I have been waiting for this release for what feels like quite a while now, with the previous volume being over a month ago, it almost felt like this was a series that got a bit ignored even by the publisher. While the character of Cable perhaps the most interesting to most comic book readers and fans of the general X-Men franchise, I wasn't expecting it to be a monthly release! Though I have to say that I quite enjoyed the first volume, which felt like a return to the 80s and 90s era of overly masculine hero types. Thrown together with the silly punchlines in moments of action, and you've got a comic book that is made for men, coming at you with clear influence from the more youthful Schwarzenegger days. The last volume saw Cable diving into the action, while also establishing some context behind the character himself: a man that has been plagued with a virus within his body, and that virus constantly taunts him, endlessly causing pain and never allowing him a moment of peace. While these stupidly strong characters and hero types are fun to read as they cause endless destruction around them, it held a lot of interesting aspects into his character that showed a very emotional state regarding his fear of death. Sure the sarcasm and cocky behaviour is there, but beneath the surface is that inner torment.
Juxtaposed with the ability to travel through time, Cable is a character that is constantly facing the reality of time coming to an end for him, and no matter how many periods of time he jumps through, there's no escape it. An engaging idea that saw us running around a wasteland in the first volume, to which it resembled a little bit of a Mobius art style due to the general minimalism of the backgrounds. I really did enjoy it! And that brings me into the second volume, where things puck up again. I found that western approach to be quite an interesting theme for Cable, it has that mixture of the Cyberpunk genre without being a bit too generic, and instead with some hints of being a western. I can see how this won't be for everyone, I do think it's hitting a very specific niche within comics despite being quite engaging, but that's how it is for smaller characters. Volume two kicks off with Cable stating that for the first time in his life, he doesn't feel so alone anymore. Aware that he's a soldier, and how he's suddenly aware of what he's fighting for now. A bit of a personal story added, yet again focusing on his generally more emotional side.
This story focuses on the adventures Cable has been having alongside Avery, their raids on the enemy and the intel they're trying to capture. This story was action packed, but it was one that I felt was missing something. While it did mention the ways in which Cable had finally found a home for himself, it felt like it was so fast paced that there will little room to breathe. So much action and endless panels of motion that it started to feel a little tiring. Though this did eventually lead to some drama and something of more emotional weight: Avery with contact of a biological matter that leads to something far more serious than the two are aware: she's diagnosed with a few months left. The virus (of which both of them have) having spread to different areas of the body; Cable suggests taking her off the force and giving her peace, though that's instantly rejected as Avery considers that giving up. This leads to more reflection, as Cable yet again considers the inevitability of time and the end. Reminiscing on people he's lost previously, while also aware of his own time left. The constant heartache that comes with constantly saying goodbye to people; and of course the sudden loss of them that comes at such unexpected times. This of course is somewhat directed at the previous panels, where Avery is given limited time left.
I do think the volume picked up quite quickly once Cable and Avery get caught up in the action again. Where they stumble across enemies that have also been infected with the virus; their abilities and general designs being odd in proportion. Despite this they had very robotic manners of speaking, hardly resembling anything that was once human and now runs purely on its computational aspects. Even down to spouting out bits of binary here and there. It felt like the seriousness picked up around this part, given the characters were no longer fighting foes that were easy challenges, and instead fighting against groups that could really rough them up. And that does end up being quite the struggle for Cable once Avery gets taken out of the fight. Still not the best volume, but in terms of action, I do think this is a story that gets things done quite well. Though the biggest problem I do have with it is the art style, which doesn't seem all that suitable for constant motion and impactful, weighty panels. Especially with the metallic nature of people like Cable that are a mixture of man and machine. Probably not worth the wait, but still a fun short read.
I do hope that the comic can find some downtime soon, these first two volumes have been fun with the action, but have more or less equally said and done the same thing: that mixture of action and emotion, the same reflections on mortality and the attempts to find belonging. Cable as a character is genuinely interesting, but I do think from this point there needs to be a bit more to him that gets told to the reader. Not the same layout of brief elements of life mixed with the usual beatings from encountering the odd stronger foe. I will continue reading, though I do think perhaps some of that excitement I had for the next has decreased a little. This is clearly something that could be great, but so far has grown into something I'd state as alright. Nothing to write home about, essentially.