Messiah War was an uneven arc, proclaiming grand clashes and heady ideas, and delivering too much generic 90s style comic mush. So, it is a pretty big surprise, now that it’s over, to see a really good issue of Cable. I once heard that the key to a good story was to put your character in the deepest hole possible, and let them climb out. Duane Swierczynski, perhaps free of a multi title story arc burden, flexes some surprising narrative muscle in this issue, smoothly adding some intrigue. Paul Gulacy does the pretty drawings, a jarring change from the painty style of previous issues.
Gulacy’s art seems normal in the first pages, but his ability to render emotion through expression is nuanced. The character of Hope has some much needed personality, the wide eyed innocence routine left behind for the most part. Futuristic landscapes get the right touch, not over designed or gimmicky. This style really feels a lot better for these characters, and the principal players don’t look like professional wrestlers.
In the beginning, a little Deus Ex Machina sends Hope back in time, while Cable is stuck in the (future) present. This is a prime chance for Hope to do a little character development, showing off her future city street skillz. A young citizen (Emil) notices her and spends a lot of time trying to connect. Hope, that rascally little street scamp, threatens his life with a makeshift awl, but Emil’s persistence pays off. Kudos to Swierczynski, who makes this relationship seem very real with little dialogue or exposition.
Cable, on the other hand, can’t stop fretting about what a ‘terrible father he is’ and how hope is ‘alone and vulnerable. Perhaps we will get a one shot where Hope goes on her first date, and Cable’s overprotective ways result in crazy tweenage shenanigans. Nah, Cable being a little overbearing doesn’t really bother me that much, its just part of his glowering nature. His real problem is the techno organic virus taking over his body, since his telekinetic powers are used up. I never realized that his metal arm was a virus, so this issue served as a good Cable history lesson. Now it seems obvious that Apocalypse fried Cable’s ass with that virus at a young age, hence the lifelong grudge.
Bishop comes back, to get beaten again, and is still on his old ‘kill Hope’ rant. Bishop looks a lot more menacing with his scaled down appearance and awesome eye patch. Cable’s virus makes him damn near invincible, and that sneaky coward Bishop slips back in time again. Of course, Bishop’s time machine shorts out (like Cable’s own time piece), making us wonder about quality control at the old time machine factory. If there is any one thing you should spend the extra money on, it’s your time machine.
I must say, this is the best Cable story in a while, it’s the right mix of character, science fiction, and anticipation. There’s more mystery in this one issue than in all of Messiah War, because the new actors are not known quantities. More please.
