Joe Casey Comics: Cable #65

[Continuing my look at Joe Casey's run on Cable. New posts on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.]

Something I keep meaning to mention: remember how I noted that the font seemed to change in issue 59 with the beginning of "The Nemesis Contract"? Well, that's because it did as Comicraft created a font based on Ladronn's hand lettering that has since been used on other Ladronn projects. I always noticed the change, but really cool to learn that it's actually a new font specifically designed for Ladronn.

Let's get on with issue 65, though...

Cable's enemies in this issue are the Tinkerer and his Acidroid, again not typical X-villains--Cable continues to exist in the Marvel universe, not the little X-centric corner of it. There's a lovely bit where, to fit the Acidroid, Cable must put on a mask to protect his face, again pushing him into a more superhero place. I actually wish he kept the mask since it's a really good look.

His relationship with Stacey becomes more complicated as they discuss her request to help Kenny's down syndrome, and she initiates his encounter with the Acidroid. She also points out that much of what Cable feels is his responsibility is only that because he decides that it is. One of the great lines of the issue is her asking him, "...DOES CAPTAIN AMERICA OBSESS LIKE THIS?" A little foreshadowing as the Avengers guest-star in the next three issues, allowing for the first direct comparison between Cable and other Marvel heroes since issue 54 when the Black Panther guest-starred.

While Casey continues to redefine Cable in that way, he also lays a lot of foundation for the ultimate showdown with Apocalypse by having Ozymandis show Blaquesmith that two signs signalling the final confrontation have happened: snow in Egypt and a "great darkness" (aka a major blackout caused in an issue of X-Men). Also, Rachel Summers (aka Mother Askani) contacts Cable from the future and we have a "cosmic awareness" panel right out of Starlin's Captain Marvel, also acting as one of the first overt signs of Casey's love of the cosmic type of story that Gødland revels in. I love the fact that Ladronn's art at this time is very similar to Tom Scioli's art in Gødland, both very Kirby-esque. A nice little coincidence.

The issue ends with a lead-in to the next storyarc, which take up issues 66 to 68 as Cable teams with the Avengers take on Harbinger, last seen in issue 50. Isn't it great how I do three issues a week and this is a three-issue storyline? Next week is "Sign of the End Times" week apparently. Can't miss that, can we?