Marvel Comics released Cable #3 on August 19. Writer Gerry Duggan, artist Phil Noto, and letterer VC’s Joe Sabino continue the tale of Cable’s conflict with the Space Knights, the exploits of future Cable, and the missing mutant child, all while bringing young Cable face to face with an old friend.
Writing
What started as a story about a search for a missing mutant child continues to evolve into something crazy and whacky. When Cable bargains with the Space Knights to keep the Sword of Galador in exchange for a time machine that can send them back to save their planet, Cable, Esme, and the Knights go on a search for “old Cable’s” body, which has been confiscated by everyone’s favorite Merc’ with a Mouth and King of Staten Island.
Duggan writes with a lot of wit and charm. While there are a lot of random elements in this issue (Space Knights, time travel, a missing child…Deadpool), it comes together well, while continuing to tease a possible reunion between young Cable and old Cable.
Art
Noto’s art is gorgeous in this issue. The character design and the colors are beautifully done, and this may be one of the best looking X-books currently in print.
One particularly effective element of the art continues to be the way that Noto distinguishes between scenes with old and young Cable through coloring, shading, and styles.
There isn’t so much a change in art style as there is a type of coloring, with “young” Cable’s scenes given more of a watercolor look while “old” Cable’s scenes have an almost colored pencil look to them. This is effective for providing each Cable’s story a unique look that keeps the dual narratives straight since they appear to be coming to an eventual head if old Cable’s letter at the end of the issue is any indication.
Lettering
Sabino’s lettering is a beautiful complement to this issue. His sound effects, in particular, look great, and the wording, through its color and style, is “wrapped into” the action it describes.
Above is an excellent example of the lettering serving the story and its visual sequences well.
Also, worthy of note is the prose letters between old Cable and Deadpool at the end of the issue. Prose sections in a comic can be tricky. Still, they work with both of these letters, as Cable’s style and words capture his pragmatic and sometimes rough exterior, with Wade’s written in a whimsical, faux-Romantic fashion, whose look adds to the humor of the issue.
Conclusion
Cable #3 is an excellent continuation of the series, which seems to wrap of the Space Knights conflict with a minimum of action, all while setting up a possible future conflict between two Cables. Meanwhile, we’ll have to wait and see until next issue how the investigation of the missing mutant children progresses.
What did you think of Cable #3? Tell us in the comments below!
