Cable Classic Tp Vol 01

Most recently there has been a lot of attention paid to comics as they come out and then as they are collected. Every comic seems to be racing to be the next Watchmen or Dark Knight. It seems as if in our quest to find the most perfect comic book, we completely overlook the most important decade of the comics industry, the 1990s. And who else represents the 1990s better than Cable, the enigmatic mutant character created by comics greatest talent, Rob Liefeld?

And so, in honor of the iFanboy Book of the Month, I present to you, the next Watchmen:

Cable Classic Vol. 1

I know this choice for Book of the Month isn't a surprise, as you've probably written letters to Marvel, like me, begging for this to be released. Well, FINALLY, Marvel Comics collections department puts back into print one of the comics industries finest hours, with the release of this collection. There are not many series that were as overlooked, underrated and as masterful as the books collected in this edition. Let me break it down for you:

The Cover - first we're treated to a BEAUTIFUL, recoloring of the Rob Liefeld art used in the cover of New Mutants #87. There were some truly great covers in the 1990s era of comics, but no other cover was as influential and representative as this piece. Look at the fierceness in Cable's eyes - why is one eye glowing? What does that mean? Why is one arm silver? Look at that gun! Who is this man?

The Stories - this trade paperback collects Cable's first appearance in New Mutants #87, where he appears, virtually out of nowhere and muscles his way into leading the New Mutants. But it doesn't stop there, it also collects the epic mini series Cable: Blood & Metal and the simply titled, Cable. Both stories are epic tales of a man against all odds. Comics had never seen before, and honestly, never seen again the level of action and drama presented in both of those amazing masterpieces of sequential story telling. Explosions, guns, and extensive exposition are a formula that was used as elegantly in such a way that I'm surprised no one has yet to compare it to the works of Eisner, Moore or Carl Banks. And what's even better is that I bet most of you have never even heard of these series.

The Creators - You can tell how good a book is by those who work on it, and come on, look at this rollcoll: Rob Liefeld, Louise Simonson, John Romita Jr, Fabian Nicieza, Art Thibert, Ron Lim, Ian Churchill, Brandon Peterson, Paul Smith! Have you ever seen one trade paperback that is a virtual who's who of comics? Even the names you don't know will blow you away, like Scott Koblish, Kerry Gammil, and Bill Wylie.

Now I recognize I'm speaking mainly in hyperbole and it's hard to contain my excitement. But to be extremely serious for a moment, I sat down for the month of March and read this wonderful collection several times, and was startled to see how well it held up after all these years. What began as a sketch of a character, almost too extreme for the time period, evolved into an delightful character study that at times mixes elements of science fiction, fantasy and noir. Imagine if you were to combine what you've enjoyed recently in books like Y: The Last Man, The Authority and Gotham Central and distill them into a series of short stories, then Cable Classic Vol. 1 would fit the bill.

I often worry when recommending this book that it will be caught up in the preconceived notions and snap judgments that come with the 1990s. Big guns, pouches and Rob Liefeld, but if you give this book a chance, you'll see that not only are you treated to early Rob Liefeld, before the ankles got thinner than a wrist, where you can see the artistry that he brought to the table. But if that's not your thing, he's only on 22 pages of this entire book! Don't let your hatred of Levi's 501 Blues get in the way for your appreciation of some stellar John Romita Jr and Brandon Peterson art. On writing duties, I believe there is no writer more underappreciated than Fabian Nicieza in his time at Marvel. By taking the mish-mash of characters, Nicieza is able to weave a story that is so enthralling, so edge of your seat action, that I found myself going back to this book to re-read it, while my Queen & Country: Definitive Edition Vol. 1 gathered dust on the shelf.

When I finally finished reading this volume, for days I found myself wandering aimlessly. My mind drifting to the world of time slipping, flashbacks to the past, and seemingly pointless characters. The only thing that could shake me from my enthrallment was the promise that with Cable Classic Vol. 1, a Cable Classic Vol. 2 could be a reality in the near future. And that is something worth living for.

Honestly, this might be one of the most important and influential works of the past 25 years. Never before had one man and one character set such a tone for a decade's worth of books, and a lifetime's worth of memories. This collection might someday be looked upon as one of the most important that Marvel has ever published, just as history will undoubtedly judge the stories contained within to be the groundbreaking classics that I believe in my heart that they are.

Ron Richards
I wanna be a "time-traveling gun-toting mutant cyborg mercenary"
ron@ifanboy.com