Despite being inextricably tied to the Krakoan era, Tini Howard’s incredible fantasy epic has branched out to establish its own fiefdom, a corner of the Marvel Universe where these characters can thrive without weathering the storms inherent to the X-line of books.
At least part of this work might be inspired by Howard’s documented love for—and deep understanding of—the classic Captain Britain tales, which were themselves isolated both narratively and geographically. Even the original run of Excalibur often felt uniquely separate.
This isn’t to say that Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain is unconcerned with the larger Universe, only that it makes great strides in establishing its own idiosyncratic narrative alchemy. Diving into the beautifully bizarre concepts of a multiverse isn’t new, but in the hands of Howard and artist Vasco Georgiev, that exploration is done through the (tragically under-explored) lens of a Captain Britain Corps. Concepts introduced decades ago and tensions built over decades of storytelling are given new life.
If that means occasionally spotlighting different Captains Britain—a key joy of the property—all the better. If it means examining new variations on classic antagonists, fantastic. The Braddock family relationships, which have been flatly ignored for long stretches of years, can here be strengthened. Remembering that Jamie exists is a thankful boon (and without putting him in a diaper, to boot), let alone allowing Brian to return to his role as a scientist.
One of the great joys of Betsy Braddock is its not-too-subtle digs at the toxic, men-first mentality fandom that has challenged Betsy’s assumption of her new role since the very beginning. Overtalking television pundits and soundbite-spewing podcast hosts are marked as petty annoyances in Betsy’s life, a sad background noise with which she must tragically interface. There’s no pandering Girl Boss-ness, no life-lesson speeches, only the truth of a driven woman cutting through all that bullshit without being sullied by it.
This gets at the heart of these characters and their relationships: everyone here feels established and storied, each relationship emotionally grounded. Howard has a knack for understanding the motivations beneath the surface; she winds up each character’s intents and purposes and lets them run even though—and specifically because—they often run counter to one another. It’s a smart writer’s trick, a way to make characters complexly driven under the hood.
All that deep character work paired with an inventive take on extant mythology means that Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain is destined to be one of the most interesting and unique books from Marvel, X-Office or otherwise. Lovingly written, beautifully illustrated and vibrantly colored, and masterfully strange, this series is set to be the best part of your pull list every single month.
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