Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Leonard Kirk, Mike Collins
Inks: Jay Leisten, Cam Smith
Colors: Brian Reber, Rain Beredo
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Cover: Stuart Immonen
Publisher: Marvel
I have referred to this comic as a "great title that not enough people are seeing", and the ninth issue of Captain Britain and MI-13 does nothing to alter my opinion. The good news is that Cornell and Kirk continue to better their performance with each passing issue; the bad news is that - if my local comic store's sales are any indication - this series may not be around long enough to build a sustainable audience.
The ingredients that have made MI-13 great since the series was launched in the midst of the Skrull invasion have not changed. Paul Cornell, who wrote the Wisdom limited series in 2006, along with a ton of British television and other fine work, has the tone and tenor of these characters down pat. From its inception, MI-13 has played upon the mythic mysticism of the British isles, drawing upon the spirit and energies of ancient Excalibur and Avalon to weave together a vision of the magically delicious England of our hopes and dreams. Even more, he manages to infuse all of these elements into a superhero yarn that reminds us just how good comics can still be when the stories are written with the reader in mind. As a fan of Pete Wisdom, I would have picked this title up if he had been the only character of note - getting Spitfire, Captain Britain, and the rest of the cast is just icing on the cake to me. The recent addition of Blade the vampire hunter is a nice surprise as well. And if the last page of this issue is any indication, future issues of the series are going to have some real bite to them.
The artwork by Kirk and Collins is phenomenal, and are beautifully complemented by the coloring job of Reber and Beredo. The Dream Corridor scenes are depicted in clear lines and vibrant colors reminiscent of the early Marvel works in the 1960s, and of one artist in particular (I will let you see if you can guess). It is another fine presentation from a visuals squad that just keeps setting their bar higher each month.
The tight plotting, clever dialogue, beautiful art and perfect colors all add up to one thing: a hit.
Seriously, go buy this book.
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