With mutantkind launching its counterattack on Orchis, where does Cable, the time traveling soldier and son of Cyclops, fit into the picture? We saw him team up with Bishop recently to defeat the Children of the Vault, but there’s always another bad future to avert (especially in Marvel), so Fabian Nicieza is taking the character (or rather, the characters) for a spin.
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Illustrated by Scot Eaton
Colored by Java Tartaglia
Lettered by VC’s Joe SabinoTHE FUTURE MUST NOT COME TO PASS!
All the signs are here: The Neocracy is coming – and with it comes not only the end of mutantkind, but all of the humankind as well! As if rescuing Young Nate from the ongoing threat of Orchis weren’t enough, can Cable root out this growing threat and decimate it before the Neocracy has a chance to take hold. But is he already too late to change the future? Don’t miss out on Fabian Nicieza and Scot Eaton’s explosive first issue of CABLE!
Cable is in an interesting space right now in the pages of Marvel Comics, because he’s technically in two places at once. While there was a time that he was dead at the hands of his younger self, he’s been brought back from that, and now the two versions of Cable coexist, even though it’s the same Cable at two different points in his own timeline.
Fabian Nicieza has decided to bring the two together in this issue, as the older Cable rescues his younger self from Orchis. But while “Cable” #1 starts off looking like it’s going to involve the Cables taking the fight to Orchis, it actually takes a turn shortly after to follow a different plot. Instead of Orchis, Cable will be fighting to stop the rise of a threat called the Neocracy, which the comic treats as an old foe of his in spite of being a concept introduced in this issue.
With that said, how is the comic itself?
As the first issue, the goal here is to introduce the characters and the goal for this storyline, and it handles both well. We get to see Cable in action early on, giving him enough time to pull off some impressive feats, while also taking us through an investigation as both Cables unite and track down the source of this “Neocracy” threat. It moves at a nice pace, taking us down the trail of clues with the protagonists in a way that lets them showcase more of their skills and technology (not all of which is violent, of course).
And while the Neocracy is a new concept, it’s introduced to us well, being described as a threat Cable can’t face head-on, but only prevent. They’re introduced as a threat created by humanity to unite us as identical energy people, but in doing so erases our individuality and free will. And the fact that they do it through DNA manipulation for humans, mutants, aliens, and everyone else means that there’s a lot of design potential for the enemies the Cables face, as it opens the door for multiple combinations of powers. We get to see that in action as they face creatures combining three different power sets, which also lends to a fun action sequence.
This isn’t Fabian’s first foray writing for Cable, having previously penned “Cable & Deadpool” (which, on a personal note, remains a personal favorite), and he hasn’t lost his touch. His Cable (the older Cable, at least) brings a strong level of his “grizzled old time traveling soldier” self to everything, including clever uses of his telekinesis, techno-organic virus, and future technology to overcome obstacles. He also gets a wonderfully badass moment where he sends several Orchis soldiers running just by reminding them of who he is. Cable’s inner monologue provides narration throughout the story, carrying us from scene to scene and putting us inside his head as we learn more about his plan and to fill in the gaps between panels as we go through the story.
Fabian also manages to handle the younger Cable’s voice and mannerisms nicely. This version of Cable isn’t as world-weary or experienced as his older version, making his priorities and concerns different, and making him skeptical of his older self’s plans. But he still carries the same sense of duty, as well as provides the same hyper-violence; putting them side-by-side lets us as readers see how young Cable became his future self, but also how different the two are.
Continued belowVisually, “Cable” #1 fits around the classic comic book style, with just a bit of a gritty touch to it. There’s a great team of artists behind it, with Scot Eaton providing the pencils, Cam Smith and Victor Nava doing the inking, and Java Tartaglia providing the colors, and they all do a fine job.
One of the biggest strengths to the comic’s artwork is how each image is composed, especially when it’s trying to make a character look cool. The opening pages make the Stark Sentinels feel like a true threat, viewing them either from an upwards angle to give us Cable’s perspective of these massive mechs, or at a downward angle towards Cable to show us how small he is compared to them. The perspective and use of shadows makes them all the more ominous and threatening, so Cable taking one of them down is all the more impressive.
From there, Cable becomes the largest one in the panel more often than not, showing his physical prowess (not to mention showcasing the very large guns he tends to use), and the artwork does a great job making him stand out as an imposing figure. Scot Eaton captures his design nicely, with all the bulging muscles, scars, and stubble we expect from him without going too far towards his 90’s design. The younger Cable, on the other hand, is given a more slim and toned physique, making him visually distinct from his older self while still carrying many of the same design traits; it’s a good parallel.
Of course, the action sequences are also well done and plenty of fun to read. It’s dynamic and fast-paced, using jagged panel shapes to carry the action and add to the sense of chaos, while giving the Cables plenty of opportunities to look cool. The color work by Java Tartaglia helps make the action pop with the illumination from their weapons firing, red lights from alarms, and the green and yellow glow of telekinetic energy.
Even outside of the action scenes, the artwork helps carry the story’s pacing while giving us some visually impressive designs. A personal favorite is the panel of Cable’s car, disguised as a taxi, takes to the air, leaving their target screaming in surprise while Cable drives with just a hint of a smirk on his face. It’s moments like that which help sell the story.
Overall, the artwork manages to strike a good balance of clean designs and rougher details, which fits the atmosphere nicely. Tartaglia’s color work helps immensely, leaning into the lighting for dramatic effects and shadows as necessary while still using bright base colors to help the characters pop against the backgrounds. There’s not much to complain about, it’s solid all around.
“Cable” #1 is a solid start to the new story, using the fall of the Krakoan era and the battle against Orchis as a springboard to launch its own battle against new threats. Fabian Nicieza’s storytelling and dialogue remains strong throughout, while Scot Eaton’s artwork and Java Tartaglia’s color work brings it all to life, making this a good choice for fans of both or either version of Cable.
Final Verdict: 7.7 – A fun story that puts both young and old Cable together to face a new threat, supported by solid artwork. If you’re a fan of the character, you’ll want to check this out.