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Captain Swing #1-4
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From the sparking-mad mind of Warren Ellis, the creator of TRANSMETROPOLITAN and PLANETARY, comes an electrical romance of a pirate utopia thwarted! In the London of 1830, newly-minted copper Charlie Gravel keeps seeing things he's not supposed a crooked Bow Street Runner with a flintlock revolver, high-flying vessels that are not supposed to fly, and the violent Scientific Phantasmagoria popularly known as Spring-Heeled Jack. With the coming of Captain Swing and his Electrical Pirates, history shall never be the same! This crackling new graphic novel is illustrated by Raulo Caceres in a stunning woodcut style, capturing the classic literary feel from days of yore.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published December 6, 2011
8 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
Warren Ellis
1,972 books5,762 followersWarren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
August 30, 2020
In this graphic novel, the most interesting thing for me turned out to be the illustrations.
In nineteenth-century-looking London, policemen chase a riot - commenting on the rivalry between the "peelers" (metropolitan police) and Bow Street Runners (under the control of magistrates) - when they see a strange image: a man jumping on the rooftops and escaping in a flying boat. The very Spring-Heeled Jack.
Charlie Gravel, a policeman stubborn in his idea of justice and in avenging one of his own, ends up discovering a mad scientist determined to help humanity to be free with the help of electricity and to fight an elite that wants to gain profit with the help of a limited source of energy. Hmm, why will that become known to me?
A socialist utopia versus a society that trusts in its power. Idealism and corruption. And certain ideas of justice.
The end is too open, I would have liked to know what happened next with the rest and the woman and not that written epilogue that leaves many things in suspense. Will they continue to use free electricity?
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En esta novela gráfica, lo más interesante para mi resultaron ser las ilustraciones.
En un Londres de aspecto decimonónico, unos policias persiguen unos disturbios --comentando la rivalidad entre los "peelers" (policia metropolitana) y los de Bow Street Runners (bajo control de los magistrados)-- cuando ven una imagen extraña: un hombre brincando sobre los tejados y escapando en un bote volador. El mismisimo Spring Healed Jack*
*A saber, este personaje es una leyenda urbana del Londres de 1830s
Una utopia socialista versus una sociedad que confia en su poder. Idealismo y corrupcion. Y ciertas ideas de justicia.
El final resulta demasiado abierto, me hubiera gustado saber que pasó después con la chica y no ese epilogo escrito que deja muchas cosas en suspenso. ¿Seguiran usando electricidad libre?
In nineteenth-century-looking London, policemen chase a riot - commenting on the rivalry between the "peelers" (metropolitan police) and Bow Street Runners (under the control of magistrates) - when they see a strange image: a man jumping on the rooftops and escaping in a flying boat. The very Spring-Heeled Jack.
Charlie Gravel, a policeman stubborn in his idea of justice and in avenging one of his own, ends up discovering a mad scientist determined to help humanity to be free with the help of electricity and to fight an elite that wants to gain profit with the help of a limited source of energy. Hmm, why will that become known to me?
A socialist utopia versus a society that trusts in its power. Idealism and corruption. And certain ideas of justice.
The end is too open, I would have liked to know what happened next with the rest and the woman and not that written epilogue that leaves many things in suspense. Will they continue to use free electricity?
-----------------------
En esta novela gráfica, lo más interesante para mi resultaron ser las ilustraciones.
En un Londres de aspecto decimonónico, unos policias persiguen unos disturbios --comentando la rivalidad entre los "peelers" (policia metropolitana) y los de Bow Street Runners (bajo control de los magistrados)-- cuando ven una imagen extraña: un hombre brincando sobre los tejados y escapando en un bote volador. El mismisimo Spring Healed Jack*
*A saber, este personaje es una leyenda urbana del Londres de 1830s
Una utopia socialista versus una sociedad que confia en su poder. Idealismo y corrupcion. Y ciertas ideas de justicia.
El final resulta demasiado abierto, me hubiera gustado saber que pasó después con la chica y no ese epilogo escrito que deja muchas cosas en suspenso. ¿Seguiran usando electricidad libre?
November 2, 2014
Great execution, but it still feels slight. The thing is, Ellis needs to do a certain amount of world building to make the story comprehensible. And this is a very short book. So major things happen very quickly, characters enter and leave the story in a rush, and it all just feels so short changed. Doubling the page count (which still wouldn't have made this book terribly long) with the same story would have been a much better move. As it is, I feel like I read the summary version of a longer story, or the pilot issue for an ongoing series.
September 4, 2014
In the 19th century, before the more famous Jack the Ripper, was the myth of Spring Heeled Jack, a disturbing night creature who was said to leap buildings in a single bound and got up to all sorts of mischief. Warren Ellis resurrects the urban myth and rewrites it in a steampunk fashion with the help of Raulo Caceres to become Captain Swing and the Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island.
It's 1830, years before Nikolai Tesla would begin experimenting with electricity, and yet somehow this strange figure, Captain Swing, has been able to harness it, using it to fly boats across the sky, construct bullets that don't kill, as well as boots that can make him leap further than any normal man.
Swing’s mission is to make electricity and knowledge free for all - free from those who would seek to control it and keep it for themselves. A Peeler (early version of the police) becomes entangled in Swing's story as he hunts down the killer of his friend, leading him to the Bow Street Runners and their colleagues, the corrupt Magistrates who, in league with the Freemasons, have begun manipulating the powers of a rock from Mars for their own nefarious purposes.
Warren Ellis pens a romantic and edgy action Victorian thriller that's full of invention, sharp characterisation and great dialogue. Raulo Caceres does a magnificent job of bringing to life this period drama through a classic woodcut style, making each page gorgeous to behold. Captain Swing is a wonderfully entertaining comic.
It's 1830, years before Nikolai Tesla would begin experimenting with electricity, and yet somehow this strange figure, Captain Swing, has been able to harness it, using it to fly boats across the sky, construct bullets that don't kill, as well as boots that can make him leap further than any normal man.
Swing’s mission is to make electricity and knowledge free for all - free from those who would seek to control it and keep it for themselves. A Peeler (early version of the police) becomes entangled in Swing's story as he hunts down the killer of his friend, leading him to the Bow Street Runners and their colleagues, the corrupt Magistrates who, in league with the Freemasons, have begun manipulating the powers of a rock from Mars for their own nefarious purposes.
Warren Ellis pens a romantic and edgy action Victorian thriller that's full of invention, sharp characterisation and great dialogue. Raulo Caceres does a magnificent job of bringing to life this period drama through a classic woodcut style, making each page gorgeous to behold. Captain Swing is a wonderfully entertaining comic.
July 20, 2020
Beautiful looking but with quite a lack of steampunk and socialist utopian pirates : the concept didn’t really work.
April 15, 2016
Steampunk electric pirates try to protect Victorian England from a plot to rule the world.
The thought of pirates flying an electrified ship around the sky is great, and some of the images were fun. The art was pretty dark and cluttered though, it was hard to tell what was happening. The story felt far too stretched out, there's only so many long chase scenes I can handle and that was about five years ago during the last Locke & Key (overused trope, thankyouverymuch), and it felt cold.
Anyway, I hope your experience with this book is better than mine. All hail Warren Ellis, comic god!
The thought of pirates flying an electrified ship around the sky is great, and some of the images were fun. The art was pretty dark and cluttered though, it was hard to tell what was happening. The story felt far too stretched out, there's only so many long chase scenes I can handle and that was about five years ago during the last Locke & Key (overused trope, thankyouverymuch), and it felt cold.
Anyway, I hope your experience with this book is better than mine. All hail Warren Ellis, comic god!
October 14, 2017
This steampunk story was quite enjoyable with its flying ship, electricity-based weapons and other devices, and an idealist wanting to make free energy available to everyone. The powers that be won't allow this, so his is an upward battle that will leave many dead in its wake. He and his followers are branded rebels and, like always, their side is at a distinct numeric disadvantage, but they won't go down without a fight.
London in the 1800's didn't yet have a professional, well-trained and well-armed police force. What is going to one day become the police is still being challenged by a group of individuals financed by the magistrates. The latter ones, also called Bow Street Runners, don't always follow the rule of law, though. Representatives from both forces will make it a personal vendetta to capture Spring-Heeled Jack, also known as Captain Swing or dr. Jonathan Rheinhardt, a rebel with access to new, electricity-based technology and who has been giving the police the slip.
London in the 1800's didn't yet have a professional, well-trained and well-armed police force. What is going to one day become the police is still being challenged by a group of individuals financed by the magistrates. The latter ones, also called Bow Street Runners, don't always follow the rule of law, though. Representatives from both forces will make it a personal vendetta to capture Spring-Heeled Jack, also known as Captain Swing or dr. Jonathan Rheinhardt, a rebel with access to new, electricity-based technology and who has been giving the police the slip.
March 5, 2012
Good sharp writing - bastardly good writing I'd say. But feels a bit slight, like Ellis had a good set of ideas but didn't spend as much time as usual inhabiting them until all the nuances came into focus.
Love every time Ellis comes at us with his slightly feral notions of what the future looks like to the slightly curious but guileless bystander. It's fun to experience that sense of wonder and glee at seeing behind the curtain and wonder what else is going on just outside my doors that only Ellis can see.
This has echoes of Doktor Sleepless and Gravel to it, which probably means I've just been overdosing on Ellis fiction lately, and need a break from his style before devouring something new. (Or maybe just dig into the really old stuff to see where his screwy head was at in his youth.)
The art is very Gravel- or Wolfskin-esque. Can't remember if it's the same artist, but has many of the same inking approaches. Which is to say good, but a certain style that I'm not sure if I'd like to see take over the industry.
Love every time Ellis comes at us with his slightly feral notions of what the future looks like to the slightly curious but guileless bystander. It's fun to experience that sense of wonder and glee at seeing behind the curtain and wonder what else is going on just outside my doors that only Ellis can see.
This has echoes of Doktor Sleepless and Gravel to it, which probably means I've just been overdosing on Ellis fiction lately, and need a break from his style before devouring something new. (Or maybe just dig into the really old stuff to see where his screwy head was at in his youth.)
The art is very Gravel- or Wolfskin-esque. Can't remember if it's the same artist, but has many of the same inking approaches. Which is to say good, but a certain style that I'm not sure if I'd like to see take over the industry.
April 28, 2022
Warren Ellis and Raúlo Cáceres, who collaborated on Crecy, bring us this tale of London-based Victorian-era pirates with a steampunk flavour. It's got interesting tid-bits of facts & historical information interspersed with the main comic, things that not everybody would know, and that helps put the story in context, of sorts. The story itself is okay, with the usual Ellis-ness about it (language & action), and the art is nice, albeit a bit dark. What I mean by that is that since most (if not all) the story takes place at night, and because of the dark colour palette used, panel details are not as clear, necessitating a closer examination of them, and that slows down the reading of the book some.
April 18, 2012
Mouais ...
Pas très convaincu par ce comics. Pour commencer, j'ai eu un peu de mal avec les dessins, comme dans No Hero. Les visages et les formes sont parfois bizarres, et la violence et les giclées (de sang ou de cervelle) sortent parfois sans raison. Juste pour faire style ?
Pour l'histoire, on survole rapidement une tranche de vie d'un pirate philosophe, mais les tenants et les aboutissants de tout ça ne sont pas clairs, car pas explicités. La conclusion n'en est pas vraiment une, et laisse à désirer.
Le tout ne m'a vraiment pas convaincu, et je vais sans doute abandonner là pour les histoires de Warren Ellis.
Pas très convaincu par ce comics. Pour commencer, j'ai eu un peu de mal avec les dessins, comme dans No Hero. Les visages et les formes sont parfois bizarres, et la violence et les giclées (de sang ou de cervelle) sortent parfois sans raison. Juste pour faire style ?
Pour l'histoire, on survole rapidement une tranche de vie d'un pirate philosophe, mais les tenants et les aboutissants de tout ça ne sont pas clairs, car pas explicités. La conclusion n'en est pas vraiment une, et laisse à désirer.
Le tout ne m'a vraiment pas convaincu, et je vais sans doute abandonner là pour les histoires de Warren Ellis.
September 11, 2013
Steampunk meets 18th Century London meets "Wood-Carving"-like artwork in this quick story by Warren Ellis.
It was OK, not something that needs pursuing, but I guess Ellis just had to put in his 2-cents worth in the steam punk phenomena at one point or another.
This book was another gracious give-away by fellow Goodreads afficanado Martin - Merci Martin.
It was OK, not something that needs pursuing, but I guess Ellis just had to put in his 2-cents worth in the steam punk phenomena at one point or another.
This book was another gracious give-away by fellow Goodreads afficanado Martin - Merci Martin.
July 16, 2013
A steampunk pirate adventure. Nikolas Tesla is one of the bad guys--I'm not sure why people find it a useful meme to make Telsa a bad guy. The good guy chases a pirate ship and in the end the pirates are good guys. Very darkly drawn graphics.
September 24, 2016
It was O.K. as a story, reasonably well drawn, nicely packaged. However, it does not invite a second reading.
March 29, 2020
The mind of a deluded conspiracy theorist can conjure up sympathy for the most volatile ideas, which is precisely what happened to yours truly after reading issue 1 of Captain Swing and the Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island.
I wasn’t completely magnetised to the cover of issue 1, because the whole steampunk thing didn’t really appeal to the likes of me. I am now more open-minded about it, based on how well Warren Ellis has put together this four-part series with Avatar Press. In a story set in 1830 London, readers are taken through a city with esoteric agents and hidden hands that keep the majority of everyday citizens pretty much stuck in their loops, living their best lives while the commoners are largely clueless about the much grander picture of life. Enter Captain Swing, a messianic Spring-heel Jack figure, who has revolutionary ideas to better the lives of the masses.
In the grim times of today (we’ve just been told that thanks to the Corona Virus pandemic the world can look forward to an economic crash worse than the one in 2008) these kinds of ideas appeal to my types, much like people of faith might seek answers and resolutions to life’s mysteries and imbalances through prayer and worship of a higher power. Even from a purely aesthetic point of view, the Captain Swing story moves along at a steady pace, and the characters are compelling and believable, which makes you want to follow where the story takes them.
Ellis’ subtle foreshadowing was delivered with an expert’s touch, paving way for a truly unpredictable turn of events. OK, so maybe comic readers with more experience of the writer’s style would’ve seen those things coming, but as a novice, it was a novel change of pace. The comic’s visual style, including the cover design, and Raulo Caceres’ astounding artwork might be what initially catches the eye, but the story itself and the narrative techniques chosen for the job are well worth noting. For the humble, under-achieving blog writer like yourself, the entire series is worth a read, just try not to hate the creative team for settling on one of the longest names for a comic book series.
I wasn’t completely magnetised to the cover of issue 1, because the whole steampunk thing didn’t really appeal to the likes of me. I am now more open-minded about it, based on how well Warren Ellis has put together this four-part series with Avatar Press. In a story set in 1830 London, readers are taken through a city with esoteric agents and hidden hands that keep the majority of everyday citizens pretty much stuck in their loops, living their best lives while the commoners are largely clueless about the much grander picture of life. Enter Captain Swing, a messianic Spring-heel Jack figure, who has revolutionary ideas to better the lives of the masses.
In the grim times of today (we’ve just been told that thanks to the Corona Virus pandemic the world can look forward to an economic crash worse than the one in 2008) these kinds of ideas appeal to my types, much like people of faith might seek answers and resolutions to life’s mysteries and imbalances through prayer and worship of a higher power. Even from a purely aesthetic point of view, the Captain Swing story moves along at a steady pace, and the characters are compelling and believable, which makes you want to follow where the story takes them.
Ellis’ subtle foreshadowing was delivered with an expert’s touch, paving way for a truly unpredictable turn of events. OK, so maybe comic readers with more experience of the writer’s style would’ve seen those things coming, but as a novice, it was a novel change of pace. The comic’s visual style, including the cover design, and Raulo Caceres’ astounding artwork might be what initially catches the eye, but the story itself and the narrative techniques chosen for the job are well worth noting. For the humble, under-achieving blog writer like yourself, the entire series is worth a read, just try not to hate the creative team for settling on one of the longest names for a comic book series.
June 21, 2024
I saw this on the library catalogue during one of my idling about searches and thought 1) Warren Ellis? Don't I have a really awful book by him I really like? & 2) Electrical pirates? Futuristic villains sailing in the skies? Sailing? In the skies? Pirates? After I calmed the inner eight year old down, I decided to read this.
My initial enthusiasm was slightly dampened when I started reading. I'm not entirely sure why, but I found myself rolling my eyes and sighing a lot. However, then Captain Swing appears and he's a steampunk pirate with his awesome flying ship and his feisty sidekick Polly (the feisty ladies of graphic novels, for once I'd like them to be Bruce Willis in Die Hard annoyed about shit spoiling their day).
This is one of those graphic novels that ticks a lot of boxes. Great artwork. Great concept. Interesting and engaging characters. Well paced action spurring you onto the next page and the page after. There were also two surprises, one bigger than the other, but both notching up the excitement factor. The ending felt a bit abrupt for a stand alone piece, but perfect if this was ever going to be a series (note to self: check if this is a series omg).
So yes, I really enjoyed this. It takes a moment to really get going, but when it does it's a great ride. Highly recommended.
My initial enthusiasm was slightly dampened when I started reading. I'm not entirely sure why, but I found myself rolling my eyes and sighing a lot. However, then Captain Swing appears and he's a steampunk pirate with his awesome flying ship and his feisty sidekick Polly (the feisty ladies of graphic novels, for once I'd like them to be Bruce Willis in Die Hard annoyed about shit spoiling their day).
This is one of those graphic novels that ticks a lot of boxes. Great artwork. Great concept. Interesting and engaging characters. Well paced action spurring you onto the next page and the page after. There were also two surprises, one bigger than the other, but both notching up the excitement factor. The ending felt a bit abrupt for a stand alone piece, but perfect if this was ever going to be a series (note to self: check if this is a series omg).
So yes, I really enjoyed this. It takes a moment to really get going, but when it does it's a great ride. Highly recommended.
August 13, 2024
¡Hola hola!🌸
Otra de mis tentaciones del @sousacomics .
🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️
Resumen del cómic
Londres, 1830: Charlie Gravel un agente del recién formado Cuerpo de Policía Metropolitana, ve demasiadas cosas que no debería, objetos voladores que no deberían volar o al mismo Jack el Saltarín. Es el momento en el que el capitán Swing y su tripulación de piratas eléctricos de la isla cenicienta cambien el rumbo de la Historia.
🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️
Es una historia muy bien ambientada en la Inglaterra previctoriana. Toda se desarrolla de noche, sobre los tejados de Londres, en completa oscuridad. Pero los rayos, la electricidad, incluso las bombillas que disparan los piratas están tan bien hechos que parecen reales!!
Y consigue en una historia corta y amena hablarte de un mundo lleno de invenciones, de injusticias, de amor, del futuro... Una lucha que se ve con sus personajes...
Recomendadísimo!!!!
Otra de mis tentaciones del @sousacomics .
🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️
Resumen del cómic
Londres, 1830: Charlie Gravel un agente del recién formado Cuerpo de Policía Metropolitana, ve demasiadas cosas que no debería, objetos voladores que no deberían volar o al mismo Jack el Saltarín. Es el momento en el que el capitán Swing y su tripulación de piratas eléctricos de la isla cenicienta cambien el rumbo de la Historia.
🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️🏴☠️👮♂️
Es una historia muy bien ambientada en la Inglaterra previctoriana. Toda se desarrolla de noche, sobre los tejados de Londres, en completa oscuridad. Pero los rayos, la electricidad, incluso las bombillas que disparan los piratas están tan bien hechos que parecen reales!!
Y consigue en una historia corta y amena hablarte de un mundo lleno de invenciones, de injusticias, de amor, del futuro... Una lucha que se ve con sus personajes...
Recomendadísimo!!!!
June 2, 2018
Warren Ellis is a very skilled man and in this beautifully crafted, well researched and nicely drawn book he has managed something I thought was impossible: Namely, I actually enjoyed a steampunk novel.
This is, I am pretty sure, the very heart of Steampunk. London 1830 a Peeler on the London Metropolitan Police, a new force, he sees A Bow Street Runner (the two forces were deadly enemies) chasing a man across the rooftops. The man is a sky pirate, using the scientific principles of Electricity to change the world.
The artwork has that dark, luminous style that steampunk seems to adore and the dark heavy linings suite the story very well. The 'parchment' information pages between each chapter keep the reader interested with snippets of information about electricity and discoveries, and the mechanical diagrams are nifty.
Not my favourite ever, but quite a nice little read.
This is, I am pretty sure, the very heart of Steampunk. London 1830 a Peeler on the London Metropolitan Police, a new force, he sees A Bow Street Runner (the two forces were deadly enemies) chasing a man across the rooftops. The man is a sky pirate, using the scientific principles of Electricity to change the world.
The artwork has that dark, luminous style that steampunk seems to adore and the dark heavy linings suite the story very well. The 'parchment' information pages between each chapter keep the reader interested with snippets of information about electricity and discoveries, and the mechanical diagrams are nifty.
Not my favourite ever, but quite a nice little read.
January 11, 2023
No me ha gustado demasiado el dibujo. Sí lo ha hecho, sin embargo, la ambientación y los paisajes que se muestran en algunas viñetas (con otro dibujo me hubieran gustado mucho más). Es un dibujo lleno de trazos que queda muy recargado. La narración, interrumpida cada 2 o 3 paginas por una página a modo de diario, me ha parecido que le faltaba un poco de fluidez a pesar de que hay bastante acción. Un comic para pasar el rato (una historia fantástica interesante) pero nada más.
June 22, 2025
Pros: engaging art, interesting story (especially if you know about the historical times this work fictionalizes) that's slightly more highbrow with its ideas than your average steampunk.
Cons: far too short. More time could have been spent with the characters and more worldbuilding would not have hurt. Instead, much of the telling feels rushed and the graphic novel ends with much story untold.
Solid 3.5 stars. Worth a read, not necessarily worth chasing down.
Cons: far too short. More time could have been spent with the characters and more worldbuilding would not have hurt. Instead, much of the telling feels rushed and the graphic novel ends with much story untold.
Solid 3.5 stars. Worth a read, not necessarily worth chasing down.
September 28, 2019
Self-contained electropunk (teslapunk?) story about scientific pirates, Bow Street Runners and an alternate industrial revolution. There's room for something interesting in the premise but there's too much action for it to have time to go anywhere. Great art and lots of luscious, wordlessly cinematic panels - the only reason to bother.
April 4, 2025
Aun cundo las propuestas ucrónicas son un terreno familiar para Warren Ellis, el mérito de esta miniserie retrofuturista yace en su enfoque aventurero, pilar del subgnéreo steampunk cuyo valor original se desdibujó hasta depreciarse en las manos de autores poco inspiradas. Evasión bien propuesta y mejor desplegada.
December 15, 2018
Fun, but ultimately rather minor effort from Ellis. Nice steampunk setting and artwork by Raulo Caceres.
June 23, 2022
Really enjoyed what was there.... but would looove to see the rest. Feels like a prequel.
May 9, 2023
Not without its ideas, but Captain Swing was ultimately a flat experience, with dated dialogue and over-edgy violence making for a story that, ironically, lacked spark.
July 13, 2024
Fabulous art and though Ellis is never wrong, he does leave us hungry for more here.
November 22, 2021
Too much exposition not enough graphic novel. And frankly between the ink and the colors the whole thing is almost impossibly dark. Did make for vivid contrast with the electricity.
Spoilers ahead…
Plus we spend a good deal of time finally learning who Captain Swing is…just for him to die a few pages later. Like I only just got through learning this guy existed! Story could definitely have benefited from being longer with more time spent on a graphic backstory and some graphic introductions of the world.
Spoilers ahead…
Plus we spend a good deal of time finally learning who Captain Swing is…just for him to die a few pages later. Like I only just got through learning this guy existed! Story could definitely have benefited from being longer with more time spent on a graphic backstory and some graphic introductions of the world.
July 24, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
There's a really good concept lurking at the heart of this story - Elektro-Punk extraoardinaire with pirates, bow street runners, coppers, and crooked politicians thrown in for fun. And yet, despite a clear arc with some interesting thoughts contained therein, this feels very slight. 3-4 pages of art and then a full page text info dump transition doesn't fail as much as it could but somehow manages to feel a bit lazy.
That said, the artwork is excellent - dense and dark and beautiful. I still get the feeling that Ellis is writing himself into each of these main characters as a Marty Stu of the egregious sort - but hey, I bought the comic and I knew what I was getting into based upon the names on the marque.
The story revolves around a character named Spring Heeled Jack - a pirate with the ability to use electrical devices to further his means (which we later learn to be philosophical in nature). He comes into the sphere of influence of a Peeler (policeman) Charlie Gravel (who, as his last name suggests, is the rough, earthy, grounded in a banal reality sort). Gravel found his friend murdered and he isn't too happy about it. And he believes the key to bringing justice to his peeler friend is to hunt down Spring Heeled Jack. Where those two intersect, Charlie will find his quarry and Spring Heeled Jack will further his philanthropic agenda.
I do have to credit Ellis for writing a story where the women give as good as the men but aren't over sensationalized or stereotyped into nun or devil. Pirate Polly really is 'one of the guys' and is counterbalanced by Spring Heeled Jack's idealism and Gravel's brutal honesty. Their triumvirate of Heart (Polly), Mind (Jack), and Body (Gravel) provide a few interesting observations on 1830s London society and people in general that are interesting enough even without all the pretty pictures around the text bubbles.
But ah, I have to admit, despite the disappointment in the story, I absolutely loved the intricate artwork. Rich color, heavy black lines, and very meticulous drawings really set the stage to show off the Elektro-punk lightning blue - you can hardly miss it in every image. And when the pirate ship flies the skies with electrified rudders, it truly is a sight to see.
So although I have very ambivalent feelings about this graphic novel (I waver between 3 and 4 stars), I did enjoy the tale while at the same time wishing it was so much more.
May 17, 2025
Il racconto parla di uno "scienziato/pirata" che scopre nel 1830 l'elettricità e riesce con essa a compiere cose strabilianti (ad esempio ci fa volare il suo galeone).
La narrazione segue il punto di vista di un poliziotto (simbolo dell'ordine e della legge) che inizialmente lotta contro il capitano per unirsi poi alla ciurma "a modo suo". La ciurma è infatti costituita da personaggi di diverse storie, estrazioni sociali, scopi e culture.
Una loggia massonica londinese è riuscita ad entrare in possesso di un minerale dagli effetti simili all'energia elettrica ed è determinata ad utilizzarla per acquisire sempre maggior potere, facendo passare queste capacità per "magia" agli occhi della popolazione ignorante e retrograda.
Capitan Swing e la sua ciurma di pirati elettrici, invece, hanno trovato il modo di creare e sfruttare l'energia elettrica nella loro Baia delle Braci e lottano per scongiurare il pericolo imminente di oscurantismo che la Loggia sta architettando.
Un racconto dal sapore anarchico e ribelle che porta l'energia elettrica nell'epoca vittoriana senza però perdere tutto il suo sapore Steampunk.
La narrazione segue il punto di vista di un poliziotto (simbolo dell'ordine e della legge) che inizialmente lotta contro il capitano per unirsi poi alla ciurma "a modo suo". La ciurma è infatti costituita da personaggi di diverse storie, estrazioni sociali, scopi e culture.
Una loggia massonica londinese è riuscita ad entrare in possesso di un minerale dagli effetti simili all'energia elettrica ed è determinata ad utilizzarla per acquisire sempre maggior potere, facendo passare queste capacità per "magia" agli occhi della popolazione ignorante e retrograda.
Capitan Swing e la sua ciurma di pirati elettrici, invece, hanno trovato il modo di creare e sfruttare l'energia elettrica nella loro Baia delle Braci e lottano per scongiurare il pericolo imminente di oscurantismo che la Loggia sta architettando.
Un racconto dal sapore anarchico e ribelle che porta l'energia elettrica nell'epoca vittoriana senza però perdere tutto il suo sapore Steampunk.
October 3, 2016
I don't usually read comics or graphic novels, largely because my visual impairment often makes it hard to appreciate them. But I found this in a sale bin and since A) Ellis had been highly recommended and B) i'm a sucker for things set in the Victorian era (and also quite fond of pirates), I thought I'd give it a try. There's some interesting philosophy here, particularly about scientific exploration, and I like what world building there is (alternate history, etc.) and the characters. But with the short form at there's not enough space to build the characters. I would like to see more stories in this world of Ellis decides to write more, but as a standalone it feels a bit disappointing. Also, predictably, my visual impairment made reading it pretty frustrating – for instance I had a very hard time differentiating several of the characters, and by the end I was getting a headache. I'd definitely be interested in reading any prose that Ellis has written, but this reminded me of why I generally stay away from graphic novels.
January 7, 2016
I enjoy Warren Ellis the most when he exhibits his maturation as a writer. In other words he avoids his usual tropes (profanity, snarkiness, etc.) and tries to stretch himself as a writer. Captain Swing continues the trend of his improvement as a writer. Oh, he does resort to some of his usual tricks, but nowhere near as much as he does in his work-for-hire books (this is a creator owned work). We get a little bit of a history lesson about 17th Century London (Peelers and Bow Street Runners in particular) as a London beat cop becomes involved with the Captain Swing, known by some as Spring Heel Jack.
Swing is an idealist. He wants science to be the rule, not superstition, and economic equality (or something closer it than exists). There are hints of further stories that could be told of the Captain and the pirates, despite a couple of plot turns that I did not expect. In addition, Ellis tosses in a casual connection to his modern day William Gravel work.
Swing is an idealist. He wants science to be the rule, not superstition, and economic equality (or something closer it than exists). There are hints of further stories that could be told of the Captain and the pirates, despite a couple of plot turns that I did not expect. In addition, Ellis tosses in a casual connection to his modern day William Gravel work.
Want to read
September 12, 2016Edición española a cargo de Glénat.
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