RestrainedMillar doesn’t usually work all that well. Let’s face it, those of us who like Millar tend to like him when he’s doing things like Ultimates, The Authority or Kick-Ass - gloriously tearing apart convention and having a bloody good time in the process. With the odd exception (such as Aztek, although that’s one of those books where it’s hard to tell how much was him and how much Mozza), when he plays it straight it’s usually far less interesting.

But while the idea behind 1985 is far from conventional, the style of storytelling is rather more so - and so it’s a surprise that it’s turned out to be such a good read. It’s even more surprising for me, in fact, when you consider that mid-1980s Marvel is an era in which I have little in the way of interest. Nevertheless, the gentle pace and strong character use has made the book something of a quiet success. Issue #3 gives us a bit more focus on Toby’s father, Jerry, with flashbacks to various parts of his life - and if the “likeable loser wannabe musician who reads comics dad” is a bit of a cliche, the idea of an adult figure who is just as accepting of the idea of comics-intruding-on-reality as the obligatory child is a neat one.

The second half of the issue really plays on the “real world” aspect of the book - and in presenting the arrival of dangerous super-villains into the world almost as a global disaster, there’s a terrifying and tangible reality to it that’s almost reminiscent of a Night Shyamalan film (you know, the good ones). The sequence with Modok forcing the suicide-by-drowning of scores of people (including their children) is genuinely chilling, and it remains to be seen if Millar will explore further examples of applying villainous actions and schemes that seem par-for-the-course when we read them in four colours, but which would be horrifying in reality.

Something that aids in this portrayal, certainly, is Tommy Lee Edwards’ artwork. As has been discussed, the book was originally intended to be a fumetti - but you do have to wonder how such an approach would have realised characters such as Modok. Here, Edwards’ pencils certainly have a degree of realism that is important in maintaining the illusion that Toby’s world is “reality” - but they’re sketchy enough that they blur the lines between reality and fiction in a manner representative of the book’s events.  His good sense of character expression and the stylised colouring job also enhance the tone significantly.

It’s still something of a slow series - up until now it’s been all about glimpses of the fantastical, and things are only now really starting to happen - and the character reveal on the closing page is nowhere near as exciting as you’d expect (it just leaves you wondering if and when the big guns are really going to start showing up). But it’s an intriguing concept, well-executed, that’s proven to be far more than an exercise in nostalgia - as it happens, the choice of 1985 as the pool from which to draw characters has so far been little more than incidental, and in focusing on the human participants rather than the comic book characters, the series actually feels all the stronger for it.

Brubaker’s epic “Death of Captain America” story has been moving smoothly over from issue to issue now since the first, fatal comic in which Cap was struck down. While the plotting has always been masterful and the twists carefully engineered, something about the story in the final part of the trilogy (The Man Who Bought America) has kept me from enjoying it too much. The 4th part, contained in Issue #40, has brought back what was missing - the gut reaction to events.

While the whole issue is mostly a tense action scene that intercuts between two Caps fighting and Sharon once again attempting her escape, the amount of character work packed in is impressive. 50s Cap is kept in a confused, righteous rage, while Bucky attempts to calm him down while doubting his own ability to do so. Meanwhile, Sharon and her hostage, Sin, debate just who is more important to the Skull, while the masterminds behind the entire scheme bicker amongst themselves. For the first time this arc, all these characters seem like 3-dimensional people rather than pieces on Brubaker’s chessboard, and I’ve started caring about the story all over again.

Epting’s art also hits a real peak with this issue, and there’s a final page reveal that looks almost as iconic in itself as Epting’s depiction of Cap’s death. The last panel gives the unusual impression of putting the reader in the Red Skull’s shoes, of all people. It’s guaranteed that you and he are thinking the same think the moment you recognise what Sin has done.

With only two issues to go before the “end” of the epic story, one has to wonder exactly what the status quo is going to be. Bucky has already started showing up as Cap outside of his title, so maybe it’s time for him to start properly interacting with the Marvel Universe - whichever direction Brubaker takes, it’s certain that it’s going to be a truly brilliant read.

Every Wednesday we take turns to delve into our trusty longboxes, pluck out a dusty back issue, and give you our thoughts. We’ll also try and place it in the context of the time it was originally published.

After the breakout successes of Sleeper and Criminal, it’s clear that Ed Brubaker has opened the door for pulp authors to bring their strengths to mainstream comics, with Duane Swierczynski drawing much kudos from his crime literature. This cross-pollination is not a new development, but it’s curious how less self-assured even a comparatively recent attempt feels in comparison. Robert Weinberg’s credentials as a horror author are not in doubt, having written over a dozen novels and had a hand in many anthologies. After his initial venture into the world of comics was curtailed by a change in Marvel’s editorial policy (time travel was out, that year), he retuned in 2001 with this original series about a number of monstrous communities secreted in the heart of contemporary New York, and their self-appointed peacekeeper. In what was intended as an introduction to the world of Sydney Taine, Weinberg has his heroine investigate a spate of mysterious killings, trying to put the pieces together before the Nightside descends into all-out war.

It’s impossible to talk about any creator-owned title without at least a passing mention of the artist, but Tom Derenick’s work is a particularly integral part of the book’s tone. He’s a skilled, if sometimes unremarkable, penciller, clearly influenced by Alan Davis’ work. He has, however, a trick up his sleeve. Breaking away from his previous superhero work, Derenick adds to his drawings a layer of pencil shading, giving the book an intriguing, almost monochrome look. It’s a deceptively simple move that instantly grabs the reader’s attention and adds much to the pulp detective element of the property. Despite this strength, the artist’s character designs leave something to be desired. He communicates the characters in an uncomplicated fashion, arguably to excess. Sydney is a trench-coated femme fatale, while Ape is her massively powerful henchman. In story terms, there’s little wrong with the use of such stock characters, which merely exist in as vehicles through which to explore the setting and its mysteries. However, a less obvious interpretation could have given the book the spark it lacks.

There’s a rich mixture of influences here, with horror the most obvious, but the most interesting inclusion is the whiff of mafia-style politics, as Sydney attempts to keep a negotiated harmony between the various monstrous families. However, Weinberg appear to somewhat limits his ability to exploit this, by sometimes dumbing-down his heroes. The book’s greatest weakness is actually in its obedience to the norms of comics storytelling. While our introduction to Taine is gripping, as she deftly fends off enquiries from the city’s police force while carefully examining a crime scene, Weinberg insists on giving her a quasi-superhero costume for her confrontations with the various Nightside families, and she’s frequently found relying on her fists rather than her brains. The plot moves rapidly, with the first issue culminating in ambushes on the heroes, but it’s regrettable that the author’s narrative style doesn’t match his setting’s offbeatness.

Taine and her world later found a more comfortable home in Weinberg’s prose stories, but aside from a Wildstorm limited series, this venture sadly marked the end of his comics work. It’s arguable that the market wasn’t quite ready for the book, but its appeasement of a traditional conception of comics’ audience prevents the title achieving “aborted classic” status.

Alright, forget the cautious optimism of my last review. Let’s have our cards right out on the table – Captain Britain and MI:13 is the successor to Ultimates 2 as Marvel’s best current ongoing superhero comic, Paul Cornell is absolutely brilliant, and in a world where All-Star Batman and Ultimates 3 top sales charts, it’s incredibly heartening to see comics readers with common sense making this thing a smash hit, sell-out success.

Cornell’s main achievement, really, has been in giving British readers, finally, a hero – in fact, a set of heroes – of which they can be proud, instead of faintly embarrassed. It’s only taken him three issues, but already the reestablishment of Captain Britain – of all people – as a genuine superheroic force to be reckoned with is firmly in place courtesy of an air-punchingly brilliant closing few pages that doesn’t want for bombast yet stops short of outright arrogance (“We just don’t like to make a fuss”).

Those disappointed by the lack of actual story in the last issue or so of Secret Invasion, meanwhile, might find rather more to engage with here in MI:13. Rather than being hamped by launching in the midst of a crossover, the series has made excellent use of the overarching plot, and has shown one of the front lines of the Skrull invasion in a far more immediate and tangible sense than its “parent” title.

It’s also been a showcase for Cornell’s entirely sure-footed knack for dialogue – and while this issue is lacking slightly on the wisecrack front compared to last month, there are choice speeches throughout, whether it’s Skrull John defiantly taking a stand against his own people, or the magical (er, quite literally) sequence that reveals the source of the voice in Pete Wisdom’s head. Strong character development has been a cornerstone not just of the early issues of this run, but going back to Wisdom as well - and even at this early stage the book’s a candidate for one of the best supporting casts out there (the disappointment at the non-appearance of Captain Midlands so far is surely tempered by the promise of the next arc’s title, “Hell Comes to Birmingham”).

Leonard Kirk’s vibrant and clear artwork is the icing on the cake, really - kudos to his Canadian pen for its grasp of UK-style backgrounds, streets and landmarks, though; are you watching, Greg Land? His triumph comes with the genuinely iconic imagery of the closing splash page, complete with a fantastic bit of new costume design. And if there’s a criticism, really, it’s simply that the cover is completely unrepresentative of the issue’s contents. A minor quibble, though, when you consider that the attention to detail present in the series is such that each issue has had a page at the end devoted to helping readers find out more about the character - here, yes, it’s true that it’s basically an advert for some trades, but it’s evidence of an inclusive approach to the series, and it’s pushing Alan Moore books, so who can complain?

If I’m honest, my opinion of the series is probably coloured slightly by the fact that it’s a British writer, writing proper British characters - upholding a longstanding Marvel tradition and kicking the arse of the likes of Secret Invasion in the process. But even if I were American, I can’t see myself not enjoying this - it’s entertaining, swift-paced, action-packed comics with a sharp edge, driven by great ideas. Aside from its use of mythology, it may not be the weightiest comic out there - but damned if it isn’t up among the most enjoyable.

Hey, how about that. A few weeks after I complained that it was getting a little ridiculous, the “Brand New Day” logo has disappeared from the covers of Spider-Man. Glad to see I’m finally being taken seriously around here!

After a few looser stories, Brand New Day’s next arc - I think it’s Guggenheim’s third for those keeping track - introduces yet another new villain, though this time with a more familiar edge. It’s a new, female Kraven. Dangerous territory, because the death of the original Kraven is considered a classic story and has been left alone long enough now that it probably shouldn’t be touched again - although that said, the second Kraven, the “Grim Hunter,” already trampled that grave, so this can’t be any worse.

I’ve been pretty fond of Guggenheim’s arcs so far, and this one easily wins me over - not least because I’m a hopeless fan of Jimenez’s MacFarlane-inspired, giant-eyed, spindley-limbed Spider-Man. There’s a great bit of misdirection employed, and it’s genuinely amusing to see that despite her fierce conviction and calculating nature, the new Kraven (since, although it isn’t said in the issue, I’m assuming that’s who she is) has actually made a bit of a foul-up. Especially interesting will be seeing how this affects Vin’s already-strained relationship with Peter, should he begin to suspect the truth.

The opening scene, guest-starring Daredevil, quickly re-establishes the pair’s friendship post-OMD, although this version of Daredevil is far lighter than the one in his current title, and like ny time someone from Peter’s past returns, it just raises up more continuity questions that become distracting.  It’s pretty clear that this is heading towards a classically-inspired “costume switch” for Spidey and Daredevil, though the next issue teaser suggests it might have a slightly new twist.

After a few issues flipping between some excruciating Gale stories and a disappointing couple of issues from Slott, this issue re-establishes the title’s momentum for one arc - it remains to be seen if that’s going to feed into anything more long term, though with the Venom story arc coming up shortly, the title’s going to get itself a genuine boost one way or another.

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