Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #3 Review

 

Writer: Tini Howard

Artist: Vasco Georgiev

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Erica d’Urso & Matthew Wilson; Aka

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 29, 2023

 

While Rachel Summers searches the multiverse for signs of Morgan Le Fay, Betsy Braddock babysits her niece so Brian and Meggan can attend a West End musical. But instead of a quiet evening with Rachel, her brother calls for help fighting a Fury in Piccadilly Circus. Can Betsy prevent a slaughter of theatergoers? Let’s teleport into Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #3 and find out!

 

Story

Abandoning Rachel to solo adventures in babysitting, Betsy travels to London. Amid the smoking rubble, the Fury announces it’s the nation’s new defender. Its first order of business? After placing mutants and witches in protective custody, it plans to apprehend Brian Braddock, protector of Avalon (also known as Otherworld), and Krakoa.

 

There are a few things that I didn’t get, such as a reporter’s statement about Ambassador Reuben Brousseau and how he fares later. Nor did I appreciate yet another issue without Britannica Rex. (Hey, a T-Rex Captain Britain: what could be cooler than that?) But this story delivers on so many levels that the good far outweighs the bad.

 

Along with the battle of Piccadilly, Tini Howard relates the history of the Furies and their Everforge. Morgan Le Fay wields her magic. Betsy checks in with Pete Wilson and Faiza Hussain. But really, the best part of Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #3 is how hard Betsy and Rachel work at their relationship, even while Morgan Le Fay cooks up another next-level threat to gain unrestricted control of Britain's magic. 

 

Art

Vasco Georgiev takes us to the Braddock family kitchen, where even as Brian tries to talk her into coming with them, Betsy tries different tricks to sneak a spoonful of food into Maggie's mouth. We witness Betsy’s concern for Rachel’s excessive chronoskimming in the mansion's monitor-filled control center. We see Brian take up his sword and fight the red-and-blue Fury hurling threats and cars across Piccadilly Circus. We also visit Pete Wisdom's posh restaurant and Morgan Le Fay's medieval headquarters.

 

 

 

 

While I've mentioned Ariana Maher's tiny lettering before, what impressed me in this issue was how much dialogue she delivered. Vasco rarely devotes a single page to one scene, and each page averages four panels or more. He never works across multiple pages, so readers of later trades and hardcovers won't lose anything to guttering. As Ariana packs narrative boxes and dialogue balloons with lowercase lettering into each tiny panel, Vasco hits back with incredibly detailed art. He rarely shows a character against a blank background or fills space with direction lines. Whether large or small, nearly every one of his ninety-four panels delivers a fully realized scene in Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #3.

 

While the Braddocks and Pete Wisdom are partial to checkerboard floors, Erick Arciniega loads up his palette with full spectrum color. I'm no more a fan of Rachel's flaming head than of Michael Jackson's burning hair, but Betsy's long purple tresses blend well with her Union Jack costume. The red, blue, and black Captain Furious takes center stage in London's smoking West End district as a green-and-gold-clad Meggan wields arcs of energy in the hazy red sky. Even after the battle, as the sun sinks into the rubble-strewn streets and Rachel and her warwolf puppy step through a red portal in a nearby park, nothing is lost to the invading darkness.

 

Final Thoughts

Filled with witchcraft, Fairie, mutants, and robots with dreams of greatness, Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #3 delivers an interesting and exciting day in the life of Britain's courageous and caring defender. While short on mega-powered villains and world-ending threats, readers can expect a three-paragraph introduction, a report from The Reflector (the UK’s most trusted news source), a datafile, and twenty pages of story and art that impress, even when magnified at 150-200%. It's a substantial read that focuses on family, celebrates diversity, and contrasts what heroes and villains care about. Even without a T-Rex Captain Britain,  expert Marvelites and mutant newbies should enjoy this National Treasure.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2 Review

 

Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2 Review

Writer: Tini Howard

Artist: Vasco Georgiev

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Erica d’Urso & Matthew Wilson; Ramon Villalobos & Jesus Abertov

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 29, 2023

 

Betsy Braddock and Rachel Summers lead all known Captain Britains against Morgan Le Fay and her Furies. When she realizes the forces of Good will carry the day, Morgan Le Fay retreats. Betsy guesses Morgan will try to mold a potential Captain Britain, and Rachel locates one on Earth-76. Can Betsy and Rachel arrive in time to save a possible Captain Britain from falling under Morgan Le Fay’s sway? Let’s teleport into Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2 and see what happens next!

 

Story

In her London flat on Earth-76, Lizzie Braddock searches her poorly stocked fridge for dinner. She's overwhelmed when Morgan Le Fay appears. She’s heard others talk about Merlin, King Arthur, and Morgan Le Fay but never believed they were real. Lizzie's a capable member of S.T.R.I.K.E. with the mutant power of telekinesis. Morgan offers to help her become more. When Betsy and Rachel arrive, Morgan asks Lizzie to help her defeat them.

 

We learn more about British mythology—and how it relates to Marvel’s Multiverse—in Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2. We also meet Captain Peggy Carter, a WWII super-soldier recently discovered in the arctic. Revived, she now defends Britain on behalf of S.T.R.I.K.E. We learn that Morgan can emulate Madrox’s mutant ability to raise her game. Every hero gets her moment as each faces off against the legendary witch.

 

 

 

Art

Betsy and Rachel levitate, fly, and look at ease in the air. Lizzie appears far away when viewed from inside her mostly-barren fridge. Morgan Le Fay's black dress flows and splays out at the bottom, reminiscent of Morticia Adams. Lizzie's window bursts and fragments as Morgan hurls her power at Betsy and Rachel. While backgrounds occasionally give way to direction lines, most panels provide a fully realized setting. Pleasing compositions make the story easy to follow.

 

Red unites Betsy and Rachel. Black-clad Morgan casts green everywhere she goes in Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2. Lizzie and Betsy share lavender hair, and Betsy's power manifests in that color. A Harry Potteresque scene shows Morgan stave off Morgan's power—not from wands but foreheads. When she's injured, strands of Morgan's black hair turn gray. All turns black in one panel when Morgan hurls her terrible power at Lizzie. All we glimpse is Lizzie's glowing form, outlined in red.

 

Dialogue balloons arrangement makes them easy to follow. Psychic communication appears in puffy clouds with a hint of an X. Stressed words are bold. The Furies get black dialogue balloons with white lettering. Sound effects are expressive and inventive. If only the upper-and-lowercase lettering didn't start small and shrink for lowered voices. Older X-fans: give the physical comic to your children and keep the digital copy for yourself!

 

Final Thoughts

The first issue lured me in with a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Now it seems Britannica Rex may not regularly appear in this series. Even the Furies—a combination of Abe Sapien and Chappie-style robot warriors—don't get much screen time in this issue. Still, I enjoyed meeting new characters and seeing Betsy and Rachel force the legendary Morgan Le Fay to switch tactics. While much shorter than its predecessor, Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2 delivers a satisfying story with a uniquely British sensibility. Pair it with a strong cuppa and a Jammy Dodger for maximum enjoyment.

 

Rating 8.5/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch

Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #1 Review

 

Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #1 Review

Writer: Tini Howard

Artist: Vasco Georgiev

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Erica d’Urso & Matthew Wilson; Peach Momoko; and Otto Schmidt

Publisher: Marvel

Price: 4.99

Release Date: February 22, 2023

 

Betsy Braddock now holds the mantle of Captain Britain. With her friend Rachel Summers by her side, she protects all the inhabited planets in the multiverse. Has she bitten off more than she can chew? Let's teleport into Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #1 and find out!

 

Story

Betsy and Rachel fly to the aid of tyrannosaurus Britannicus Rex on Earth 99476. Amid a devastating Impact Event, they battle a superhero-hunting Fury. Betsy's brother Brian—who formerly held the title Captain Britain—brings the girls up to speed on the Furies' development. Thus they visit the Fury homeworld, a mix of Dark Cybertron and the Harkonnen world Giedi Prime.

 

Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #1 introduces characters like her brother Jamie Braddock, Brian's fairy wife Meggan, and shrinking mutant Scott Wright. British mythology comes to life with mentions of Arthur and Merlyn, the sword Excalibur, and the introduction of Lady Morgan LeFay. Forces such as STRIKE, the Coven Akkaba, and the Fury Kingdom assemble, maneuver, and clash. It's a lot to take in for a newcomer to Marvel's contemporary mutant books. Fact sheets on Brian and Betsy's history as Captain Britain, the Braddock family, and the mechanical cybiote Furies help. As we watch Betsy and Rachel's relationship develop, we also get insights into all the other Captain Britains defending the mighty Marvel multiverse.

 

As this series gears up for universe-threatening events, Tini Howard helps us understand the heroes and villains through dialogue and action. She doesn't address why Betsy carries the name Captain Britain but isn't the nation's protector, but she initiates that discussion. She weaves together opposing threads of magic versus science, history versus mythology, and organic versus machine intelligence into a long, absorbing read. While I'll admit to eye fatigue by the time I finished reading, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and following the plots in this vast tapestry of marvelous mutant mayhem.

 

Art

Vasco Georgiev brings Betsy, her friend Rachel, and the rest of the Braddock family to life in a fun and consistent manner. Transformers or old-school Cylon Warriors merge with Abe Sapien to imbue the Furies with a uniquely menacing appearance. Humans and dinosaurs are expressive, and body language conveys motion well. Uniforms and costumes are appealing, and upholstery and carpets show designs and wear. Detailed landscapes and interior spaces fill every page, and each panel commands your attention.  

 

Erick Arciniega fills each panel with a wide variety of soft complementary colors. Shadows and reflections enhance surfaces. Graduated colors merge across a spectrum to show sunsets and how windows glow from interior light. Betsy and Rachel dissolve in a swirl of sparkling white when they teleport. Scott Wright leaves after images of graduated bluish-white as he shrinks down to Micromax-size. Erick complements Vasco in creating captivating scenes in which compelling characters talk, embrace, and fight.

 

If I had one problem with this comic, it was with Ariana Maher’s lettering. How much of this is her fault is debatable, as Marvel’s mutant books all seem to use small upper-and-lower-case letters. The small font is more stylized than simple block lettering, and she shows intonation with bold or italicized words. Lowered voices get yet smaller lettering. Even reading this extra-long comic on my computer at 150%, my eyes felt strained long before I finished.

 

Ariana displays emotion and artistry with cloudy dialogue balloons accentuated with an X-pattern and linked to the character with a lightning bolt. Colored narrative boxes, sometimes with colored print, introduce characters and places. Colored sound effects enhance the soundtrack, and the Furies speak with black narrative boxes and white lettering. While pleasing to the eye, it's also quite taxing.

 

Final Thoughts

Betsy Braddock: Captain America #1 crams appealing characters, history and mythology, and lush, gorgeous art into a highly-enjoyable issue that feels more like a graphic novel. While you'll probably need a break after reading this beautiful and involving story, you'll have met lots of interesting characters and be itching to watch all the X-Men movies over again.

 

Rating 9/10 

To view the preview pages (and catch fearsome Britannicus Rex in action!) see my review at Comic Book Dispatch