Volume 59: Captain Britain and MI13: Vampire State

Captain Britain and MI13: Vampire State

Author: Paul Cornell  |  Illustrator: Leonard Kirk

"Is that where she is now? With someone? Being a different person for them?"

I'd like to say that Vampire State is a great book, because I enjoy championing the underdog, which Captain Britain probably qualifies as in comparison to the majority of the other heroes featured in TUGNC Collection, but the confusing prologue is followed up by more of the same head-scratching and by the end I was sick of wondering who the hell anyone was and why they were there.

I attempted to factor in that perhaps I was simply lacking essential knowledge from previous Captain Britain and MI13 issues. But while that's no doubt true to an extent, I don't believe it's solely to blame, because the people I did recognise (from being a Marvel UK reader back in the day) were thrown into the narrative with no proper explanation and in some cases without even a legitimate reason why they'd be there in the first place. It was a mess in more ways than one. Characters randomly appear and disappear once their usefulness is used up (or is wasted), and then some other mad shit happens, before the finale magically pulls new levels of bullshit out of nothing but air. Why? What? Did no one question it at the production stage?

The 'story' has actual Dracula. The legendary vampire desires a nation of his own, so he builds a castle on the moon (because hah, fuck you, logic) from which to organise his forces. In response, Captain Britain, MI13, and a number of other mostly UK-specific heroes attempt to stop the ancient, bitey villain from executing his evil plan.

The most interesting thing about the book is that the Captain's powers are based on his confidence level, so self-doubt is potentially both emotionally and physically destructive to him. It's an idea that could've been put to many poignant uses, in isolation or sequentially, but it never is - or rather, never any worthy of the idea itself.

I felt some relief when I actually recognised things, such as the House of Lords, of all places (or was it the Commons?), but now I can't remember why it was featured. A brain-fart, perhaps, but just as likely a coping mechanism: my brain expunging the mess.

The book collects together Captain Britain and MI13 #10-15; and Annual #1.

Verdict: