Cable: Reloaded #1 by Al Ewing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You can’t read everything, which is why I’m not reading The Last Annihilation event, but I kinda’ wish I was. See, what I have read of it has been consistently excellent. A lot of that is because Al Ewing is a superb writer who’s currently at the top of his game, clearly having a blast and firing on all cylinders, so to speak.

This comic is very silly, very funny, and very much a love letter to the ridiculous excesses of 90s comics, and X-Force in particular.

The art is pretty good, although not quite up to the heights of the rest of the X-line has been recently. But it’s really the writing that you’re here for, and that’s superb.

Plus, we finally find out what Cable keeps in all of those pouches…

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Cable #12 by Gerry Duggan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Cable solo series ultimately comes to a somewhat downbeat but very fitting end. Cable teams up with older self and his extended family (oh, and Deadpool) to take down Stryfe, but that’s not really the point of this issue.

The point of this issue is really to tie things up with him and Esme, and that’s done beautifully. I felt a lump in my throat as they sat and watched the sunset together for the last time, not knowing if they’d ever se each other again or what the future holds for either of them. But, of course, we have the older Cable, who knows exactly what the future holds, and so we got a little glimpse into the future of Nate and Esme, which made me smile.

The art is superb, of course, it’s Phil Noto, and I’ve long been a fan of his. He tends to shine in those small, emotional beats, rather than the big action set pieces. This might have made him an odd choice for a Cable book, but this book was never about action. Personally that’s what I loved about it. Your mileage may vary, of course.

This series will be sorely missed, as will the young version of Cable. Hopefully this isn’t the last we’ll see of him. I’m sure the older Cable will be back soon in his own solo title…and maybe he’ll be fighting side by side with an older, wiser version of Esme Cuckoo? I’d enjoy that.

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Cable (2020-) #11 by Gerry Duggan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In which the part of old man Cable is played by Bruce Willis. Which is kinda’ perfect…no offence to Josh Brolin.

I don’t know why everyone had it in their mind that the return of Old Cable would mean the end of Young Cable. I mean, the Cuckoos clearly thought that…and I thought that…but the guy’s got to stikc around long enough to grow up to be Old Cable, so…

Anyway, Old Cable is back, and it’s time to kick Stryfe’s shiny metal butt! But first Young Cable has to put the band back together…which leads to Deadpool related hijinks.

This book has been absolutely delightful from the start and this issue is no exception!

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Cable (2020-) #10 by Gerry Duggan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, the long standing tradition of terrible and/or horribly misunderstood British accents in X-Men comics continues…as people in this comic conflate English and Scottish accents multiple times. Which might be more excusable if Marvel didn’t have so many Brits writing for them. But never mind…

Cable continues to angst about Stryfe and seems to have made the decision to part ways with Krakoa and return to his own time, although Scott Summers is in full on dad mode and refuses to listen to his son.

Meanwhile we discover that the older version of Cable is not only not dead (which we knew) but appears to be in Limbo (which we didn’t). He also has the Light of Galador… which is the sword usually wielded by his younger self. So is the older Cable just the younger Cable grown up? I mean, on one level of course he is…but it’s all timey wimey and stuff, so that question actually makes some sense. I think. Maybe.

The art is, as ever, superb. I suspect that this title is building to a finale, and that young Cable will be getting replaced by old Cable, and probably a new #1. But we shall see…

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Cable (2020-) #9 by Gerry Duggan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really, really want to see Nate and Esme go on a double date with Quentin and Phoebe. But I digress…

“I’ll say this for you Summers men…you sure know how to turn a day off into a chore.” Pretty much the best summing up of Summers men ever.

Duggan and Noto pick up the pace this issue as Nate hyper focuses on the search for Stryfe. Unfortunately, nobody knows where is, not even the demon N’Astirh who Magik has chained up in Limbo while tiny demons play I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) on recorders to him.

Ultimately he concludes that the only person who can find Stryfe is his older, dead self. Although we know he’s not dead…he’s just somewhere…or somewhen.

We also get a restatement of Krakoa’s policy when it comes to the resurrection of clones. As in, they don’t get resurrected. What this will ultimately mean for young Nate only time will tell. But it’s probably not good…

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Cable (2020-) #8 by Gerry Duggan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clones.

Clones everywhere.

But first, a nice interlude with Domino and Cable, in which Domino laments that Cable used to be too old for her and now he’s too young for her. Time travel, eh?

But, yeah, clones, a dozen of them. Cable clones.

This issue is heavy on action, which is, perhaps, not Phil Noto’s strong suit, but the art is still lovely, because it’s Phil Not, and Phil Noto draws good.

Apparently Stryfe’s behind it all, and Stryfe’s a clone of Cable, so were they Stryfe clones or Cable clones and is there actually any difference between those two things?

It was also cool to get another glimpse of old man Cable, and I suspect it’s Stryfe who’s captured him, and that’s what will tie these two plotlines together. Maybe.

I’m excited for the next issue as it looks like we’re getting some more romance and smooching, which is always fun.

Also if you type “Stryfe” a lot it looks wrong. Although, to be fair, if you type “Stryfe” once it looks wrong too.

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Cable (2020-) #7 by Gerry Duggan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh yeah, that’s what we were doing before X Of Swords so rudely interrupted us…looking for kidnapped babies!

And, thanks to Rachel Summers, we actually find them! Well, half of them. As in, we find five of the ten missing babies…not that we find ten halves of babies…that would be gross. Why would you even think that might be thing? You disgust me…

Anyway, it’s great to see the Summers family being a family, I don’t recall Nate and Rachel ever really spending any time together, just the two of them, before. Plus we get some great “Cyclops being a dad” stuff here. And “Dad Cyclops” is probably the best Cyclops.

Plus, we finally find out who’s behind the baby kidnapping, and let’s just say that they’re keeping it in the family…

The only thing missing from this issue is more outrageous flirting with the Cuckoos, but it’s still pretty great with some gorgeous Phil Noto art.

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