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As we go into the second month of Reload,
it's beginning to dawn on me that there's another consequence
of the whole event. After a slew of new storylines
beginning in one month, we're now embarking on a couple of
months of middle chapters, which tend not to lend themselves
to easy reviewing. Especially when it's a drawn out
story.
Cable & Deadpool isn't really a
Reload title, but it's still only two thirds of the way
through an opening six-issue storyline. It would have
been better served with four, I think. I realise that
Marvel like six issues for opening arcs, because it provides a
handy point at which to axe books that aren't performing.
But it also results in rather drawn-out stories, when new
titles might be better served with something a bit more punchy
for the opening issues.
Issue #4 is, pretty much, an entire story
of Cable and Deadpool fighting. There's a bit of
exposition in there, and a subplot scene with Irene
Merryweather and Sunic. There's some hint of a mutual
dependence plot that might justify keeping the two characters
together. But basically, it's the two lead characters
beating the hell out of one another.
Nothing necessarily wrong with that, since
it's obviously what they've been wanting to do all along, so
you've got to give them a chance sooner or later. But
the plot doesn't exactly race forward from last issue, and
it's hard to avoid feeling that there's a bit of padding going
on here. It also leaves me without much to say. I
mean, it's a fight scene. Fine as fight scenes go, but
what can you say?
Patrick Zircher's art looks a little bit
rough at times - Cable's techno-organics don't really seem to
agree with him, and he struggles to find the right texture.
He's much more at home with Deadpool, though, and the general
standard still holds up. At least it beats the cover, as
Rob Liefeld struggles to find a fourth consecutive way to draw
Cable and Deadpool - never exactly an artist of tremendous
range, Marvel's crushingly boring cover policy limits him even
further. This issue, Cable parts his hair on the other
side. Or maybe they just flipped the art.
Anyway, this is fine if you like big fight
scenes, but a little unsatisfying as an entire issue.
I'm getting the distinct feeling that there's a trim little
four-issue storyline in here, trying to get out.
Rating: B-
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