Captain Britain and MI13, Paul Cornell

"The Skrull Invasion isn't restricted to the US - when the Skrull Invasion his England, only Captain Britain and MI:13 stand in their way. With the fate of Britain hanging in the balance, can the heroes find out what the Skrulls are after before it's too late? This thrilling graphic novel ties in with Secret Invasion."
















I LOVE this book. I'm currently reading a bunch of books about Britishness, and what it means to be English.

I'm reading a book on anthropology, a history of the English, and a book on popular English traits. And none of them, none of them, make me feel quite so proud to be British, or quite so happy about my country as this book. It's a bizarre source of patriotism, but if any comic can do it, it's this one.

This isn't a Captain America style patriot bash, it's definably British. And it's wonderful.

There are a couple of scene here that make this comic essential, and whilst its definitely a series that got better post-Secret Invasion (the Dracula war that comes up at the end of the run is exceptional) its a truly strong start. Compared to the last Cornell book I read, this is a world apart.

There's a strong current of Britishness through it, from its treatment of the army and government to little throwaway characters such as John the Skrull or Tinkerbell. But it's the scenes of ordinary people that's stand out, from the death of Captain Britain, to the way the army makes its stand against the Skrulls on Westminster Bridge.

It's a book that has Britishness through it, to its very core, just as Knight and Squire for DC is a book that translates common American superheroics to a British setting. It takes those tropes and without ever undermining them, it builds on them to an extent that elevates everything that was previously there.

Compared to the main thrust of Secret Invasion this is almost throwaway. What it sets up for future arcs (the return of a single Captain Britain, the release of all evil in the British Isles) is totally confined to this book, this isn't something which spills over to others. In fact, the only time we see any of the main Marvel players is in the final arc; this isn't a series that needs to prove itself in relation to its American cousins. It doesn't need to be. It's great as it is.

If you're British and a comics lover (or even if you're just one of those) then this is a book to read, and re-read.

Also Try:
Paul Cornell, Knight and Squire
John Cleese, Superman: True Brit
Chris Claremont, Excalibur