing in other British comics (Smash!,Wham!,Pow!,Eagle, Fantastic!, Terrific!, and the anthologies of Alan Class Publications) since their inception.
In 1976 they decided to augment their output with an original British hero – albeit in a parochial, US style and manner – in a new weekly, although fan favourites Fantastic Four and Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. reprints filled out the issues. One bold departure was the addition of full colour printing up front for the new hero, and the equivalent back quarter of each issue.
Unremarkable even by its own standards at the time, this first compilation volume (featuring issues #1 through 23) of Captain Britain’s adventures reads quite well in the hyper-tense 21st century. There is a matter-of-fact charm and simplicity to the adventures that is sorely missed in these multi-part, multi-issue crossover days, and the necessity to keep attentions riveted and hungry for more in eight page instalments sweeps the willing reader along. Chris Claremont was given the original writing assignment apparently due to his being born here, Herb Trimpe the pencilling chores because he was actually resident here for awhile. Gary Friedrich eventually replaced the unhappy Claremont, but the artist, inked by golden age legend Fred Kida (Airboy, The Heap) provided rip-roaring art for this entire first volume. Future artists will include John Buscema, Alan Davis, and, if the publishers include the Black Knight strips from Hulk Weekly, John Stokes.
As for content, if you like old fashioned Marvel-style comics you’re in for a treat, as young Brian Braddock learns how to be a hero with help from the likes of Nick Fury and Captain America, not to mention Prime Minister James Callaghan, against the likes of Hurricane, The Vixen, Doctor Synne, Mastermind and even the Red Skull. The only possible quibble to endure is the petty annoyance of the volume ending mid-story, although the next volume is not too far away, apparently. If this sort of stuff doesn’t appeal, you might consider that these stories are pivotal to understanding the Alan Moore, X-Men and Excalibur tales of the last twenty years. Or the fact that there’s a free Captain Britain mask with the book. Not so easy to resist now, huh?
