CABLE #4
Writer: James Robinson
Penciler : Yildiray Cinar
Colorist : Jesus Aburtov & Federico Blee
Letterer : VC’s Cory Petit
Release Date : 8/23/17
Price : $3.99
Plot: Cable is chasing down Conquest to track and monitor him as he attempts to assemble the Time Sword and change all realities to his will.
Story: Cable #4 is a nice portion of an overarching story that finally begins to show a power struggle to the fullest. With Cable chasing Conquest through time, the dialogue in the story really begins to show what types of people both these characters are: Conquest believing that he is the one in the driver’s seat, when in reality Cable is playing the long-term game of chess with the villain. From the start, Conquest sees Cable as an annoyance rather than a full blown threat, which is amusing because it begins to show how much of a hero Cable truly is, and that while he might not fully know what Conquest’s plan is, he recognizes that time is not something to be messed with, which is the only motivation and reason he needs to stop the villain.
Throughout the issue, Cable begins to really prove how smart he truly is, and again, show Conquest that he is not fooling around and has actually been in control of the situation from the beginning. Robinson shows off how he wants to portray the character, and while everyone knows Cable is tough as nails, he is also extremely intelligent. The book has a lot of fun when it shifts this dynamic, because it puts the titular hero in the power position, which will force Conquest to change his plans and possibly become more radical with his decisions knowing he is now playing catch up.
Art: The art in Cable #4 is really phenomenal throughout the entire issue. Cinar really draws beautiful scenes that don’t shy away from providing accurate and detailed facial expressions but the artist definitely elevates his artwork in this book by providing such thorough backgrounds. Some of the scenes in Cable begin to feel like paintings with how they are designed and then colored. Everyone involved in the artistic side of Cable really puts together a great combination of various styles, giving scenes unique feels.
Scenes can almost feel like they have a watercolor aspect to them on one page but then be more hardened and line-focused on the next. It brings a lot of visual fun to the book and just creates a great blend of full pages as well as individual panels to look at.
Verdict: Overall, Cable #4 is a really well-done story that is a ton of fun and serves as a stepping stone into the final chapter of this story arc. The dialogue and writing bring a really fun attitude to both Cable and Conquest, which sets up for some nice back and forth, but again, the story really feels like two smart characters playing a game of chess. The art absolutely rounds out this book though and is what elevates a transitional story to the next level by presenting readers with amazing visuals to enhance the meaning and emotion within the scenes. The stakes in the book continue to increase, which really makes it a lot of fun to read.
Rating: 4.5/5