Luke Cage #1
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: David F. Walker
Artist: Nelson Blake II
Colorist: Marcio Menyz
Cover: Rahzzah
When it comes to Luke Cage let’s just say that David Walker is the TRUTH! The man has written some of the most authentic and well rounded depictions of Cage to come along in a while and this issue is just a testament to that. Walker also has a knack for reaching back in the crates and bringing out people from Luke’s past and making them relevant all over again.
Walker starts things off with Luke doing what he does best and that’s helping out the regular people. We see him in the middle of a rescue that shouldn’t be too difficult for a man of his talents. Walker’s dialogue the entire time is damn near perfect and comes off just as smooth as the hallway/staircase fight sequence. I even loved the light humor where Luke mentions that he buys his shirts in bulk. But as the kidnapping wraps up the main story fully kicks in and this is where Walker really starts to shine here. By the time the issue ends he’s opened a new chapter for Cage and threw us a curveball by reintroducing a character from his past. Because of who this person is and how they come into the story there’s some serious questions as to where things will be going but Walker isn’t hinting at anything here.
Nelson Blake II is the man responsible for bringing the visual storytelling to these pages and once again he’s nailing it here. He’s got a nice grasp of fight scenes, rhythm, and he’s just a damn good artist which makes for a great comic here. Since the first fight here is a conflict that Luke is overqualified for, Nelson makes it look as easy as a literal stroll down the hallway. But as easy as this looks your eye is kept moving and entertained along the way. When we step away from the punches and bullets Nelson brings you the softer side of Cage without forsaking any of the power and mystique of the bulletproof hero. By the time we get to the final fight of the issue it’s an entirely different confrontation with a visceral feel. Especially when the villain is wielding Ivy’s sword from Soul Calibur and giving Luke a rare beatdown! Colors are by Marcio Menyz and are as on point as the artwork. He makes the little details in Blake’s backgrounds pop and gives some more weight to those intense sequences towards the end.
Even though this is a more serious version than what we saw in the Power Man & Iron Fist series, Walker still brings you an unapologetically cool as hell Luke Cage. With him and Blake on this title you should just pick it up on that fact alone and hopefully they continue to keep improving and entertaining every single issue!
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