Consider me the Veruca Salt of comic book geeks.

First up in the grand scheme of things I’d change in the world of comics is to enact a rule by which all title cancellations would have to meet my approval and all previous cancellations, if met with my displeasure, would be undone. Add to this the option of bringing back any series that’s simply run its natural course. (I like to think this would generally improve the comic experience for fans everywhere, but it’d probably only serve to make it impossible to collect anything for sheer quantity of material.)

My messianic powers of comic book resurrection would touch the following titles, in no particular order of urgency.

Captain Britain and MI: 13: As a chick with a thing for Psylocke, it grieves me to think the name she once borrowed has lost its share of the spotlight. Captain Britain, the UK’s answer to Captain America, debuted in 1976 but his most recent series met the axe in 2009. I’ve always deducted points from Captain Britain for name and concept originality, and this title has never particularly registered as a big fan favorite. I, for one, have never gone ape for tales of Dracula on the moon. But more than the content of the series itself, I appreciate the delicious irony of its Hugo nomination after it got the chop. I may be the only person to read it, but I’ll take it.

Ms. Marvel: This sometimes-feminist has undeniably become one of Marvel’s most remarkable characters, likable both in her personality and her powers. The aforementioned feminism is the root of some controversy surrounding the title, but that hasn’t stopped her creators from confusing fans and activists alike since 1977. For my part, I love unfettered girl power – especially when it’s in thigh highs and a leotard – and I was disappointed to see her title go. At least she’s still around as a member of the New Avengers.

The Watchmen: DC had a good thing going with this dark title, which began and ended as a limited run series in 1986/1987. As a bonus it was adapted to film very well, something many, many…many comics can’t boast. What frustrates me is that when recently offered back the rights to The Watchmen on the condition that he create a prequel and sequel, writer Alan Moore flipped DC the bird. Thus we wallow without additional adventures of unforgettable characters like the inkblot-masked Rorschach.

V for Vendetta: I’ll readily admit I love a superpowered hero as much as the next geek, but some titles are made much more intriguing by a lack of superpowers and a boost of cold, hard realism. Add a heaping spoonful of politics and history with a heavy dose of anarchy, and you have a comic that I personally just about shed a tear to see end. I’ll also readily admit that it probably wouldn’t bear the same weight without the primary incarnation of its hero V, but there’s still a lot of room for growth and a lot left to be said.

Concrete: A seemingly unsung title – apart from its four Eisner Awards – Concrete’s simple black and white artwork may not make it a flashy read, but it’s an enjoyable one. It’s a shame that this solid Dark Horse series has all but faded into obscurity. At least if the rumored film adaptation with Bill Murray had materialized, we’d have a likely cult classic to relive Concrete by. As it stands, the alien-engineered rocky hero’s hearty adventures, which he embarks upon simply because he can, must languish in the past.

Up next in my free reign to complain are characters I’d like to see with their own titles, so stay tuned!

Of course, the Captain won, maybe Pete has softened over the years.  On the spur of the moment during a ceremony recognising relations between the new security administration in the States and the forces of the UK, Steve Rogers suddenly offered Brian Braddock membership of the Avengers. Pete immediately saw the Americans stealing away British talent, but surely, what a coup for Britain! Definitely a coup for Brian and let’s face it, one for the Avengers as well. After all, this is the guy who was guardian of the entire freaking omniverse for a while. Surely that is some clout that these new Avengers need on their side.

Meanwhile, the Avengers relaunch proceeds apace.  Avengers #1 showed us promise of a larger story that won’t simply be reserved to a few issues, even if it is a story we have seen before. (Your children have taken over the future? Been there, done that.  I mean my children are scheduled to rule the planet for millennia, and I haven’t even got any yet!) However, any story with both Kang and Immortus cannot be bad, and I don’t think that we have seen the latter since Avengers Forever.

In fact on that note, I think on Kang’s timeline, this has to be before the Destiny War, as he states that this is the first time his and the Avengers goals are aligned. Erm, about that…… Destiny War? The Terminatrix Agenda? Remember those?

Obviously not.

Secret Avengers appears to be a far more meatier title. Moon Knight and Nova, spycraft and a martian Serpent Crown? Oh, I want to see a lot more of this.

Meanwhile the new simplicity of the Fantastic Four is suddenly not so simple, and seems to promise yet another ill-advised effort by Reed to solve everything.  His new Future Foundation, composed mainly of children (genii all) strikes me as yet another tool for Reed to manipulate.  Maybe I’m not giving him enough credit, but Richards is a man that I now find hard to trust, as his intelligence seems to constantly distance himself from the rest of humanity, and he is hardly a man to react to democracy, even as he himself claims to believe in self determination. Watch this space, as I hope I am wrong, but the Civil War (and many other acts like once reducing his son to a vegetative state) has shattered any blind loyalty to him I had as a child.

(Must remember, they are not real. They are not real. They are not real!)

All in all, this new age of optimism has had a great start and is long overdue.  Comics can be fun again!

Now if only the X-Men manage to have a couple of happy issues.  Just one or two, that’s all I ask.

Rumors are going around the net that Marvel Comics’ Captain Britain and MI: 13 is going to be cancelled because of low sales it has been posting right after the Secret Invasion summer event.

But Marvel has assured fans that Paul Cornell written comic book is not going to be cancelled after all. In fact, a new storyline is about to commence that Marvel said will forever change the whole team. The new storyline will begin in issue #10 of the series. Fans should look forward to the return of Meggan as well as an appearance of the whole team in the pages of the Mighty Avengers.