Over at Marvel Comics the character of Betsy Braddock is an incredibly intriguing mutant. The X-Men titles have recently seen Betsy take on her family name of Captain Britain. In previous titles like “Knights of X” and “Excalibur” Betsy was mostly operating with an extended team of heroes. A new era for Betsy is marked by “Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain” #1 featuring one of Betsy’s first solo series during the Krakoa era of comics. Writer Tini Howard is returning from Betsy’s previous series to craft a new narrative with the hero. Will Marvel be able to streamline Betsy as a hero to tell an interesting story without a team of heroes to anchor her? Find out in our review for the debut chapter of “Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain” #1!
Cover byWritten by Tini Howard
Illustrated by Vasco Georgiev
Colored by Erick Arciniega
Lettered by VC’s Ariana MaherTHE CAPTAIN COMES HOME! And she’s got a whole new mission!
With Otherworld settled, Braddock Manor restored, and her brother Captain Avalon at her side, you’d think things look pretty good for Betsy Braddock. Only it turns out, good ole Britain doesn’t want her back. No one wants a mutant menace carrying the shield of Captain Britain, and Betsy’s made more than a few enemies along her way. Quest-less and country-less, Betsy must define a role for herself. A fresh take on a beloved character, don’t miss the latest Tini Howard extravaganza and fan-favorite artist Vasco Georgiev’s Marvel debut!
One of the most fascinating aspects of this new chapter in Betsy Braddock’s life is how the hero is handling public relations. Betsy goes on a talk show in the beginning of the story when she learns that there is a disdain among the people of Betsy being Captain Britain. Betsy learns the public is used to having her brother in the role. This sense of animosity adds a great layer of subtext to “Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain” #1. One aspect of Betsy’s life that has been greatly improved over previous installments is her relationship with Rachel Summers. Rachel now goes by Askani and has advanced her relationship with Betsy considerably in this tale. Rachel’s personality is a great way to contrast the more formal outlook that Betsy has on her current situation. Author Tini Howard contrasts their relationships incredibly well in this debut chapter.
Artist Vasco Georgiev lends an imaginative set of pencils to this issue. Georgiev’s rendition of the Britannica Rex is something that needs to be seen to be believed. Also, the way Georgiev lays out the pages in some of these scenes pushes the limits of comics as we see characters like Rex carefully laid out across a page with stunning composition. Georgiev is also great at depicting action scenes. Towards the end of the issue there’s an influx of characters teasing the scope of “Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain” and Georgiev renders each hero on the page with a nice sense of precision. Georgiev is also able to shift gears when the scene calls for a darker, more sinister vibe by draping the page in shadow and delivering tense facial expressions to make the scene foreboding. Georgiev’s figures can occasionally feature loose anatomy. This sense of anatomy was noticeable in an intimate scene with Betsy and Rachel.
Howard’s script lends a strong sense of focus to the Braddock royal family. Braddock’s corner of The Marvel Universe is in a fascinating place thanks to the depleted resources from previous stories. It really feels like Betsy’s world is on the brink of falling apart as Captain Britain’s previous safeguards have crumbled. Watching the villains of the issue exploit Betsy’s current vulnerabilities was a great plot point for Howard to address in the series as well. Howard lent a great sense of pacing to the scene where Betsy heads to Infuri to investigate the current scenario with the Furies. Howard does a great job tying the lore of Captain Britain in a different direction for this character while honoring important elements of Betsy’s past.
I was also reassured to see characters like Pete Wisdom return to the series to care over S.T.R.I.K.E.. Howard lends a great story moment to Brian and Peter that calls upon the long history with these characters. The moments with Jamie Braddock also give Betsy’s adventures a sort of wildcard element that keeps this series interesting to read through. When the time comes for Howard to change gears and flesh out the villains of “Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain” #1, the characterization elements remain strong. This story uses a classic villain for Betsy that is a great way to challenge her character with so many new elements of continuity fleshed out with this story. It was also great to see more power utilized by Betsy and her forces when the final climactic scene of the issue called for her to do so.
Even through “Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain” #1 has a condensed set of characters, this issue has so much ground to cover. One great part about this new title is how much focus that Howard will be able to dedicate this more Betsy-centric Marvel series. Braddock’s relationship with Rachel has an excellent sense of realism in the dialogue. Georgiev’s art is so expressive. At times, Georgiev can miss some of the details and strain elements of character anatomy, but in most scenes these aspects do not detract from the greater story. “Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain” #1 feels more focused than previous Betsy Braddock stories that had to serve too many characters to deliver a good story.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – “Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain” #1 gives Betsy a focused series that her character needed all along.
