Captain Britain and MI:13 - Gone man it's gone

Colin YNWA · 19 May, 2009, 08:22:41 PM

Well damn you all, damn you all. Why oh why didn't you all go out and buy 12 copies of Captain Britain and MI:13 each and then persuade your families to do the same. What was it the catchy title, what was it. Well do you see what you've all gone and done, do you. Cos you didn't its gone and got canceled and that's the last title on my Pull list from Marvel about to go the way of the dodo.

I hope you're all happy. I really do... I don't think I'm taking this news well at all am I!

Batman's Superior Cousin · 19 May, 2009, 08:50:12 PM

Quote from: "Colin_YNWA"Well damn you all, damn you all. Why oh why didn't you all go out and buy 12 copies of Captain Britain and MI:13 each and then persuade your families to do the same. What was it the catchy title, what was it. Well do you see what you've all gone and done, do you. Cos you didn't its gone and got canceled and that's the last title on my Pull list from Marvel about to go the way of the dodo.

I hope you're all happy. I really do... I don't think I'm taking this news well at all am I!

Never knew it existed to be honest man

Grae the puppetmaker · 19 May, 2009, 08:58:48 PM

Caught the first arc, couldn't afford after that, was going to pick it up as trades (eventually).

Great shame though, top work from Cornell.

eggonlegs · 19 May, 2009, 09:06:31 PM

a shame

Professor Bear · 19 May, 2009, 09:23:22 PM

Good book from what I've bought (the trade collection of the first five issues, courtesy of Amazon) and downloaded (the last six issues). Had to download the latter stuff as FP flatly refused to get me a copy, and it's not the only comic they refuse to get their hands on for me, either.
You have to wonder why the comics market is shrinking, don't you?

Tweak72 · 19 May, 2009, 09:27:09 PM

Every issue I saw had some kind of cross over happening so I didn't bother.

flip-r mk2 · 19 May, 2009, 11:38:34 PM

That's me pissed off now,was really enjoying Paul Cornell's scripts. Now only 2 American monthlies on my pull list Hellblazer and Walking Dead. A primary 5 was such a good year, Captain Britain Oct 76 then 2000ad Feb 77.

flip

Emperor · 20 May, 2009, 01:00:55 AM

I left my thoughts over on Paul Cornell's blog, best case is the protests, strong trade sales and some good awards (as I mentioned in the Eagles nominations thread) mean we still get CB&MI13 limited series from time to time, with an eye to turning it into an ongoing if the numbers improve. There is quite a bit of discussion on this over on the CBR forums (where you can find Mark/Sword from It Came From Darkmoor, who has been one of the leading lights in the campaign to keep things going) and there is the suggestion that everyone send Joe Q a tea bag to register their feelings.

Quote from: "Tweak72"Every issue I saw had some kind of cross over happening so I didn't bother.

It wasn't a problem - I haven't read any other Secret Invasion title (although I will probably pick up Deadpool and Thunderbolts) and really all you need to know is "Skrulls have invaded" (it does have a page explaining the background but really that is about it) other than that it was perfectly self-contained. It is event storytelling done right - what killed my interest back in the day was the way you had to buy hundreds of titles to actually read the story (I think DC 1,000,000 was so called because that is the number of comic books you needed to buy - I picked up the trade and it was a joke). The final storyline "Vampire Nation" possibly has some connection with Dark Reign but I don't think you need to know anything about it. Granted I won't be offering you a money back guarantee but the first trade is pretty cheap and if you enjoyed Wisdom (because I hope everyone read that!!

) then you'll be just fine. It is a superhero team book done right.

Colin YNWA · 20 May, 2009, 08:22:50 AM

Yeah completely agree Captain Britain and MI:13 (damn that title was they only bad thing about this book!) was actually a great example of how a Marvel comics could try to gain the advantage of pulling in reader by being 'involved' in the continous stream of events and crossovers (by DC is seen as continuity heavy when Marvel is doing what it is is beyond me but that's a debate for another time) yet at the same time in reality remain self contained and independent of the baggage that comes with it all.

Matt Timson · 20 May, 2009, 10:12:26 AM

I bought the first trade recently and had mixed feelings about it. I was slightly irritated that Cap was wearing the exact same uniform that I'd designed for one of my own characters- but at least that means I liked it.

8-)

SmallBlueThing · 20 May, 2009, 10:33:35 AM

Can't say I'm too fussed- or surprised. I bought the first trade, and found it mostly unreadable toss.

I'm very fond of Captain Britain, still remembering the excitement surrounding the first few issues of the colour weekly- and how much I thought the strip improved when it went to black and white with art by the under-rated Alfredo Alcala (was it he?). The werewolf strip from that time still resonates today. The UK-originated Black Knight stories hold an ongoing fascination for me, and Dave Thorpe/ Alan Moore/ Jamie Delano's run are some of my favourite comics ever.

I lost it with the strip completely when Excalibur happened, and the usage of the character that I've seen since has been mostly generic American superhero fodder.

Bought &MI13 when I saw the trade and was underwhelmed- it seemed to be trying too hard to be as funky as The Ultmates, and remained a pale, insipid version of what had been done before- undermined by the crossover nonsense and appalling dialogue.

Hopefully, the character will pop up in the UK Marvel Heroes title- and who knows, an enterprising editor may now decide to do something radical with him. Firstly ditching the horribly dated uniform and years of Excalibur-backstory.

Steev

Matt Timson · 20 May, 2009, 02:21:14 PM

I quite liked the new uniform- but then again, I suppose I would. What makes it so horribly dated?

Emperor · 20 May, 2009, 03:04:06 PM

Each to their own, but I think you are right about Panini being a good place to play with these characters. After all it was at Marvel UK that the character got his best airing, free from the pressures of being in mainstream Marvel and now Marvel are reprinting those stories. The problem is that I hear very little about their comics or what's in them.

Quote from: "Colin_YNWA"Yeah completely agree Captain Britain and MI:13 (damn that title was they only bad thing about this book!)

I suspect they'd have liked to go with Excalibur but the ball had recently been fumbled with New Excalibur (apparently, Chris Claremont wasn't allowed to use the Hellfire Club as the villains, as planned) and the series limped along before being put out of their misery in Die By The Sword. I think the memory of that hadn't ad time to fade (and it might be Excalibur was too associated with Claremont) so they went with another name and at the start it was pretty much Captain Britain joining up with MI13 so the name was a "does what it says on the tin" kind of thing (personally I like "Captain Britain and Chums"). During the series he has forged a different team which is pretty much set-up for the re-appearance of Excalibur in a year or to, presumably when Psylocke becomes available (as a crossover or a part-time member).

Also Mark has posted his thoughts over on It Came From Dartmoor:

http://itcamefromdarkmoor.blogspot.com/ ... -news.html

Don't forget the Eagles - there are only a few days left.

Ignatzmonster · 20 May, 2009, 06:19:26 PM

Quote from: "Colin_YNWA"Well damn you all, damn you all. Why oh why didn't you all go out and buy 12 copies of Captain Britain and MI:13 each and then persuade your families to do the same. What was it the catchy title, what was it. Well do you see what you've all gone and done, do you. Cos you didn't its gone and got canceled and that's the last title on my Pull list from Marvel about to go the way of the dodo.

I hope you're all happy. I really do... I don't think I'm taking this news well at all am I!

Now, now, Colin you've no one to blame but yourself. You know 90% of Marvel comics are absolute dog souvenirs. How are we to know one is worth reading if no one clues us in. That and the most interesting ones have a habit of getting cancelled as the majority of Marvel readers respond to quality the way vampires respond to sunlight: by hissing and whinging. Irredeemable Antman was one of my favorites and didn't even make double digits. Iron Fist just got cancelled despite being one of their better comics. Milligan and Allred's X-Force had to change its name to X-Statics because the fans complained it wasn't enough like the unreadible muck that preceded it.

That said, everyone go find Jason Aaron's run on Ghost Rider. He's turned the most uninspired character available into a grindhouse hero.

Emperor · 21 May, 2009, 03:17:04 AM

Quote from: "Matt Timson"I bought the first trade recently and had mixed feelings about it. I was slightly irritated that Cap was wearing the exact same uniform that I'd designed for one of my own characters- but at least that means I liked it.

<--- winning smile