Captain Britain

Captain Britain US & UK collections

by Jamie Delano, Alan Davis (Illustrator), Mike Collins

THE STORY OF THE MAN BEHIND THE LEGEND BY ALAN DAVIS, JAMIE DELANO & MIKE COLLINS

DIPPED IN MAGIC, CLOTHED IN SCIENCE, CAPTAIN BRITAIN WAS EMPOWERED BY MERLIN TO SAVE AN UNSUSPECTING WORLD FROM THE POWERS OF DARKNESS.

HIS COMPANIONS: SISTER, BETSY - LATER KNOWN AS THE X-MAN PSYLOCKE, AND THE WEREWOMAN MEGGAN.

HIS ADVERSARIES: THE RUTHLESS VIXEN, THE TREACHEROUS SAT-YR-NIN AND THE ABSURD CRAZY GANG.

HIS ALLIES: THE UNPREDICTABLE GATECRASHER AND HER ILL-ASSORTED BAND OF MERCENARIES, THE TECHNET.

HIS DESTINY: EXCALIBUR


Collecting: Mighty World of Marvel # 14 - 16 (1984, UK), Captain Britain # 1 - 14 (1985, UK)

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Marvel, Superheroes, Fiction, X Men

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1990

About the author

Jamie Delano aka A. William James began writing comics professionally in the early 1980s. Latterly he has been writing prose fiction with "BOOK THIRTEEN" published by his own LEPUS BOOKS imprint (http://www.lepusbooks.co.uk) in 2012, "Leepus | DIZZY" in April 2014, and "Leepus | THE RIVER" in 2017.

Jamie lives in semi-rural Northamptonshire with his partner, Sue. They have three adult children and a considerable distraction of grandchildren.

Reviews

[Jefferson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Alan Davis' artwork is stunning as always, and there are a few good stories in this collection, the majority of the material serves as a continuation and wrap-up of the previous Captain Britain series, which isn't included in this volume. This is problematic because the reader is frequently called upon to be invested in characters and storylines that we've only been introduced to in flashbacks -- the expected resonance isn't there unless you've read the previous stories, which unfortunately aren't widely available.

[Matt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are the first comics I’ve read for the character Captain Britain. All I can say is wow!

I’m a big fan of Jamie Delano from his Hellblazer work and this had the same level of quality and writing as those. And the art from Alan Davis is freaking awesome!

This trade just throws you in to this universe and doesn’t hold your hand but it was easy for me to follow. The 12 page chapter breaks is unique to British comics and I really like the pacing of them. Every story beat got to the point and there was never any down time or filler.

Over all I would recommend this collection as a first dive into the character or anyone who’s interested in the British style of comics.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be frankly honest, I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to reading this. Well, now wait a tick, actually I do. I don’t like coming into a series I think I really going to enjoy in the middle. Sometimes it can’t be helped (For just one example: the first episode I ever saw of Doctor Who was the 20th anniversary special, The Five Doctors); but I’d rather, given a choice, start at the beginning. So there was always this realization, every time I picked up a collection of Captain Britain stories, that there was more that I didn’t have yet. This volume was actually the first I got and it took years, decades actually, to get something even close to the whole run before the events of this volume (and I’m still missing a handful or so even now). But enough of the memory lane talk, how about our hero.
Captain Britain is a great character, and even though I prefer his original red costume with the Golden lion on the chest, I could never quite get enough of him. These stories are fun and hold up really well to the intervening years. Jamie Delano is a fantastically good author, in my opinion his run on Hellblazer is the best that has ever been done, and the art of Alan Davis is, of course, just perfect for the character. This is a very entertaining collection.

[Hamish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alan Davis is fantastic. I think his art here is probably the best I've ever seen it. He inks himself here, and he uses a lot of bold, thick lines and lots of shading, unlike his usual inkers (Farmer and Neary) who tend to give his work a bit more of a cartoony look. No disrespect to Farmer and Neary, but I actually prefer the moodier look Davis' inks give these comics. Strong layouts, great expressions and body language, a flair for depicting the fantastic, excellent character design, Alan does it all. He's not a very flashy artist and it's easy to miss just how talented he is, but if you look carefully you'll be impressed.

The plotting here is fairly strong and moves along nicely, though it seems like the title got canceled abruptly and all the plot points are suddenly resolved in a very abrupt and unsatisfying fashion (several resolutions seem to directly contradict where their respective plots were implied to be heading). There are a lot of subplots going on, and right as the build-up is about to pay off--everything gets cut short instead. The Captain's story continues in Excalibur, but most of these sub-plots are not picked up there. So the book's not quite strong enough for me to give it a 4 (maybe a 3.5), but used copies of this tend to come pretty cheap and it's definitely worth the $5 or whatever you'll plunk down for it.

[Sirbriang2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the cover introducing these stories as simply CAPTAIN BRITAIN, this is neither a definitive collection, nor is it a great jumping-on point for new readers. What it is is a collection of rare (in America) and rarely collected comic book issues that fills in the gap between a more famous storyline (Alan Moore & Alan Davis’ Fury/Jaspers arc) and a more well-known series (1988’s EXCALIBUR).

Co-plotters Jamie DeLano (scripts) and Alan Davis (pencils & inks) tell several enjoyable stories here that are brimming with ideas. DeLano has a good feel for the character’s voices, and Alan Davis is an all-time great comic artist, on his way up. These stories do a great job fleshing out Captain Britain’s character, and the supporting cast is rich —- many of whom will eventually grace the pages of EXCALIBUR.

If there is one complaint about these stories, it is that they are too dense. There are SO MANY ideas and plot threads being juggled —- to be fair, this is partially a result of 80s UK comics formatting —- that it is hard to follow at times. It doesn’t help that the stories themselves are heavily reliant on referencing older (and even more obscure) CAPTAIN BRITAIN stories. I love comic book stories that care about continuity, but I don’t know how much readers that are unfamiliar with the source material would enjoy this collection.

Regarding the physical qualities of this trade paperback...it’s a little weird. The paper is a heavier, stiffer, nearly cardstock quality that makes it a little awkward to read. The coloring on some pages bleeds a bit into the paper, muddying the artwork. I suppose that this is a side effect of trade paperbacks being a newer format in 1988 (when this was originally collected), but it has a strange hand-feel when reading it today. Still, unless you shell out for the frequently out-of-print CAPTAIN BRITAIN omnibus, there aren’t really many other options to get your hands on these stories.

So, if you’re interested in Captain Britain and Excalibur backstory, then this is definitely worth tracking down. It’s not for everyone, but it is very good for what it is.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

After years of adventuring on other worlds, Brian Braddock returns to Britain to take up his role as its foremost superhero. He encounters and befriends the werewoman Meggan and is reunited with his psychic sister Betsy but also has to square off against antagonists such as Vixen, the RCX, Gatecrasher, the Crazy Gang and Sat-Yr-Nin.

I was always a fan of Excalibur, but I was never entirely clear on the backstory to Captain Britain and Meggan, so it was nice to finally fill in that blank. In fact, my favourite element of this book as a whole was the development of the relationship between Brian and Meggan, which forms the emotional core here.
I also enjoyed seeing Brian struggle with his responsibilities as a hero in the somewhat unusual way of having to downsize his focus from omniversal threats to ones on the streets of Britain.

Unfortunately, this book's big downside is the lack of significant supporting characters other than Meggan and Betsy (later Psylocke). The rogues gallery of allies and adversaries contain no really engaging characters whatsoever and it's no coincidence that you've probably never heard of the Crazy Gang, Captain UK or Doctor Crocodile.
I feel this relaunch of Captain Britain as a character could really have benefitted from the presence of a recognisable hero or villain to spur it on.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Zac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very worthwhile continuation of the Alan Moore issues, and provides some useful background info on Captain Britain and his large cast of associates. There is a lot happening here - perhaps too many characters and subplots. Meggan and the Manor’s computer are transformed, and alternate versions of the Special Executive, Saturnyne, and the Captain himself appear. This is on top of new villains and competitors, and the return of Slaymaster and the Crazy Gang. The art (and colouring) is again pretty great for the most part, but there is an overall decline by the last couple of issues collected here. These were both scripted and illustrated by Alan Davis, whereas most of the issues in this collection were written by Jamie Delano (mostly known for the excellent first few years of Hellblazer). These final issues here tend to be a bit dialogue heavy as Davis tries to wrap up some of the many loose threads.

I enjoyed some of the standalone stories a bit more, when Captain Britain has a single villain to face. The highlight was definitely ‘Sid’s Story’ (scripted by Mike Collins), which is a bit of a tragic swamp monster story where Sid is reminiscent of Alan Moore’s Nukeface in that both are toxic vagrants who unwittingly poison all around them.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the last run of Captain Britain's solo adventures before his creator Chris Claremont brought him into the super-team Excalibur. With Alan Davis doing most of the writing/co-writing it's surprisingly gentle at times. Cap meets a couple whose son died in one of his fight and they're quite understanding rather than swearing revenge. Dai Thomas, a cop with a mad on for Cap, shows up and apologizes for being a jerk. Of course there's lots of weird adventures, dimension hopping and the like but the final issue is really very charming.

[Matt Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 Reread

It’s hard to be subjective on this one, this tpb was the first one I ever owned (and is still the version I read some 37 years later) so it has a lot of sentimental value, that along with my life long love of Alan Davis’ art.

It was a joy to reread, and Jamie Delano does a fine job of picking up the reins following Alan Moore’s Jaspers War storyline. That said though, this collection does lack the tension and peril of the former, and instead feels like a run of mostly standalone stories that ultimately don’t quite compare.

[Tim B · Rating 5 out of 5]

My version reprints: THE MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL #14-#16(#14 introduces Meggan), CAPTAIN BRITAIN #1-#14. There is something so human about Captain Britain. He is constantly trying to figure out his place and is frequently overcome internally. Captain Britain stories do very well at conveying emotional content with enough zaniness to make it interesting. How wonderful it is to see Excalibur lighthouse for the first time. And to see Meggan's transformation into an insanely powerful hero!

[Ian Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found it at a flea market and pounced at the chance to revisit this title that was an obsession when I first got into comics. The art and layouts are some of Davis' best. He's just incredible. The stories are wacky, psychedelic at times, deeply psychological but then they're also capable of being treacly and full of a sort of forced, chest out bravado that hasn't aged well. Pick it up for the art.

[Mark Schlatter · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the Alan Davis artwork is great as usual, the Jamie Delano plotting isn't that impressive, and my 21st century sensibilities has more and more problems with Meggan as a character. Taking this out of my collection.

[Doom70 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent stuff. Great imagination.

[Mark Dickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great issues in here, but the number of dropped plotlines and the rushed ending detract from the overall experience.

[Bonnie G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun read of life before Excalibur- beautiful art and super bizarre yet funny villains

[Claudio Calia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ne ho scritto (un po') qui:
https://www.obloaps.it/quasi/2024/04/...

[Clayton Greiman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book is an excellent follow up to Alan Moore's "Jasper's Warp" tale; I especially liked Psylocke coming into her own as a personality and heroine. Her near rape by her 'brother' and her eyes being gouged out were the 80's Marvel equivalent of Sue Dibny being raped by Doctor Light. You don't often see women subject to that level of violence in the comic book world...but those acts served not to destroy Psylocke but to strengthen her.

Where the book falters in in the same spot all subsequent Captain Britain tales fail. In a word, "Meggan". Never been a fan of the character and when a good portion of a work (namely this one) is focused on her origin, it makes me miss Jackdaw (and that's akin to pining for a running chainsaw at one's knees).

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Captain Britain is not Captain America. Captain America was created to punch Hitler and, as far as I've been told, in later days was written to represent the ideal of what America should be but is not. Captain Britain is not an ideal, he's kind of explicitly made out to be a douche though sometimes he's called out on it and learns from it. He represents a kind of elite male in British society that most of the writers that shaped his early days tend to despise and occasionally this shows up in the writing. Mostly this book is just a bunch of bananas shit that is the closest thing the Marvel universe has created to Doctor Who, and that's entertaining. Also his partner is a Romani shapeshifter and she's pretty cool so there's that.

[Ryan Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book that got me excited about Captain Britain and led right into Excalibur, one of my personal favorite Marvel titles of all-time. Alan Davis' art has certainly improved over the years but you can see from this volume that his style really hasn't changed much at all. Plenty of interesting characters that cross over into Excalibur as well, characters that those readers might not really have understood fully if they hadn't read this collection first. Most importantly, I think this just might have been the first graphic novel/trade paperback I ever owned. And still do!

[Troy-David Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume contains some of my personal favorite Captain Britain stories.
Also, Alan Davis’s illustrations are beautiful.
Very good character growth not only for Brian but also Meggan, and Betsy (Psylocke).
Many of these story plotlines and characters will be seen in Excalibur: the Crazy Gang, the Technet (Special Executive) Opal Luna Saturnyne, and the multiverse versions of Captain Britain.

[Adrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last run of Captain Britain before Excalibur. This are the issues after Alan Moore's run and they wrap up the series. They have that feeling of British weirdness that I like and have since found in Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol run.

[Jdetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so much fun to read these comics, since as an American, it's a universe with which I am totally unfamiliar. Besides the typically beautiful art of Alan Davis, the stories also show a plethora of new and creative concepts and characters. Fun!

[Scott Fogel · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories are the last issues of the British series before Excalibur started. Introduced Meagan and how Betsy Bradock(psylocke) lost her eyes.
Always a big fan of Alan Davis

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the craziest books I've ever read. It goes from one insane adventure to the next. It is full of imagination and surprises.

[Aaron Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it - Captain America may save the earth- but Captain Britain saves the multiverse