Review: Revolutionary War – Alpha #1 / Author: Andy Lanning / Artist: Alan Cowsill / Publisher: Marvel / Release Date: Out Now
Have you heard? They’re back. Those cynical ,short-lived heroes of ’90s Marvel UK have returned in a six-issue run that’s sure to knock your socks off in nerdtastic joy.
Remember the likes of Death’s Head, Dark Angel, Warheads, Motormouth and Killpower? These characters rocked the UK with their adventures, leaping from the pages of Overkill into their own monthly titles. There seemed a time in those heady, rave-filled days of the last century when we all thought that these guys with their sonic blasts, ludicrous-sized guns and shape-changing arms were here to stay, redefining Marvel comics for generations to come. Certainly with the likes of Brian Hitch and Liam Sharp the future looked bright; the future looked… well, you get the picture. Then the arse fell out out of the comic industry and Marvel UK went south in a big way. All the titles were cancelled, even their flagship Death’s Head, and aside from the odd guest appearance it’s been that way ever since.
Until now.
The Revolutionary War has everything that fans of those comics want to see, whilst keeping the story fresh and original so that newbies can pick up the threads without being swamped in pages of exposition and backstory.
It seems strange things are afoot in Britain. Psy-Occ troops are stirring in old bases and the mysterious Unearth has reactivated. All of which, for those in the know, spells Mys-Tech. A group of immortal techno-wizards (not the dancing kind) hell bent on sacrificing souls to the demon lord, Mephisto.
Enter Captain Britain and Pete Wisdom, determined to get to the heart of the matter. During the course of their investigation we get little teasers of all our favourite characters and what’s happened to them in the intervening years since the Mys-Tech Wars. The pace is quick, the story well told, and the art, for the most part, a joy to behold.
The Revolutionary War promises everything that fans of the original characters could have ever wanted and more. In the hands of Andy Lanning and Alan Cowsill who know the backstory and care what happens next, this is a real chance to show the world what it’s been missing since the likes of Death’s Head were assigned to Marvel limbo. They have even catered to those hankering for old-school Captain Britain with surprise appearances from his earlier (pre-Excalibur) villains. This is a series to grab with both sweaty hands and do not let go. No matter what.
