Youtube har en rätt intressant video som visar hur Ariel Olivetti från gårdagens inlägg färglägger. Tio minuters Photoshop-trollande. Kolla på egen risk, chefen kanske kommer!

Last month I gave this series some credit for finally feeling as though things were moving forward (after months of going absolutely nowhere). Issue #4 was a much needed step in the right direction and, as a result, I found myself actually looking forward to the conclusion of the "War Baby" arc. Unfortunately, Cable squanders any good will it had built up last month with a far too hasty conclusion that suffers from poor storytelling and inconsistent, confusing art direction.

Basically, Cable #5 is all about the inevitable showdown between Bishop and Cable for the fate of the "Messiah" child. But first, the two mutants must prepare, so the first half of the book deals with that. Bishop takes over a unit of the Turnpike Authority in order to have some backup for the big fight, while Cable heads to Cannonball's lab to stock up on weaponry, destroy Cerebra so he can't be tracked, build some baby armor, and arm the waitress Sophie so that she can protect herself should she get involved. To be honest, while reading the entire first half of the book, I couldn't help but feel I should have some sort of montage worthy music playing in the background. It definitely has that vibe going for it.

The second half of this issue is the fight itself and boy, does it feel  disjointed. Simply put, the action never gets its rhythm going. There are a few cool moments spattered about, but as a whole, the action is nothing special and it is actually hindered more by an abrupt, hilariously stupid ending. Also, on a personal note, I have to mention that I really hate it when the seemingly innocent bystander turns out to be well trained in weaponry... it's a cliché and tired formula.

The writing here is kept at a minimum, but it works as long as there isn't any actual storytelling involved. Allow me to explain what I mean. The dialogue/narration is fairly amusing from time to time; Cable and Sophie make a pretty decent character pair, but this story has no depth whatsoever. Every beat that is meant to move the story forward is usually just a one or two line explanation about why something is or must be done. Bishop is on the warpath in order to kill a baby and instead of exploring the complexity of that particular situation, he just keeps saying he has to stop his future from occurring. Another example is how the conclusion of this issue is a "oops, I forgot" moment that just sort of happens without any previous explanation about how Cable's time mechanism works.

This whole arc has felt less like a story and more like a series of events held together by the fact that Bishop is hunting Cable. Sure the dialogue is fairly interesting, but it's as though Duane Swierczynski forgot that he had to tell a story as well. Maybe the start of a new arc will lead to some actual story development, but, at this point, I can't possibly get my hopes high. The way this issue concludes leads me to think the next arc will just be more of the same.

As for the artwork, things look decent enough during slower moments as Arial Olivetti has clearly improved his character work, but the direction in this issue is just sloppy. It feels as though there are gaps in continuity during the entire action sequence and it ultimately destroys any flow the scenes may have. Also, there are a few inconsistencies, the most glaring of which involves a guy getting shot in the head. It shows the bullet go through his head and then one panel later his head is completely gone, as though it had exploded or something. It is always good to see something improve with each new issue, but, in my opinion, this series would be better off with a new artist or art team.

Cable #5 is just a huge disappointment all around. The storytelling is incredibly weak, the art direction is a mess, and the conclusion just left me shaking my head at how ridiculous it was. I thought things would be looking up after a decent showing last month, but, as it turns out, I was wrong. (Grade: D)

-Kyle Posluszny

Last month I gave Cable another chance to impress me after it finally showed some plot advancement. While not fixing all the issues I have with this series, Cable #4 proves that steady improvement can go a long way in patching up a sinking ship. In other words, I am starting to like what I see.

Cable #4 takes place right where we left off last issue. An aged Cannonball storms back into Cable's life and quickly catches him up on the events that have taken place in the timeline where the story is currently taking place. The reunion doesn't last long, however, as Bishop remains on the warpath, determined to eliminate any who stand the way of his mission to kill the "messiah" child (that he believes will lead to the imprisonment of the mutant race). With a nice balance between action and story, this issue finally gives me hope that the series may eventually live up to the promise it held at the conclusion of the Messiah Complex.

Pretty much everything about this issue is a step in the right direction, though it is by no means perfect. Swierczynski manages to craft a brief, but compelling tale of how Cannonball came to be one of the final mutants in the timeline. The interaction between Cable and Cannonball does a nice job conveying both the tension of the situation as well as the effect time (and time travel) has had on them. To put it simply, everyone comes across as a bit more human than before, which is always a good thing.

While there are instances of both cheesy dialogue and slightly unnatural conversation flow, for the most part it works well. This isn’t exactly high drama so the “summer action movie” feel fits well enough. The biggest shame is that this story was tackled in this manner, because the potential was there for something deeper and more complex than a chase flick through time.

As I said, everything in this issue was a step in the right direction, though I have to say I wish the artwork had taken steps similar to those taken by the writing. The scenes regarding Cannonball’s timeline work extremely well, especially the panels that show him watching the mutant population dwindle. The characters are a bit less exaggerated, the action flows, and with the exception of a few instances, characters look fairly consistent from scene to scene. If I have a major complaint it's that everything looks extremely bland and sterile. There is literally nothing in the background in a number of scenes, which makes things feel like a string of talking heads rather than people interacting in an environment. Again, there is improvement, but quite a bit more is needed to bring this book up visually.

As a whole, I was pretty satisfied with this latest issue of Cable. It looks as though things are finally starting to click and I actually find myself looking forward to the conclusion of this arc so the story can move on to bigger and better things. The potential is there, now the writer and artist just need to realize it in the proper way. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny

Cable #1 may very well be the worst comic you'll read of 2008. To the creative team of this book: Look at it this way, it probably can't get any worse than this (right?). There've been a few books I've read this year that really suck. We've got the All-Star Batman and Robin series which has been dreadful, but at times, perversely entertaining. Then there's The Ultimates 3 which is gratuitously bad, but seems to be improving. And then you have Cable, a book that's devoid of story and personality.

Virtually nothing happens in this decompressed issue of 24 pages. You'll finish it in three minutes and if quizzed afterwards, you'll fail to recount anything that happened, save the last page. This book feels like it was written by a robot. Cable is completely emotionless and lifeless. He fights some faceless thugs, changes a diaper, and goes to a cafe. That's it, that's all that happens! Oh, and Bishop shows up. Wow, I didn't see that coming.

Ariel Olivetti's art is static and boring as usual. Sure, he can paint and draw at times, but it's sad when his backgrounds are the most interesting pieces of his compositions. It's been well documented that he either steals those backgrounds from other artists (like that Punisher War Journal cover he did), or he uses photographs. Sorry, but just because you're good at Photoshop and have mediocre drawing skills doesn't qualify you as a good storyteller.

I hate slamming books - really, I do. I don't take joy in slamming artist or writers, either. But, this book is a complete waste of money and resources. It's a downright insult that it isn't returnable, either. I want my $2.99 back. It's overpriced crap like this that drives fans away for good. (Grade: F-)

- J. Montes

A Second Opinion

The name Ariel Olivetti sounded familiar to me. I did some research and he was the one who made the freaking kick ass Argentine comic book “El Cazador” back in 1992. I loved that series, it was about this big ass hero that was very Sam Keith / Simon Bisley inspired. And the cover for Cable #1 looks just like him, but with smaller genitalia.

Mixing time travel with babies is not a good thing. I really want to know how the X-Men got hold of a time travel machine and why they don’t use it more often. As Jason says, not much happens in this “#1” issue. I have the same complaint as usual: Why have a number 1 issue when evidently it’s not a number 1 issue. Are the publishers expecting to get more money thinking that people are going to buy it more because it’s a brand new title? I'm sure this book will get a significant drop in sales numbers after the second issue.

As I don’t follow Marvel Comics, I don’t have a clue who this Bishop guy is, only that he’s an X-Man. While, the story is no good for new readers, I disagree with Jason on the art. I like it, but probably because Olivetti holds a special place in my heart as the creator of Cazador. (Grade: D)

-Daniel Yanez

For me, the real hook for the series is figuring out just who the baby is and why she's so important. Cable's job is to protect and raise her, so we're probably looking at a fairly long arc until this gets resolved, barring any time-jumpy speed-aging situations. While there's plenty of material in raising a child, it's not exactly mainstream superheroics, so there's more to it. You may remember that Cable escaped to the future at the end of Messiah Complex - this book is set in 2043. For those keeping track, that's roughly halfway between the present day and Bishop's timeline as visited by Madrox and Layla. Seems safe enough, but Cable has also been pursued to this time...

As I predicted way back, Bishop does indeed turn out to be the antagonist for Cable. For now, it seems, the two of them are going to spar their way across time and space. Bishop's also rocking a massive robotic arm following his encounter with Predator-X. Worryingly, this means that the book stars two time-displaced mutants from distopian futures with a over one eye and a robotic arm. If Bishop wasn't black, it'd be tempting to believe they're the same person. Luckily, they don't make an issue out of it, so they get away with it - for now.

Writing duties are performed by novelist Duane Swierczynski, who is still relatively new to the comics game. So far, there are no massive flaws in his writing and at least one excellent sequence where Cable disarms and kills several snipers through his sheer experience of the situation - more things like that would certainly do nothing to upset the believability of the character. Ariel Olivetti takes on the art, and I have to say that I'm not really a huge fan of the Larocca-esque washes he's been using lately. Give me a good inker any day. That said, he does make Cable look his age, which is something most artists can trip up on, and any problems with the art are purely a matter of taste, not ability.

If Cable has any real trouble, it's that there's no massive cliffhanger to bring you back. Bishop's status as the series "villain" is pretty much it - that in itself has been no secret, whether you read the solicits or figured it out from Messiah Complex's narrative arc. Where X-Force had a gun to Rahne's head to try and bring readers back, Cable just has Bishop standing up and proclaiming he's a police officer. It's fair to say that Cable will most likely never have as many readers as this issue - couldn't it have ended on a stronger note?