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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 12, 2019 1:07:51 GMT -5
New Mutants #2"Space Jail"Cover Date: Jan, 2020 Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Rod Reis Featured Character(s): The New Mutants (Magik, Mondo, Wolfsbane, Sunspot, Chamber, Mirage, Cypher, & Karma) Villain/s: None Guest Stars: Cannonball, Imperial Guard (Smasher, Gladiator, Oracle, & Mentor), Majestrix Xandra Neramani, Deathbird, Shi'ar Empire (Chandar Order & unnamed Judge), Frelson and Blurdock (Murd Blurdock), & X-Corps Official Plot:The classic New Mutants (Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Mirage, Karma, Magik, and Cypher) get together with a few new friends in Chamber and Mondo. They’re the next generation of mutants and they’re ready to claim their future now...so what better way to do that than a mission to the stars alongside the Starjammers!? Brodie's View:
The Starjammers stuff happened Last Issue, recap person, time to catch up. All right! Time to talk about the newest issue of the X-book that I've enjoyed the most from this relaunch (and never thought I would), NEW MUTANTS. In the last issue, the team was left high and dry by the previously mentioned Starjammers, and thrown in....gasp...SPACE JAIL, with itchy uniforms and everything. We get a nice recap at the beginning (from Sunspot's perspective) that explains all of this. Eventually, the group have their day in Shi'ar court, represented by the worst space lawyer money can buy, Murd Blurdock (from Frelson and Blurdock....lol), and unsurprisingly found guilty of their crimes. Their punishment is to be turned over to a representative of the empire, who turns out to be the new Smasher from the Imperial Guard, who also happens to be the girlfriend and Baby Momma for the guy they went into Shi'ar space to find in the first place, Cannonball(!). After some male re-bonding between he and Sunspot (complete with Sunspot getting socked in the nose by Smasher), the group leave on an important new mission happening in another part of the Empire. See, apparently Lilandra died over the last decade of continuity, but before she died she (and Charles Xaiver) produced a daughter who is the heir to the Shi'ar Empire, Xandra, but she needs to be trained for that position, and the only person seemingly able to do that is the one person who has always had her eyes on the throne, Lilandra's sister, Deathbird(!!!). The issue ends with the New Mutants and Imperial Guard finding Deathbird, who had been, I assume, in exile up to that point for her past deeds, and, of course, Sunspot has a instant crush on her ( ). You know, even though Hickman is doing a good job on the main X-Book, it's pretty clear that he's having WAY more fun on this book. I mean, getting to play with a lot of the classic concepts and characters from the Claremont era (with a couple Gen X characters tossed in there) has to be a blast, as it's been a blast reading it so far. To add to all of that is Rod Reis' artwork, which very much feels like Bill Sienkiewicz's best stuff from the past NEW MUTANTS book. This has just been a really fun read so far, and I'm looking forward to what the next issue will bring. However, for our next review, we're going to jump into another trade. This one will be one focusing on Captain Britain. GRADE: A-
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 13, 2019 1:16:52 GMT -5
Mighty World of Marvel #14"Bad Moon Rising"Cover Date: July, 1984 Writer: Steve Craddock & Alan Davis Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: None Guest Stars: Meggan, Micky Scott (dies), Josie Scott, & Sidney Crumb (1st appearance of all) Official Plot:A new chapter in Captain Britain's life begins, as he meets the mysterious Meggan. Brodie's View:So, instead of doing the new issue of EXCALIBUR, which I'm already behind an issue on, I'm going to limit my new issue reviews to the main X-MEN book and NEW MUTANTS, as I feel those two are the books out of this run that I would prefer to waste my time reviewing. Not saying the other books are shit. They've been decent, but not enough to keep up on for these reviews. So, instead, being that I eventually do want to review most of the original EXCALIBUR book, I've decided to spend my next trade paperback review on the trade that really kind of sets things up for EXCALIBUR, at least on the British side of things, and that's the CAPTAIN BRITAIN trade that focuses on the period in between Alan Moore leaving the CB book and the period where EXCALIBUR was formed. Although, as you'll see, this run does really set a LOT up for EXCALIBUR when it starts in 1988. However, in this first story, we are back in 1984, and entering a new chapter after the Alan Moore stuff ended in issue #13. A lot of it is recapped via narration, though, as Captain Britain (or Brian Braddock, to clarify things) stands overlooking the slums of London, thinking about all that had happened to him in recent months. He is snapped out of his emo moment by the sounds of someone being attacked below, and he springs into action. And as we find, someone indeed has been attacked. A drunk homeless man has been attacked by what appears to be a were-creature of some sort. Of course, what we'll find out is that this is not a were-creature in the traditional sense, but rather a mutant with shape changing abilities named Meggan (that's right...this is the first appearance of the character that will go on to become Mrs. Brian Braddock). For some reason, she seems to be affected by the full moon, in the sense that it causes her tremendous pain. This is why she attacks the homeless man, and as Captain Britain battles her, he quickly realizes that this is a creature that truly means no harm, which is why he doesn't attack her with his full power. Along the way, he comes across two teenagers that have seemingly been taking care of her, but as he questions them, Meggan sees the exchange as the Captain attacking her friends, and she goes after him again. In the process of this, though, the structure they have been fighting beneath comes down, killing one of the teens in an abrupt ending to this story. Speaking of the story, it is quite solid; wrapping up the loose ends (or at least acknowledging them) while heading into this new run, which we will follow. Plus, you gotta love that Alan Davis art, which isn't as defined as it will be by the time we get to EXCALIBUR, but it'll be fun to see it get to that point. In the next issue, we see the fall out of this altercation, as the Captain must be the one to break the bad news to the parents of the teen he had at least a small part in the death of. GRADE: B+
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Ultimo Gallos
Grimlock
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 14,467
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Dec 13, 2019 16:16:03 GMT -5
Excalibur is why I started tracking down that Marvel UK stuff. Thankfully back then the local comic shop owner was from the UK so it was a bit easier for him to get the stuff.
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 14, 2019 2:46:48 GMT -5
Mighty World of Marvel #15"Tea and Sympathy"Cover Date: Aug, 1984 Writer: Alan Davis Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Unnamed Bounty Hunters Guest Stars: Meggan, Josie Scott, Joan Scott, & Bob Scott (1st appearance of the last two) Official Plot:Captain Britain has tea with the Scott family. That's it. Brodie's View:Jeez, what a short sighted synopsis that was. Yes, that is the main thing that happens in this story, but this was a great little story that took a turn one wouldn't expect from a story like this. After somewhat causing the death of their son, Mickey (who was crushed by a piece of building falling on him during a fight between Captain Britain and Meggan), Brian feels honor bound to go to his parents and apologize. In the United States, this probably would have led to hysterics and the Captain being called everything in the book, but in the good ole UK, the parents take this news and the Captain's apology far better than one would ever think, stating that Mickey had really been lost to them since he ran away from home and joined up with a bad bunch. However, Brian still feels incredibly guilty for what happened, as he already had been feeling guilty for kind of losing sight of defending the defenseless during the otherworldly exploits and grandeur of the Alan Moore run. It's here that he brings up the whole idea of "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" without saying those exact words in that order. Eventually, Meggan joins them (and right here I'll apologize for wrongly stating that Meggan made her first appearance last issue, as she actually appeared one time before this, in Alan Moore's run as one of many mutant type folks "Mad" Jim Jaspers had in his concentration camps; however, she only remembers vague parts of that, which is good, as it's been a good 12 years since I read Moore's CAPTAIN BRITAIN stuff), and the group enjoy tea and talking until a group of armed bounty hunters suddenly attack. The Captain and Meggan fight them off, but end up destroying the Scott's family house in the process. Brian tries to once again apologize, but Mrs. Scott blows him off, stating that at least the new home the government provides them won't be in a slum any more. In other words, she looks for the silver lining in even the worst situation, which, once again, is the most old fashionedly British thing that could have happened. This was a great little story that had very little action, but a LOT of character/story stuff, which I'm just as much a fan of as any well done action scene. In the next issue, we start to move on into the first full storyline of this new era of CB, and we'll see a lot of familiar faces (as well as those that will become familiar faces to EXCALIBUR readers) pop up, including the character that has currently taken Brian's place as Captain Britain. GRADE: A-
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 15, 2019 1:53:52 GMT -5
Mighty World of Marvel #16"In All the Familiar Places"Cover Date: Sept, 1984 Writer: Alan Davis & Mike Collins Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Unnamed Bounty Hunters, Slaymaster, Kaptain Briton, & The Crazy Gang (Red Queen, Executioner, Tweedledope, Jester, & Knave) Guest Stars: Meggan, Betsy Braddock, Alison Double, Emma Collins, Mastermind (Not the X-villain), & Dai Thomas Official Plot:The past returns to plague Captain Britain... Brodie's View:I know I haven't mentioned this in the first two reviews of this run, so, I'll mention it now. MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL was the second volume of a UK exclusive Marvel comic; which mixed reprints of American comics with new UK Exclusive stories. For example, Wolverine is on the cover of this issue because the X-MEN AND THE MICRONAUTS mini series is being reprinted currently, although, that will change in the next few issues to something else. I won't be covering those reprints, but if the issue featured is one that I reviewed in the past, I'll try to remember to mention it, so, you can read my thoughts on both stories. However, for now, I will be covering the CAPTAIN BRITAIN part of the book, and this issue is no exception, as it really does try to fully close the door on the Alan Moore run and its events, while also moving into future storylines. We get a major hint of those storylines at the end of the story, but before all that we get reunions and explanations. The reunions come right at the start of the issue, as Captain Britain (real name, Brian Braddock) is reunited with his sister, Betsy Braddock (the future Psylocke and Current Captain Britain), who returns along with psychic Alison Double to find that a woman that she had thought severely hurt by out of control computer, Mastermind (who Brian reveals he reprogramed in order create the illusion to the public that Braddock manor, which had been destroyed during the Moore run, was currently being rebuilt), Emma Collins (long time maid/housekeeper for the Braddock clan), who appears to be fine and no worse for wear. In time, however, we'll find that not to be the case. After the group watches a news report where Brian sells the public the illusion that Braddock mansion rebuilding was already underway, Brian and Betsy walk through the intact part of the manor, talking about the things that had happened during the end of Moore's run (Jim Jaspers and his concentration camps, which Betsy had also been a prisoner of), which at one point causes Betsy to uncontrolably release powers that she didn't previously have (or at least Brian never knew she had). This is the manifestation of her mutant powers, which will eventually lead her to join the X-Men. It ends up helping her and her brother, as they are attacked by the same armored bounty hunters that tried to come after him in the last story. We then get teasers of upcoming threats (Slaymaster, the insane Kaptain Briton (from a Earth where Britain became a fascist country), and the silly "Alice in Wonderland" inspired Crazy Gang) before ending on police investigator Dai Thomas (who will eventually become an ally and EXCALIBUR side character), who might have very well solved the mystery of Captain Britain's secret identity. In the next issue, we will get more development on this last bit, as Dai makes his case that Captain Britain is really....Brian Braddock. ( ) GRADE: A-
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 16, 2019 0:29:57 GMT -5
Captain Britain #1"Pictures, Puzzles, and Pawns"Cover Date: Jan, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Kaptain Briton, & The Crazy Gang (Red Queen, Executioner, Tweedledope, Jester, & Knave) Guest Stars: Betsy Braddock & Dai Thomas (and his superiors) Official Plot:Dai Thomas tries to convince his superiors at Scotland Yard that Brian Braddock is Captain Britain, while Brian recounts his history to his sister. Brodie's View:While MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL would go on for one more issue and be cancelled (but eventually relaunched), our favorite Captain from across the shore gets his own solo book (Yay!)....that would also feature some Marvel UK side stories. We'll only be covering the main stories in these issues, as that's all I have. In this one, we get a pretty awesome little recap of everything that has happened in CB's various solo series, including a recap of his origin. It's interesting to see the Claremont written beginnings moving into the Alan Moore stuff, as things got far darker and crazier than I think anyone would have imagined just going off of what had been up to that point. I'm surprised his meeting with Spider-Man/their having to team up to fight their way out of Arcade's Murderworld, but then again, that could have been a rights issue on Marvel's behalf...who knows. Anyways, while Brian is telling his backstory to Betsy, we're seeing a different break down of his/Captain Britain's history happening on the other side of the city, as Dai Thomas (a cop with a chip on his shoulder where it relates to superheroes, as his wife was killed during a Hulk/Thor battle in the past) tries desperately to convince his supervisors that Captain Britain and Brian Braddock are the same person. Unfortunately for him, his supes kind of blow him off, mentioning after he leaves that a newly established group (R.C.X,. who we'll be seeing very soon) will be handling the superhuman problem. Thomas storms off, not noticing that there is an actual (well, somewhat) threat sitting in a car nearby to Scotland Yard. We'll be seeing those "threats" (who will actually come to work with a REAL threat by the end of the issue) in the next issue, but I will say this was a great "Jumping on" issue for anyone new to the Captain Britain story. I know I found out a bunch that I didn't know, which will hopefully fill in any holes I would have with the previous narrative. Anyways, now that the background has been laid, it's time to move fully into the future, and we will start next issue...with the Crazy Gang. GRADE: A
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 17, 2019 2:07:24 GMT -5
Captain Britain #2"Law and Disorder"Cover Date: Feb, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: The Crazy Gang (Red Queen, Executioner, Tweedledope, Jester, & Knave), Slaymaster, & Opal Lun Sat-Yr-9 (first appearance of the last) Guest Stars: Betsy Braddock, Dai Thomas, & R.C.X (Michael & Gabriel)---first appearance of the last Official Plot:The Crazy Gang return, and get a new leader-Slaymaster! Brodie's View:The Crazy Gang make their official return to the life of Captain Britain, as well as a foe from the past (and one that will go on to make a lasting impression on a character close to the Captain, but we'll get to all of that in due time), but let's hold up on him for a second. First off, let me say that I've always dug The Crazy Gang throughout their appearances in EXCALIBUR. It's cool to know that they really didn't change much from this point in time until they made their appearances in the British based future X-spin off book. They're a group of creatures based off of twisted versions of the Alice in Wonderland story, and were apparently created by the reality warping Jim Jaspers before his death. However, somehow they ended up in this reality, and plan to carry on a life time of being dangerous super criminals. The only problem is that they're kind of stupid, and thus need a criminal mind to guide them to whatever crimes they commit, as they're absolutely terrible at it otherwise (as we see in some pretty funny moments in the first half of the story). Lucky for them, they find that criminal mind, who appears to be a giant smoking Caterpillar looking creature, continuing the whole Alice in Wonderland theme. This giant caterpillar directs them to some actual successful robberies (The Royal Mint, the National Gallery, and the British Museum), which, of course, gets the attention of the good Captain, who pursues them thinking that their continued existence must mean that somehow Jaspers has returned. However, once he arrives at their secret headquarters, he is quickly taken down by the combined powers of the Gang, and the Caterpillar reveals himself to be another long time CB foe, Slaymaster(!). Before we end things off talking about the next issue, I will mention a few notable thing that happens in this issue. One of them is is the official debut of Opal Lun Sat-Yr-9, the ruler of the alternate reality that Kaptain Briton is the main hero for. It is she that sent the armored mercenaries after CB a couple of issues back, and those mercs are punished for their failure to bring the Captain to her (although, not as harshly as she will "reward" failure with down the line). Opal also very much resembles (as she is an alternate Earth version of) Brian's future love interest, Courtney Ross, which will also come into play during the EXCALIBUR run. One other intro is the group that was mentioned during the last issue, and that's the Resources Control Executives, or R.C.X,. who will replace the S.T.R.I.K.E. group as it relates to dealing with superhuman and otherworld-ly threats in the European nations. We get a brief into to the two men who will be mainly representing R.C.X. during this run, Michael and Gabriel, but these two men will become more important as this run continues on. Speaking of which, in the next issue, Captain Britain tries to fight his way out of the trap laid for him by Slaymaster in this story....if he can. GRADE: A-
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 18, 2019 3:10:35 GMT -5
Captain Britain #3"Flotsam and Jetsam"Cover Date: March, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: The Crazy Gang (Red Queen, Executioner, Tweedledope, Jester, & Knave), Slaymaster, & Vixen Guest Stars: The Technet (Gatecrasher & Yap)---1st Appearance of this incarnation of the group & Sidney Crumb Official Plot:Captain Britain vs Slaymaster: the rematch! Brodie's View:Wow! Well, with these first few issues of transition and set up out of the way, we move full on into threat after threat for our poor Captain, who, as we saw last week, was taken down by his old enemy, Slaymaster (with the help of The Crazy Gang, who, we find out were let go by Slaymaster right after Cap was taken down), who then delivers the unconscious CB to the duplicitous crime lord, Vixen. He does it to make a deal, as while Vixen wants Brian Braddock, Slaymaster wants his Captain Britain uniform, as he believes it to be the source of Braddock's power. He's wrong, but we don't find that out fully for a while, but we do find out some interesting things about the uniform while Brian is at the mercy of the two villains. Mostly that his uniform is mechanical in nature, and seems to be bonded to it's intended wearer, which, as we find out is most certainly Brian Braddock, as once Slaymaster (who is betrayed by Vixen, and steals the uniform anyways) puts it on fully, he is under the mental control of Brian, who promptly has the uniform set him free and sends Slaymaster crashing into a wall, knocking him unconscious. This is not the last we'll see of either villain, far from it, but Brian is able to escape, as Vixen, knowing the jig is up, floods her underwater layer, hoping to take out both Cap and Slaymaster. Obviously Slaymaster survives, but we don't find that out until later. Brian, however, makes it to the surface to come face to face with another old, and even more deadly enemy, The Fury, or what very much seems like it. As we'll learn in the very next issue, Brian is only half right in his assumptions. However, before we get to that full on next issue blurb, I will mention that this is the first appearance of a few of the characters that will make up the incarnation of the multi-dimensional bounty hunters, The Technet. We'll see them in full in the next issue, where I will talk about them a bit more, but I will say that we are definitely off and running with these recent issues, and the threats are going to get bigger and badder from here. In the next issue, Captain Britain will fight The Fury....or will he? GRADE: A-
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Ultimo Gallos
Grimlock
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 14,467
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Dec 18, 2019 17:16:59 GMT -5
LOVE THE CRAZY GANG... Have they been used at all since the early days of the first Excalibur series?
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 19, 2019 1:09:34 GMT -5
LOVE THE CRAZY GANG... Have they been used at all since the early days of the first Excalibur series? I think there was an issue or two, when Alan Davis came back to the book in the 40-60's, where they gave the Crazy Gang a happy ending. Not sure if anyone came along in the last decade to change that, but it wouldn't surprise me.
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 19, 2019 1:36:47 GMT -5
Captain Britain #4"Sid's Story"Cover Date: April, 1985 Writer: Mike Collins Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Sidney Crumb/The Fury Guest Stars: The Technet (Gatecrasher, Yap, Fascination, Thug, Ferro, Elmo, Ringtoss, Pandora, & Pardok---1st appearance of all but the first two, as far as this incarnation of the team goes), Steve, Nige, Joyce, & Doreen Official Plot:The Captain encounters Sidney Crumb, a man whose luck changed for the worse when he met The Fury... Brodie's View:We move from the goofiness of The Crazy Gang and the high super heroics of the Slaymaster/Vixen story, right into straight horror with this issue, as Captain Britain battles another old (and one of his deadliest) enemy/ies, The Fury (a more bestial version of basically NIMROD, but created by Jim Jaspers)....or does he? Actually, yes and no. See, during the last major appearance of The Fury, a homeless man was wounded by one of the organic cyborg's attack, infecting him, and little did he (or anyone) know/knew, this caused him to slowly transform into a human Fury hybrid. Where the last issue left us right in the middle of this Sidney Fury's rampage, we go back to the beginning to see how the rampage again. In terrible pain from the ongoing transformation, and deliriously hallucinating phantoms depicting past abuses in his life, Sidney starts to lash out at anyone in his path, killing many of them with an acidic touch. However, he is trying to get help for himself, but since one of the last things to go in the transformation is his mouth, he can't articulate any of his plight to anyone, and just seems like a typical murderous monster on the loose. This is where Captain Britain comes into the story, and upon seeing what appears to be one of his deadliest enemies (and one responsible for the deaths of various friends/allies in the past), he instantly goes into attack mode. However, we're getting to see Sidney's thoughts as this is happening, and the Captain is doing nothing but hurting this dying man, and he finally lets loose in a psychic scream that Brian is able to hear, and he stops the attack long enough for Sidney to collapse, die, and melt into a puddle of goo. The Captain is in shock from all of this, so, he doesn't even notice that The Technet has gotten the drop on him until they attack as he tries to fly away, bringing him crashing down to Earth and unconsciousness. The Technet are a group of interdimensional bounty hunters, however, realistically, they're just slightly more effective than The Crazy Gang. In other words, they're more of a nuisance that can be either somewhat allies or enemies based on the story they're in. In this case, they've been hired to capture Captain Britain for the woman we met in the last story, Opal Lun Sat-Yr-9, and in the next issue, we'll see the aftermath of all of that. I will say that this is one of the best stories of this run so far, as it creates a monster in Sidney Crumb that is as pitiful and sympathetic as he is horrible and deadly. However, I have a feeling even this will be topped by the time this little run ends. GRADE: A
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 20, 2019 1:11:34 GMT -5
Captain Britain #5"Double Game"Cover Date: May, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Kaptain Briton Guest Stars: The Technet (Gatecrasher, Yap, Fascination, Thug, Ferro, Elmo, Ringtoss, Pandora, & Pardok), Betsy Braddock, Meggan, Alison Double, Emma Collins, & R.C.X. (Michael & Gabriel) Official Plot:The Captain faces his evil otherdimensional counterpart, the fascistic Kaptain Briton. Brodie's View:I will admit to being a bit confused when I started reading this story, as it felt like I had missed an issue, as we pick up with Betsy Braddock being confronted by what appears to be her brother. However, when the real Captain Britain busts in and starts fighting with this imposter Brian, we see that this other Captain Britain is the fascist Kaptain Briton from the dimension ruled by Opal Lun Sat-Yr-9. Gatecrasher and her Technet then enter, and try to explain to Betsy, Meggan, and the others (and us) what happened since the end of the last story. In short, the group was hired to capture Kaptain Briton, but since his and our CB's life scans are so similar, they took down the wrong Braddock (after his killing the fury infected Sidney Crumb). Once our Brian regained consciousness, the Technet actually picked up Kaptain Briton's life scans....coming from Braddock Manor. Putting two and two together, Brian quickly realizes that the insane Kaptain is going after his sister (as he seems to have a sick fancy for her), and we pick the story back up where we came in at. In other words, we came in during the middle of the conflict, and had to be filled in up to that point, which is done quite well. The two Brian Braddocks (or in the Kaptain's case, Byron Bra-Dhok) fight, with no one observing sure of which one is which until our Captain seems to take out the other one. The Technet take what appears to be the alternate Brian away, and everything is sunshine and roses, right? Nope, for as we see at the very end of the issue, somehow Kaptain Briton switched costumes with our CB, which means that our Captain has been taken to Opal Lun Sat-Yr-9 (Double ), and Betsy Braddock has been left to the mercy of an insane mockery of her brother....one with rape on his mind. (Triple ) Wow, talk about things going from dark to darker. I have to say, though, I've always loved the idea of alternate worlds and alternate versions of the characters we all know and love, so, I'm looking forward to how this all plays out. In the next issue....well, we might see some really messed up stuff happen, I will warn you. Of course, perhaps not, as Betsy Braddock is already showing hints of the power that will eventually lead to her becoming Psylocke. I guess cross your fingers and hope for the best. GRADE: A-
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 21, 2019 1:32:43 GMT -5
Captain Britain #6"A Long Way From Home"Cover Date: June, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Kaptain Briton (dies) & Opal Lun Sat-Yr-9 Guest Stars: The Technet (Gatecrasher, Yap, Fascination, Thug, Ferro, Elmo, Ringtoss, Pandora, & Pardok) & Betsy Braddock, Official Plot:With the Captain trapped by the Technet, Betsy Braddock faces the depraved Kaptain Briton. Brodie's View:This is a story taking place in two different places; The main 616 Universe, where Betsy Braddock is trying to fight off the psychotic Kaptain Briton (who looks very much like her brother), who is trying to rape her, and Earth-794, in which Britain has become a fascist country ruled by the ruthless Opal Lun Sat-Yr-9. This is where our Captain Britain was taken by The Technet, as they all thought he was the escaped Kaptain (who created an illusion switching the two during their fight). However, being out of it, he is seduced by Opal, who looks very much like Opal Luna Saturnyne, who also is kind of ruthless and a bitch, but definitely not as psychotic and deranged as Opal Sat-Yr-9 ends up being. Upon seeing her world, and it's love of torture and death, Brian freaks, and manages to find The Technet on their way out. He convinces them that he is the Brian Braddock they knew from Earth 616, and they all fight their way through Opal Sat-Yr-9's troops, with one of the technet eventually releasing a acidic slime that kills most of them. Captain Britain and The Technet end up leaving Opal Sat-Yr-9, who has completely lost the last bit of cheese that was on her cracker at the death of a good portion of her army. However, as we'll see down the line, she gets over completely breaking down eventually, and comes back for revenge on Brian Braddock by killing and replacing her Earth 616 doppelganger, Courtney Ross, but that happens in EXCALIBUR, so, I won't go too deep on that subject for now. On the other end of things, we have Betsy Braddock, who is fighting for her life against Kaptain Briton, who tries once again to rape her. However, he doesn't factor in (or even know the truth about) Betsy Braddock's growing mutant abilities, and in a final moment of being pushed to her breaking point, she telekinetically and psychically messes Kaptain Briton up to the point of outright killing him. This, of course, will also add to Opal Sat-Yr-9's hatred of the Braddock family, but as I said earlier, that's a tale for another time. In the next issue, though, we will deal with the aftermath of what Betsy has done, while also moving the story in yet an even different direction. We will see some old faces, some new faces, and some relationships strengthen while others fall apart, which is a good choice of the words, as this next issue will indeed be the point where "Things Fall Apart." GRADE: A-
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 22, 2019 2:41:25 GMT -5
Captain Britain #7"Things Fall Apart"Cover Date: July, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Kaptain Briton (corpse) & Jim Jaspers (in flashback) Guest Stars: The Technet (Gatecrasher, Yap, & Fascination), Betsy Braddock, Meggan, Mastermind/Jeeves, Alison Double, Emma Collins, R.C.X. (Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael (voice only)), Captain Britain Corps (Captain UK (Linda McQuillan) & James Braddock Sr.---the second in flashback form only), Merlyn (in flashback only), & R.C.X. detained Warpies/Cherubim (Lump, Quill, Fern, Giggles, AC-DC, Cherubim Whirlwind, & a hundred or so other Warpies) Official Plot:As Captain UK resurfaces again and the mysterious RCX set their sights on Braddock Manor, Mastermind takes control. Brodie's View:I thought, from both the title and how the last issue left off, that this was going to be the point where things went to complete shit for poor Brian Braddock and company, but instead this seems to be a pause point before things take off again. That's not saying that things don't happen in this issue; they do, but there's no major conflicts that happen in this story. In fact, this issue seems dedicated to furthering sub plots, while also creating others that will pay off both before this run ends, and after it, as we move into EXCALIBUR. Mastermind had been a AI created by Brian's (and Betsy) father using both Earth bound technology, and that coming from an interdimensional place known only as Otherworld (which is also where we find out, through Mastermind, that Brian, Betsy, and Jamie Braddock's father came from). However, Mastermind had been corrupted over time, and ended up being destroyed by Captain Britain during Alan Moore's run. He would rebuild Mastermind, though, and the computer's main mission remained the same; protect the Braddock family at any cost, and this is how we enter this story, as Mastermind suddenly comes back to take charge of the mess things were left in at the end of last issue (including taking care of Kaptain Briton's body). He eventually takes the form of an English butler sort named Jeeves, but while the others are happy to have someone to help take care of things while Brian is off Superhero-ing, Brian himself, knowing the past actions of Mastermind, is not convinced. Of course, this is also the first point where we see Brian Braddock is a drinker during times of stress, as he is drinking or trying to drink a few times during this story. This will eventually become a pretty big problem for him, as we'll see develop both here and later in....you guessed it, EXCALIBUR. The other major development takes place on the R.C.X. side of things, as we see the two representatives of the organization we've met so far, Michael and Gabriel, recruiting another member of the Captain Britain Corps, Captain UK/Linda McQuillan (whose own Earth was destroyed by The Fury during, you guessed it, Alan Moore's run) to help them care for the end product of Jim Jasper's attempt to create superhumans through experimentation, The Warpies (a group of young mutant superhumans). The Warpies, and what ends up happening to them, will be an ongoing storyline for both the rest of this run and....do I even have to say it at this point? Man! Once again, not a lot of direct action in this one, but a HELL of a lot of future stories/storylines are set up in this issue. In the next issue, our two stories converge, as the R.C.X. come to our Captain Britain for help, and Meggan undergoes a MAJOR change. GRADE: B+
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 23, 2019 2:20:05 GMT -5
Captain Britain #8"Childhood's End"Cover Date: Aug, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Cherubim (Lump, Quill, Fern, Giggles, AC-DC, & Cherubim Whirlwind) Guest Stars: Betsy Braddock, Meggan, Mastermind/Jeeves, Alison Double, Emma Collins, R.C.X. (Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael), Captain UK (Linda McQuillan), & William/Mary (Meggan's Parents; only time seen) Official Plot:Meggan undergoes a staggering transformation. Brodie's View:Yes she does, but this comes at the very end of the story, as the 99% that happens before that last panel concerns Michael and Gabriel (from R.C.X.) comes to Captain Britain's doorstep, hoping for his (and his family's) help with The Warpies (a generation of mutant children created by Jim Jasper's reality Warp). The others in the house seem willing, but Brian turns the two Bibilically named men down. It's here when The Warpies (and more specifically, The Cherubim section of The Warpies) start freaking out, causing havoc in front of Braddock Manor. Meggan, trying to earn her keep, self esteem wise, tries to get involved, but seemingly has the skin ripped from her. However, as we see in a few flashbacks, this is merely causing her to enter her next step in evolution, as being a shape changer, her appearance is based on how she feels about herself/how she reacts to those around her. As we see in the very last panel, she has finally realized that she can look like she wants, so, she sheds the rather bestial look she had up until then for the attractive look that she's pretty much had to the present day. Before that, as I said, we get the R.C.X. guys trying to convince Brian to house the Warpies at Braddock Manor, which, as I also stated, he's in total disagreement with. This is where we kind of start to see the selfish Brian Braddock that we will revisit a few times in EXCALIBUR, as well as Brian Braddock the alcoholic, which we've really seen develop over the last few issues. We also start to get the behind the scenes manipulation of Mastermind/Jeeves, who we see being intrigued at the possibilities of having an army of mutant children under "his" care. We also get a few minor call backs to the Moore run (well, other than the obvious connection between the Warpies and Jim Jaspers), as Betsy and Michael were in the late precursor to R.C.X,. S.T.R.I.K.E. Of course, any possible future for these characters will not be too long lived, as the two will follow two very different paths after this run ends. In the next issue, we will see the fall out from both the Cherubim freaking out in front of Braddock Manor and Meggan's new appearance...oh, and Brian is going to have to get used to having house guests. GRADE: B+
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 24, 2019 1:47:21 GMT -5
Captain Britain #9"Winds of Change"Cover Date: Sept, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Cherubim (Lump, Quill, Fern, Giggles, AC-DC, & Cherubim Whirlwind---the last dies) Guest Stars: Betsy Braddock, Meggan, Mastermind/Jeeves, Alison Double, Emma Collins, R.C.X. (Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael & his Warpies), Captain UK (Linda McQuillan), Jamie Braddock, Dr. Crocodile, & Witch Woman (1st Appearance of the Last Two) Official Plot:Captain Britain and Meggan take on the Cherubim. Brodie's View:We end up this part of the whole "Warpies" storyline, with an unexpected twist, in this issue. Captain Britain and Meggan do indeed do battle with the group of more advanced Warpies known as The Cherubim, with the battle going back and forth until the heroes are able to bring down the mutant children. In the meantime, we see deals being made with the R.C.X. guys and Jeeves, who offers up Braddock Manor to the Jasper's Warp created children. Of course, this is something Brian isn't too happy with, but he is guilted into it by his sister, Betsy, and the others. In addition, Jeeves makes another deal with Michael and Gabriel to try and keep Brian out of the Manor as much as possible, as to not mess with their plans concerning the Warpies. Of course, on a certain level, it's probably not that bad of an idea, as living with a bunch of mutant children is too much for Captain Britain, who prefers his privacy. We'll get a call back to this whole situation in EXCALIBUR, but with the group forced to share their place with The Technet, and Brian is no more thrilled with that than he is here. Luckily, or unluckily, as we'll soon find out, Brian gets a call from his race car driving brother, Jamie, who we'll soon learn has mutant abilities of his own. Anyways, he's been taken captive by two characters that make their first appearances here; Dr. Crocodile and Witch Woman, who we'll find out more about later. We also get a hint at the very end of this story that even this whole situation is being manufactured by Jeeves (AKA Mastermind) to try to keep Brian jumping and not at the Manor. None of this is going to end very well, and we can see the hints of it here. We also see Brian's drinking increase, as well as an attraction to the now quite attractive Meggan. We'll see those feelings grow over the rest of this run, and most definitely once we get into the pages of EXCALIBUR. In the next issue, we'll move into the next major storyline, as Captain Britain must fight two new foes for the life of his brother, who...doesn't come out of this whole thing quite the same. GRADE: B+
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 25, 2019 1:10:07 GMT -5
Captain Britain #10"African Nightmare"Cover Date: Oct, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Jamie Braddock Guest Stars: Meggan, R.C.X. (Michael & Gabriel---in flashback), Dr. Crocodile, Witch Woman, (The following are all in flashback/vision form only) Robert Arnold (dies), Mrs. Arnold, Red Cross Staff (dies), Enclave Woman, Slaves, & Rich People Official Plot:Captain Britain travels to Africa to save his brother from Doctor Crocodile-only to learn that he may not deserve to be saved. Brodie's View:Captain Britain and Meggan fly to Africa to save Brian's brother, Jamie, who is the captive of Dr. Crocodile and the Witch Woman. However, he quickly finds out more than he probably wanted to know about both Jamie and the R.C.X.; the second thing we'll see play out over the rest of this run, however, let's get back to the first, as it's definitely more important for the immediate (and long reaching) future. Before I say any more, though, I will mention that Jamie Delano and Alan Davis started to have a falling out over this period, that will lead to Davis taking full control of the character again as we reach our last couple of stories. I think, especially when I see what Delano's work would be like for the book he would end up writing for a nice stretch of time after this, HELLBLAZER, I can take a guess why that split happened. See, I think Delano wanted to go darker and more political with his stories, and I don't think that was particularly the path Davis wanted to go with it (as evidenced by the direction we would see Captain Britain and his cast of characters would go after this run ended). I say all this because the bulk of this issue is a massive hallucination brought on by Dr. Crocodile spraying Brian with a gas, causing him to go on a crazy, truth telling type of a trip (which, I love shit like this) that we would see John Constantine go on later in HELLBLAZER. In this trip, Brian sees that his brother is far more of a monster than he could ever imagine. He cozied up to the rich, while funding the enslavement of the African people, while also ordering the deaths of those trying to expose what is happening. We also see the possible origin of Dr. Crocodile, who, I'm thinking was originally a Warpie that severely damaged with his mutant powers first kicked in, and was fitted with prosthetics by members of the R.C.X,. who Brian also finds out is manipulating things so he is out of the picture. Needless to say, neither revelation makes him very happy, but the betrayal is much more raw where it concerns his brother, who Brian leaves to the "mercy" of Dr. Croc and company. However, as we'll find out eventually, Dr. Crocodile's punishment would end up both kicking in Jamie's mutant power (the power to alter reality, but not on the level of Jim Jaspers) and driving him insane, making him even more dangerous. We would see him a few times during the EXCALIBUR run, and beyond that (usually where either Davis or Chris Claremont was involved), even up to the current EXCALIBUR series, where he is shown to be alive and, we can only assume, biding his time. In the next issue, though, we'll leave Jamie Braddock behind to focus on some mysteries involving Meggan and her recent transformations, as we will have a short "world/universe" tour for Brian and Meggan before making their way back to Britain....and the end of this run. GRADE: A-
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 26, 2019 1:13:06 GMT -5
Captain Britain #11"The House of Baba Yaga"Cover Date: Nov, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan & Noel Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Baby Yaga & her Daughters (1st Appearance and apparent death of) Guest Stars: Meggan Official Plot:The Captain and Meggan face a nightmarish foe. Brodie's View:The Captain Britain and Meggan World Tour continues here, as the two make their way to Russia after making a few trips along the way. However, they decide to go to Russia in the dead of winter, so, they are eventually forced to take refuge in an old deserted castle. Once inside the castle, they get all comfy and cozy next to a roaring fire, and the two start to make out when Meggan, for seemingly no reason, transforms into a horrible snake looking creature. Brian, of course, freaks out and runs out into the growing blizzard outside, while Meggan tries to see what could have triggered this sudden, yet temporary transformation. She ends up coming across a snake/zombie-ish looking woman calling herself Baba Yaga (from the Russian folk tale), and stating that Meggan, being a changeling, is one of her lost daughters (we see the other daughters, who look like lesser versions of Baba Yaga herself). They are hungry, and they see a perfect meal in Captain Britain, who is snatched and pulled underground by magical means. Baba Yaga means Brian to be Meggan's (and their) meal, sealing the deal with her becoming the latest members of her Daughters. However, Meggan proves that while they might share some properties (being creatures that were somewhat created by magical means), she is definitely not meant to be one of Baba Yaga's cursed "Family," and turns on the snake/zombie women, destroying them in the process. She pulls her and Brian to safety, but before they can fully take in what has happened, they are teleported away by a mysterious figure. This was a fun little one shot story that gave some much needed focus to Meggan, who has kind of been pushed into the background over the last few stories. This brings us to the last issue of this little World Turn, and set up the events of the last couple issues of this run quite nicely. It will also be the last teaming of Alan Davis and Jamie Delano, as Alan Davis will both write and draw the last two issues of the run....and oh yeah, we get the return of Gatecrasher and The Technet. Should be a fun time. GRADE: A-
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 27, 2019 0:33:24 GMT -5
Captain Britain #12"Alarms and Excursions"Cover Date: Dec, 1985 Writer: Jamie Delano Artist: Alan & Noel Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Werewolves & Pirates Guest Stars: Meggan, The Technet (Gatecrasher, Yap, Fascination, Thug, Ferro, Pandora, Elmo, Ringtoss, & Paradok), Captain Britain Corps (Captain UK (Linda McQuillan) & Captain Britain (Betsy Braddock)), Special Executive (Zeitgeist, Cobweb, Numbers, Legion, and an unnamed Leader), The Despot of Kandahar, & Incas (including their high Priest) Official Plot:The return of Gatecrasher-and Brian quits as Captain Britain! Brodie's View:
The Captain Britain/Meggan World (and as we see in this issue, Time) Tour ends here (as does the Alan Davis/Jamie Delano partnership, as Davis will both write and draw the last two stories of this run) with a mostly comedy issue, as Brian and Meggan are talked in to helping the returning Gatecrasher (and Yap), who pretty much completes her transition into being a comedic character here. This will very much continue as we go into the EXCALIBUR era. Anyways, Cap and Meggan are teleported into the past by Fascination (who will eventually become known as Scatterbrain), and they find Gatecrasher and Yap standing under a waterfall. We find out that they have supposedly be implanted with thousand of eggs from some sort of parasitic creature, and they now need Brian to retrieve a special kind of plant that contains a cure for this ailment. However, before Cap and Meggan take off on their mission, we get the full story (well, Gatecrasher's version) of how they got in this predicament, and it's a pretty funny one, as she and the rest of her Technet (who eventually split on her, other than Yap and Fascination) end up on a planet full of werewolves that they have to fight their way off of. From there, they go to a world populated by pirates and other scuzzy sorts, which....they have to fight their way out of. It's here that the rest of the group split on her, and she ends up in the time of the Incas, who she tries to get to believe that she's some sort of God. However, they end up scamming her, and trick her into eating fruit that has been, once again, supposedly implanted with thousands of eggs from some creature. I say supposedly, because we find out (although, they never do) that the whole "eggs" thing has been a trick in order to get Gatecrasher to serve another, better leader of a reformed Technet, but they didn't count on Gatecrasher bringing Cap and Meggan there to help them, as Brian is quickly able to retrieve the plant Gatecrasher needs, and they make their exit. However, Brian and Meggan find themselves back at Braddock Manor, where they observe that Betsy has become the new Captain Britain in Brian's absence, causing Brian to say "Screw it!," and quit being Captain Britain. Of course, we know that this sort of thing never lasts for long, and it won't. However, one is probably not expecting the tragic (and raw) events that lead to Brian retaking the mantel, but we will see that in the next issue. I will say that it's probably good we got a light and fluffy issue for this one, because the next one won't be, and this issue was pretty fun. It's always fun to see Gatecrasher and The Technet. Anyways, in the next issue, we get to see the short lived first run Betsy has as Captain Britain, and we get the set up for the end of this run. GRADE: B+
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Post by BrodietheSlayer on Dec 28, 2019 1:15:03 GMT -5
Captain Britain #13"It's Hard to be a Hero..."Cover Date: Jan, 1986 Writer: Alan Davis Artist: Alan & Noel Davis Featured Character(s): Captain Britain Villain/s: Slaymaster (Dies) & Vixen Guest Stars: Meggan, Captain Britain Corps (Captain UK (Linda McQuillan) & Captain Britain (Betsy Braddock)), Jeeves, R.C.X. (Gabriel, Michael, & Rachael) Official Plot:Betsy Braddock takes up the mantle of Captain Britain, but is blinded by Slaymaster...leading Brian to commit murder! Brodie's View:At the end of the last story, we saw Brian Braddock do that time honored tradition of giving up his superhero identity, especially after witnessing the fact that his sister, Betsy, has now taken the Captain Britain costume and mantle. However, also in the time honored tradition, an event reminds him of his Great Responsibility, causing him to take by the mantle by story's end. Of course, the "Event" leading up to this is far more raw than what usually happens in these types of situations, but we'll get back to that in a second. While we get hints of the horribleness to come in the first page of this story, we don't see it in full until mid way through it, as the first half of the story belongs almost exclusively to Brian's sister, Betsy, in the aftermath of Brian and Meggan splitting Braddock Manor a few issues ago. The R.C.X. guys basically persuade Betsy into taking the Captain Britain mantel and costume (which they modify off of Kaptain Briton, who Betsy killed several issues ago), and for a short while, things are good, as Linda McQuillan (Captain UK) trains her for the job as a costumed crime fighter. However, eventually Linda decides to go back to her old life, figuring Betsy has the job down pat as well as anyone could. How wrong she is (or perhaps not, as how could one really train for what is about to go down). Betsy is eventually called out by The Vixen (remember her from about 10 or so issues back?), and Betsy, even though she kind of figures it's a set up, is persuaded into going anyways by the R.C.X. guys (although, Michael has his reservations, as he has a bit of a crush on Betsy). A set up it most certainly is, as Betsy is attacked by Slaymaster, who is wearing a costume amplifying his abilities, and after some what of a fight by Betsy, she is overwhelmed, beaten, and in one of the more raw moments of this issue, blinded by Slaymaster, who basically destroys her eyes with one slash. It's at this point that we go over to Brian and Meggan, who have just been enjoying life since he stopped being Captain Britain. However, Brian is suddenly hit with a psychic blast, making him feel what has just happened to his sister, and he rockets out of there. He arrives to see the aftermath of the fight between Slaymaster and Betsy, and instantly attacked the former, his rage quickly overwhelming any advantage Slaymaster might have had. Vixen, realizing that she's dealing with a vengeful Brian Braddock now, splits the scene, and Brian ends up crushing Slaymaster's head with a giant rock, killing him instantly. The rest of the issue is Brian confronting the R.C.X. guys for what has happened to his sister, and kicking them out of the Manor. Finally, Brian confides to Meggan that while he loved being able to live free, With Great Powers Comes Great Responsibilities (he doesn't actually say those words, but they definitely work here), causing him once again to become Captain Britain. This sets up the next issue, which will be the last one of this run, and one that will try to wrap up many of the loose plot threads left hanging throughout this particular run....well, the ones that aren't picked up later in EXCALIBUR. GRADE: A-
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