The Good

I can say with compete confidence that the best part about Cable's new book is the art. Salvador Larroca and Frank D'Armata have used their talents to bless our eyes with some very attractive panels. The issue is crisp, detailed and vibrant. One moment that stands out to me is Colossus' organic armor operating out of control and randomly generating across his face. It looks fantastic and gives the scene some much needed motion. In the last issue, Mat spoke about some characters being too muscular (Havok having "abs on his abs"), thankfully that isn't the case here... but then again, there's no one wearing ridiculously tight spandex this time around. Another panel worth praising is when a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent is consumed by the "blob." It manages to be grotesque without needing a single drop of blood.

Writer Dennis Hopeless is slowly unveiling a fairly interesting premise. With Cable, matters are never simple. He's always saving the world or trying to save himself, and that tradition holds true in his latest title. We still have virtually no idea why Cable is getting this headaches or visions, but it seems more than safe to assume this "techno-virus blob" will play a significant role in his recovery and he's once again tasked with thinking he can save the planet. Furthermore I've never been a fan of Domino's, but I'm digging some of the dialogue Hopeless gives her.

The Bad

Brilliant plan, Domino. For someone who had so much intel about a mission in the first issue, she acted pretty foolishly in this one. Would it really kill ya to use a parachute instead of assuming your luck powers will save you from a large fall? What would she have done to save the day if Hope didn't come through with that jetpack? Silly, Domino.

Hold on, Colossus was willing to kill Cable? I know he's unleashed from time to time (just ask Ord or Riptide) and he's currently in a very rough spot, but I find it hard to believe Piotr would have been cool with killing Nate. Not a big complaint, but I thought that was pretty shocking.

Just like over in AVENGERS ARENA, Dennis Hopeless jumps between different points in time and that makes the final scene and odd choice to conclude this issue. It begins in the present (immediately after they fled the Uncanny Avengers), but then jumps to a few days earlier. The book concludes with Cable reaching out to Colossus and it's just there to explain how he (and Nate) have control of his powers. A bit of an anti-climatic way to end the issue and doesn't really leave you with a strong sensation to see what's to come.

These are small points, yet I was surprised to see Hope could sleep through Cable and Domino's argument just a few feet away from her. Also, while the art is mostly amazing, I couldn't help but notice how sinister looking the dog on the beach was.I think most dogs are adorable, but this one? It stared into my soul and will likely haunt my dreams. Not even in my slumber will I be safe from the puppy with the haunting eyes.

The Verdict

I was genuinely torn over the score with this issue. I was inclined at first to go with 3 stars. While Hopeless is doing a good job handling each character and the overall plot is slowly unfolding, I feel as though the content here isn't enough to justify Marvel's $3.99 cover price. It's good so far, but certainly not great. Nevertheless, the art is just so damn good and that alone definitely warrants a boost from 3 to 4.