TITLE: Cage, Part One

Summary

As in the regular Marvel Universe, the Max Universe's Luke Cage is a hero for hire. But in the Max Universe, Cage is a lot less nicer, and a whole lot grittier. In Cage Part One, he reluctantly takes on a job to find the drive-by gang bangers that shot an innocent girl.

Cage goes about finding information on the streets, and the streets are not pretty. He acts more like a private investigator than a traditional comic book superhero. He roughs up some of the local thugs, and he bribes bartenders for information. As he gets closer to finding his target, he discovers that the situation might be bigger than just finding a bunch of drive-by shooters.

Opinion

The first issue of the Max version of Cage is raw and gritty, just exactly as one would expect from Brian Azzarello. His edgy writing style is perfectly suited for Marvel's Max imprint. Richard Corben's art is just as raw, which works with this particular story. The two continue to work well together, after having teamed up previously on Hellblazer and the recent Hulk mini-series, Banner.

Like many other Max comics, there is a lot of nudity and cussing. I mean a lot of cussing. This is definitely not a comic book meant for kids. While both elements are not out of place, it seems somewhat forced when a comic book starts out with an S-bomb. I also question whether Cage has to hang out at a strip joint, but hey, that's art for you...

So far, I have enjoyed most of what Marvel is doing with their Max line. There has been so little information from Marvel as to what they are trying to accomplish with Max. Some compare it to DC's Vertigo line, but it is more like a naughty What If experiment. The stories take familiar characters from the original Marvel universe, and cranks up the attitude. Really, where else are you going to see Nick Fury ordering up a dozen hookers?

Conclusion

If nudity and bad language were the only things going for the Max line, it would be written off as a cheap marketing ploy. So far, the comics have been better than expected. Cage falls somewhere behind some of the other Max series, but it is just the first issue of five. The follow-up issues should be more interesting, and I'll hold judgement until then. I would lightly recommend Cage to friends, but I would not consider it a must read.