Last issue, Luke Cage met the man behind his misery, Professor Soos. Now, fighting for his life against Soos’ cadre of hybrids, Power Man makes his final stand in CAGE! #4!
WRITER/ARTIST: GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY
I’ll be honest, I picked up the first issue of this limited series based solely on the cover art. I don’t usually do that, but its funky retro vibe grabbed me.
I’m really glad it did.
SWEET CHRISTMAS!
Last month, I compared the hero/hybrid battles to Bruce Lee’s immortal Enter the Dragon. Professor Soos stands in for the evil warlord Han. This month, Soos fully embraces his inner Han and takes the fight directly to Cage.
Soos, the latest in a long line of “pinnacles of human perfection,” wants a challenge for himself. That’s why he gathered all of the 70s genre heroes. Only the best of the best (see what I did there) is worthy to challenge him in one-on-one combat.
The one (I did it again) is Power Man.
But you can’t keep a good Power Man down. Cage battles back using every ounce of his street smarts. Soos falls and Power Man stands victorious.
I’d love to see Marvel put out more series like CAGE! It takes risks with its layout and art. It pays homage to the characters’ roots. It digs into some corners of the Marvel Universe that are often derided without being outright snarky.
Most importantly, its a great read. It puts the fun back in the funny book.
If you haven’t been reading this title, you’ve missed a gem. If you have, well, I can only compliment you on your good taste.
With the current spotlight on Power Man thanks to his Netflix series, its nice to remember what made him a character worth exploring in the first place.
One more time – with feeling – READ CAGE! READ CAGE! READ! CAGE!
