Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Cable #12
Marvel Comics
Swierczynski, McKelvie, Guru eFX & Olivetti

Another issue that grows the Hope character out. Cable plays a smaller role here. The issue is last before the big crossover with X-Force. It feels like filler. That isn’t to say that is filler but it feels that way because the environment that Hope and Cable occupy here is very desolate and it makes for a boring story at times.

While Cable lays unconscious, Hope finds a spaceship that has crashed and is buried in the sand. She uses her training from Cable to pluck out relevant supplies, like water. She manages to get Cable on his feet and in the process shows she is capable of sustaining herself if necessary without the old man.

After a while, their conversation turns to mutant powers. Cable tries to dance around the question of whether or not her powers manifested which led her to find the spaceship. The dialogue is cute in its own way but Cable is a soldier. Wouldn’t he just interrogate her for “the cause”?

By the issue’s end Cable and Hope get to Westchester where Cable finds an important gift left by Cyclops. It’s the most interesting part of this issue as it helps to restore some of Cable’s faith in what he is doing.

The issue has a couple of major flaws that I had a difficult time reconciling. First of all, the previous issues and in the opening of this issue Cable has jumped hundreds upon hundreds of years (and it’s mentioned in the summary into the next millennia). However, they end up in the year 2973 which is not the next millennia. Does Cable have a repaired time travel device given to him by Cyclops because I totally missed that?

Another oddity is that the wasteland they are wandering around in still has totally intact road signs and the as well as the ruins of the mansion and its gate. How is it possible that nothing exists, anywhere, except a road sign for the Pa Turnpike and the entire Westchester compound?

Lastly, the two artists appear to not be in agreement with how old the kid is. She looks to be about six at the end, but about eleven for the majority of the issue. This was more than just a style difference, it was some sort of miscommunication or a decided difference for reasons that escape me.

While the issue had its moments from being completely a throwaway I do think you could skip this issue and just read about what happened in next month’s recap. This issue just didn’t make use of the better elements that has between its covers.

2 out of 5 geek goggles