American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
series published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
and written by
Paul Cornell
Paul Douglas Cornell (born 18 July 1967) is a British writer. He has worked in television drama and ''Doctor Who'' fiction, being the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield.
Other British television dramas f ...
, with art by
Leonard Kirk
Leonard Kirk is an American-born comic book artist living in Canada. He has worked on such properties as ''Supergirl (comic book), Supergirl'', ''Justice Society of America, JSA'', ''Star Trek'', ''Batman (comic book), Batman'', and ''Witchblade' ...
. The series centers on the fictional
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
government agency MI: 13, which is dedicated to protecting the United Kingdom from supernatural threats. The main strikeforce is led by the superhero Captain Britain (Brian Braddock), and consists of various Marvel Comics characters that are of British descent or have a connection to the country. The series launched as a
tie-in
A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, website, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original proper ...
to the ''
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book fictional crossover, crossover storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, that ran through a self-titled eight-issue Limited series (comics), limited series and several ti ...
'' event in May
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
and ceased publication with issue #15.
Publication history
The idea for the series grew out of Cornell's first
Marvel MAX
MAX Comics is an imprint of Marvel Comics specializing in comic book media aimed at adult-only readers. It was launched in 2001 after Marvel broke with the Comics Code Authority and established its own rating system.
History
The MAX Comics imp ...
limited series
In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
''
Wisdom
Wisdom, also known as sapience, is the ability to apply knowledge, experience, and good judgment to navigate life’s complexities. It is often associated with insight, discernment, and ethics in decision-making. Throughout history, wisdom ha ...
'', which is centered around Pete Wisdom and MI: 13. Editor
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock, power pop and New wave music, new wave,Cornell & Lowe talk "Captain Britain and MI:13"
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
, February 18, 2008.
In August
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
it was announced that Cornell was going to take over writing ''
New Excalibur
''Excalibur'' is the name of several superhero comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1988, generally featuring the team of the same name.
The first volumes ran for 125 issues, complemented by several one-shot special editions, between 19 ...
Newsarama
''Newsarama'' is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website ''GamesRadar+'', also owned by Future US.
Hi ...
, August 10, 2007 another series with close links to MI: 13, but, over time, the project morphed into a new series. Cornell explained, "I think there have been so many Excaliburs lately that Nick
owe
Owe is a surname or given name, a spelling variation of Ove (given name), Ove. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
*Owe Adamson (born 1935), Swedish cyclist and Olympic competitor
*Owe Hellberg (born 1953), Swedish politician
*Owe J ...
just wanted to underline that this is a fresh start. And it shows that we have a purpose firmly in mind. And it spotlights
Cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...
Newsarama
''Newsarama'' is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website ''GamesRadar+'', also owned by Future US.
Hi ...
, April 29, 2008
The ''New Excalibur'' team was wound up in the 2007 crossover mini-series '' X-Men: Die by the Sword'' and the major Marvel summer event of
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, ''
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book fictional crossover, crossover storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, that ran through a self-titled eight-issue Limited series (comics), limited series and several ti ...
'', was used as a launchpad for the new ''Captain Britain and MI: 13'' series, much like how the fallout of the
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
summer event, ''
House of M
"House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of an eight-issue comic book limited series with a number of crossover tie-in books written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel. Its first i ...
'', was used to launch ''New Excalibur'' which after issue #4, separated from the event to become an
ongoing series
In comics, an ongoing series is a series that runs indefinitely. This is in contrast to limited series (a series intended to end after a certain number of issues thus limited), a one shot (a comic book which is not a part of an ongoing series), ...
.
To help keep the series on schedule after the completion of the first story arc,
Pat Olliffe
Patrick Olliffe is an American comic book artist and penciller. His most notable clients include Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Disney Publishing Worldwide, Disney Publishing, and AfterShock Comics, Aftershock Comics.
Career
Olliffe is best known for ...
and
Paul Neary
Paul Neary (18 December 1949 – 10 February 2024) was a British comic book artist, writer and editor.
His first work was for Warren Publishing in the 1970s before working with Dez Skinn at Marvel UK as well as work for '' 2000 AD''. He later ...
took over the art duties for issue #5 (the prologue to second storyline ''Hell Comes to Birmingham'') from Leonard Kirk and inker Jesse Delperdang. Paul Cornell has stated that Kirk is with the series "for the duration".
Michael Bair
Michael A. Hernandez is an Americans, American comics artist also known by the pen name Michael Bair, who is best known for his work as an inker. His work includes Marvel Comics' ''Alpha Flight (comic book), Alpha Flight'', and DC Comics' ''Hawkma ...
, with Jay Leisten and Craig Yeung, took over from Delperdang in issues 7 and 8 before Jay Leisten, at first with Cam Smith, took on the inking duties.
Rumors that the title might have been cancelled, when sales dropped after the Secret Invasion tie-in ended, dropping from estimates of 36,805 to 22,185 by issue #7, were denied by a Marvel spokesman who revealed plans for numerous upcoming storylines, including appearances by
Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...
,
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
, January 21, 2009
Outside of the comic series, several members of the team make
cameo appearance
A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
s in ''
Mighty Avengers
''The Mighty Avengers'' is a comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics. Originally written by Brian Michael Bendis, also the writer of ''New Avengers'', the title first featured an officially sanctioned Avengers team of registered s ...
'' #22-23, and Paul Cornell wrote an in
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western canon, th ...
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
micro-blog page as Captain Britain for a while, where Captain Britain describes character interactions and missions that take place off-panel between storyarcs.
The series also had additional artistic contributions by Mike Collins,
Adrian Alphona
Adrian Alphona is a Filipino-Canadian comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''Runaways (comics), Runaways'', which he co-created with writer Brian K. Vaughan.
Slated to be pencilling the second volume of ''Spider-Man Loves M ...
and
Ardian Syaf
Ardian Syaf is an Indonesian comic book artist. He has worked for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment.
In April 2017 he became embroiled in controversy for inserting hidden anti-semitic and anti-Christian messages in ''X-Men Gol ...
.
Also received a nod in the Best Graphic Story category for
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story
The Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic is given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories told in graphic form and published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. It has been awarded annually since 2009. P ...
in 2010.
On May 19, 2009 Paul Cornell announced that issue #15 would be the last one saying:
After the end of the series, the final battle from The Guns of Avalon story makes an appearance during a scene from Cornell and Kirk's following series ''
Dark X-Men
The Dark X-Men are a fictional team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They made their debut during the crossover between ''Dark Avengers'' and ''Uncanny X-Men'' written by Matt Fraction, as part of the broader Dark R ...
''. Marvel announced that Cornell and Kirk would reunite to write an MI:13 story in the first issue of the '' Age of Heroes''
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...
limited series which would be followed by a ''Spitfire'' one-shot written by Cornell.
Characters
The initial main cast of characters included superheroes with British backgrounds like
Captain Britain
Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain'' #1 by writer Chris Cl ...
Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...
working for MI: 13 alongside its field agents
Pete Wisdom
Peter "Pete" Wisdom is a fictional secret agent appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in '' Excalibur'' #86 (February 1995), and was created by Warren Ellis and Ken Lashley. Wisdom is a British Secret ...
and John the Skrull. Dr. Faiza Hussain, a character first seen in this series, was introduced as a new agent of MI: 13. Former head of MI: 13,
Alistaire Stuart
S'Byll
S'Byll (sometimes spelled S'byll) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
S'Byll is a Skrull that was raised on the planet Satriani. She was responsible for curing Super-Skrull of his disease.
Si ...
, returns as the scientific adviser, while Tink, a MI: 13 field agent from ''Wisdom'', returns in issue #2, although not in an official agent role.
Other British superheroes made appearances in the title, including Captain Midlands and
Union Jack
The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags.
It is sometimes a ...
, Cornell has intentions to further explore a variety of other British superheroes:
When quizzed about if other British characters like some of the
Knights of Pendragon
The Knights of Pendragon are a fictional team of heroes featuring in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters appeared in two series published by Imprint (trade name), imprint Marvel UK between 1990 in comics, 1990 and 1993 in comics ...
,
Elsa Bloodstone
Elsa Bloodstone is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, and Michael Lopez, the character first appeared in ''Bloodstone'' #1 (December 2001). Elsa Bloodstone is the daug ...
,
Motormouth
''Motormouth'' was a Saturday morning children's entertainment series that was produced by TVS and broadcast across the ITV network for four series, running between 3 September 1988 and 4 April 1992. Each series generally ran from the autum ...
, and
Killpower
Killpower (Julius Mullarkey) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appears primarily in British comic books from Marvel UK. He is the partner of Motormouth and first appeared in ''Mo ...
, Cornell stated an interest of looking at other British heroes as the series progresses. Cornell had also stated a character would be appearing who was British, even if they were not commonly thought to be, and this was revealed to be
Blade
A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...
, who would join the cast in issue #5. He later confirmed that the series will be featuring Motormouth and Killpower.Newsarama 9: Paul Cornell
Newsarama
''Newsarama'' is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website ''GamesRadar+'', also owned by Future US.
Hi ...
, February 11, 2009
In issue #3, readers saw the return of
Merlin
The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...
, a version of the Merlyn usually seen in stories with Captain Britain (who is the physical amalgamations of all his interdimensional counterparts), specifically an 'aspect' that appeared in
Marvel UK
Marvel UK was an imprint (trade name), imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint United States of America, US-produced stories for the United Kingdom, British weekly comic market. Marvel UK later produced original material by British cr ...
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...
Rassilon
Rassilon is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. In the backstory of the programme, he was the founder of Time Lord society on the planet Gallifrey and its first leader, as Lord High President. A ...
as a member. Cornell has a strong Dr Who connection and explained his choice of this 'aspect' of Merlyn:
Plot
The Guns Of Avalon
During the Skrull Invasion, Britain comes under heavy attack by Super Skrulls, which forces a loose coalition of British superheroes to come together to fight them off under the aegis of MI: 13. The
Skrull
The Skrulls () are a race of List of fictional extraterrestrials, extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #2 and were crea ...
s launch an assault on the
Siege Perilous
In Arthurian legend, the Siege Perilous (, also known as The Perilous Seat, ) is a vacant seat at the Round Table reserved by Merlin for the knight who would one day be successful in the quest for the Holy Grail.
History
The English word "sie ...
, preventing access into the Otherworld (Avalon) through its portal while breaking through into Otherworld via another portal located in one their ships. While in Avalon, the Skrulls gather together mystical items and convert them for their own use to make a magically empowered Super Skrull to face the remaining British resistance in London. With all the magic gone from Avalon, Wisdom, in a last-ditch effort, releases the dark and evil magics along with
Merlin
The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...
who resurrects Captain Britain to aid the resistance.
Captain Britain uses Excalibur to defeat the magic empowered Super-Skrull while the dark magic beings lay claim to Great Britain and at the request of Wisdom exterminate the rest of the Skrull invaders. Standing in the devastation, Captain Britain and Wisdom announce that a team of superheroes should be brought together to face any new threat to the country including the dark magic beings while Faiza Hussain became the new wielder of Excalibur.
Hell Comes to Birmingham
The evil released by Wisdom in "Guns of Avalon" starts to cause trouble, chiefly thanks to Plokta, a new character:
Using the tower block in Birmingham, Plokta captures many people within its rooms by giving them an illusion of their hearts desire. Using the collected magical energy of these people, Plokta creates an army of
Mindless Ones
The Mindless Ones are fictional monsters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Their first appearance was in ''Strange Tales'' #127 (Dec. 1964).
The Mindless Ones are extra-dimensional creatures who are summoned via magic ...
. When challenged by Captain Britain, Plokta reveals he has something Brian may want; Meggan. Captain Midlands betrayed his remaining comrades, allowing them to be captured by Plokta briefly. When the team eventually defeated Plokta, Midlands was taken into custody.
Vampire State
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
, "the greatest general of his generation", and his
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
minions leave their
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
sanctuary for a planned assault on the United Kingdom; with help from
Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...
. Cornell has said that it would be "a spy game, a clash of intellects, as Dracula tries to strategize and trick his way into a full on takeover of the British Isles". Black Knight and Faiza Hussain head to the African nation of
Wakanda
Wakanda (), officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' ...
to retrieve the true
Ebony Blade
The Black Knight is the alias of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
The first is a medieval knight created by writer Stan Lee and artist Joe Maneely, who made his first appearance in ''Blac ...
from Wakanda's queen, Ororo T'Challa. The team members are each intercepted by enhanced vampires, while Dracula heads directly to Faiza Hussain's family home. Kidnapping and converting Faiza's father and others while seemingly using his powers over Spitfire to bring her into his inner circle, that includes
Lilith
Lilith (; ), also spelled Lilit, Lilitu, or Lilis, is a feminine figure in Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, theorized to be the first wife of Adam and a primordial she-demon. Lilith is cited as having been "banished" from the Garden of Eden ...
and Captain Fate where Dracula uses magic to prepare for an invasion. Britain's intelligence services begin purging themselves of vampire infiltrators, one of which manipulates MI:13 into trying to take the enchanted skull of
Quincy Harker
Haechi
Haechi (Mark Sim) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Christopher Yost and Marcus To, he first appeared in ''New Warriors'' (vol. 5) #2 (March 2014).
Sim is among the latent ...
- which ensures all vampires need to be invited into the United Kingdom - into custody; this enables Dracula to learn where it is and have it destroyed, leaving the way open for a mass invasion in Fate's warships.
Using Plokta, MI:13 allow Dracula to experience his invasion plan with everything going his way; with magical barriers blocking off Britain from the rest of the world, Dracula's armies begin their invasion; disposing of most of the heroes of MI:13 and anyone else in their path. Dracula and his armies sweeps across the UK leaving only a pocket of resistance to fend off the invaders. (Cornell has stated that he checked with Marvel which characters they'd allow to be killed and which they wouldn't so that he could give the impression that Britain was genuinely falling "A Close to Captain Britain" interview at Comics Bulletin ) Dracula soon realizes this to be too easy and breaks free of the dream, but this has prevented him from sending in scouts every hour like he planned. Leading up to the invasion, Spitfire, along with Julius Mullarkey and Faiza's father, reveal that they were not, in fact, under control by Dracula and have been working under cover, and instigate an attack on board Dracula's ship. Bringing other members of MI:13 on board they help dispose of Captain Fate and free some of the converted hostages. Unable to stop Dracula fully and with Brian being harmed by Lilith, the team escapes but without Faiza's father, and, thanks to Doom, Dracula now has Captain Britain's wife Meggan.
However, this is then revealed to be an attack by Doom, as Meggan uses her powers to cause rebellion among Dracula's less loyal conscripts. Brian launches a second attack to assist her, this time showing his full power against Lilith, just in time for Dracula to learn that Wisdom had ''not'' led him to the skull of Quincy Harker but had instead led him to a fake; every action by MI:13 was to ensure Dracula wouldn't know the protection spell around the country was still active, leading to the vampire army being mostly wiped out as they remain uninvited. Dracula and his remaining loyal soldiers retreat to their fortress, trying to protect Lilith, but are pursued by MI:13, MI:13's reserves, and a
Special Air Service
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...
team.
Union Jack
The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags.
It is sometimes a ...
and Blade take out Dracula's coffin, Faiza destroys the Count with Excalibur, and Brian is able to destroy Lilith.
In the aftermath, Faiza has achieved knight status, Dane Whitman's stone heart curse has worn off, and the two of them (along with Brian & Meggan and Spitfire & Blade) have officially paired up. Faiza's father is returned to Earth, with Brian encouraging him to not give up but to keep on living in "a very British ''compromise'' - living with something terrible, dealing with it in domestic terms. Tragedy right up against sitcom, in a way other cultures don't really get."
Diplomatic Incident
Members of MI-13 attend an official reception in America, presided over by
Steve Rogers
Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely Comics ...
, given in their honor for being the first country in the world to get rid of the Skrulls. Rogers offers Brian membership in the Avengers. Reactions from the MI-13 team are mixed, but Wisdom eventually, reluctantly declares that Brian will accept, and they can work out some sort of time-share.
Spitfire
While the other core members of MI-13 attend an official reception in America, Spitfire and Blade (on MI-13 orders) hunt for someone in New York
Collected editions
Reception
Reviews of the first issue were largely positive, noting Cornell's solid characterization and tight plottingReview of issue #1
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
as well as the vein of
black comedy
Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
and the smooth transition from his ''Wisdom'' limited series, despite the differences in the scale of the action,Review of issue #1
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a daily website covering the comic-book industry.
History Silver Bullet Comicbooks
In January 2000, New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice founded then named Silver Bullet Comicbooks.
During this period, the site ...
which may make the issue "a little new reader unfriendly."Review of issue #1 Broken Frontier
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
called it "a splendid new series,"
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a daily website covering the comic-book industry.
History Silver Bullet Comicbooks
In January 2000, New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice founded then named Silver Bullet Comicbooks.
During this period, the site ...
conclude "I haven't read a stronger first issue than this in a long time" and
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
agreed, stating "Captain Britain And MI: 13 #1 is as good a debut to a superhero story as I can remember." Given the good reviews and the tie-in with Secret Invasion (the first issue of which sold an estimate quarter of a million copies)Sales Estimates for April, 2008 Books
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
, May 20, 2008 the sales were high, with the first printing selling out immediately and being followed by a second printing with a variant cover based in Kirk's interior art which, in turn, sold out requiring a third printing.
The May 2008
direct sales
Direct selling is a business model that involves a party of people
buying products from a parent organization and selling them directly to customers. It can take the form of either single-level marketing (in which a direct seller makes money pu ...
estimates for the first issue were 47,527 making it the 51st top-selling comic title that month, more than twice the 20,000 sales for the first issue of the ''Wisdom'' limited series. Estimates fell for the second issue to 37,968 (55th place) then stayed fairly steady through issue #3 (36,934 sales estimate, 58th) and #4 (36,805, 63rd). Following the end of the Secret Invasion tie-in the sales dipped again to 32,989 (69th place) for issue #5, to 28,030 (96th) for #6 and to 22,185 (95th) with #7. Sales stabilised somewhat with issue #8 (21,233 sales and 130th ranking) but dropped further with issue #9 (18,478 and 101st in ranking).
When talking about the close of the title, Cornell stated "Our audience really left at issue four... People protest about events, but try and write a comic now without them. The audience is actually more concerned with what’s going on, with the big news, than they are with story. I’d be part of an event every issue if I could, if it meant I could keep the title going. ... after ell Comes toBirmingham I realised that the only way the book would survive would be huge event stories of our own." He also said he might've had the characters visit America early on if he'd known how long he had, or put more action into Hell Comes To Birmingham.
Following 'Hell Comes To Birmingham', issue #10 recovered sales (20,626 98th in ranking), but the issues releases after did not: 17,753 (108th) for #11, 19,989 (117th) for #12 and 17,947 (111th) for #13. In June, two issues were released, and sold about the same amount: 17,754 (124th) for #14 and 16,090 (135th) for the Annual. The last issue of the series, #15, was placed 122nd, with 16,544 sales.
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
placed the series at #10 in their top 100 comics of 2008, describing it as the "best thing to come out of Secret Invasion" and that it is "the best new superhero title of 2008."
Newsarama
''Newsarama'' is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website ''GamesRadar+'', also owned by Future US.
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named Cornell one of their "nine to watch in 2009," saying that he might be "the lead in the next
British invasion
The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...
of writers into American comics."
The appearance of
British Prime Minister
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pri ...
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Previously, he was Chancellor of the Ex ...
got considerable attention from the press. Cornell said "I'm quite a fan of Gordon Brown. I'm pleased we've given him a PR boost on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world. I feel quite sorry for him, so I'm glad I've contributed a bit."
Awards
''Captain Britain and MI13, Volume 3: Vampire State'' was nominated for the 2010 " Best Graphic Story"
Hugo Award
The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a daily website covering the comic-book industry.
History Silver Bullet Comicbooks
In January 2000, New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice founded then named Silver Bullet Comicbooks.
During this period, the site ...
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a daily website covering the comic-book industry.
History Silver Bullet Comicbooks
In January 2000, New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice founded then named Silver Bullet Comicbooks.
During this period, the site ...
Newsarama
''Newsarama'' is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website ''GamesRadar+'', also owned by Future US.
Hi ...
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a daily website covering the comic-book industry.
History Silver Bullet Comicbooks
In January 2000, New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice founded then named Silver Bullet Comicbooks.
During this period, the site ...
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News (AICN) is an entertainment news website founded by Harry Knowles and run by his sister Dannie Knowles since September 2017, dedicated to news, rumors, and reviews of upcoming and current films, television, and comic book proj ...
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a daily website covering the comic-book industry.
History Silver Bullet Comicbooks
In January 2000, New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice founded then named Silver Bullet Comicbooks.
During this period, the site ...
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a daily website covering the comic-book industry.
History Silver Bullet Comicbooks
In January 2000, New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice founded then named Silver Bullet Comicbooks.
During this period, the site ...
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a daily website covering the comic-book industry.
History Silver Bullet Comicbooks
In January 2000, New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice founded then named Silver Bullet Comicbooks.
During this period, the site ...
Comic Book Resources
''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...