Cable - Volume 1: Messiah War (v. 1) [Paperback]

Duane Swierczynski (Author), Ariel Olivetti (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 14, 2009 | Series: Cable

Is she mutantkind's last hope...or its final damnation? Cable, the former mercenary and time-traveling X-Man, is given the task of protecting the last offspring of the dying Mutant race, but by ensuring her survival, he may also guarantee its extinction. Bishop, the cop from the future and traitor to the X-Men, stalks Cable and the infant in the lawless New Jersey of 2043, determined that the nightmare future he grew up in must never come to pass. Now, aided by an old ally, Cable must decide if he should continue running or face Bishop, while bringing hope to a hopeless land. Crime novelist Duane Swierczynski (Moon Knight: Annual #1) and artist Ariel Olivetti (Punisher War Journal) team-up to put a new twist on a beloved X-Men mainstay, as Cable must balance hard-edged soldier with nurturing father. Collects Cable #1-5.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Marvel (January 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785129723
• ISBN-13: 978-0785129721
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.2 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,487 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Duane Swierczynski is the author of several crime thrillers, including SEVERANCE PACKAGE (St. Martin's Press), which has been optioned by Lionsgate films. He also writes the X-Men spinoff CABLE for Marvel Comics as well as IMMORTAL IRON FIST. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Promise of a Promising Start, August 11, 2009

By 

G. Morris "wickedawsomelad" (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Cable - Volume 1: Messiah War (v. 1) (Paperback)

Honestly, I wish it were possible to give this title 3.5 stars. I rounded up to be nice.
I am not a follower of the X-titles. Have not been for years. I know a bit about M-Day and the 198 and Endangered Species, but nothing all that specific. Having said that, this is an easy title to follow not knowing those things. The jumping on point is rather easy: Cable's protecting a baby mutant messiah in the future... GO!!
What brought me to the book was the art of Ariel Olivetti which, as I'm finding out, is a bit hit or miss with readers. Personally I am a huge fan, not only of his character drawings but also his ability to bring 3-d animation in for backgrounds and such. Do I believe the look is seamless and perfect? By no means. But I do respect an artist on the edge of technology trying to marry the traditional past with the possible future of how the industry may look.
The story itself goes on a pretty stock, brainless-fun sorta route, borrowing a healthy dose of both Lone Wolf and Cub and Mad Max with a pinch of Spaghetti Western. Not much happens but it does lay the framework for a possibly promising series.
Huge fan of the art, thought the story was merely passable though had its occasional moments of Sci-Fi fanboy fun.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Future Should Be Interesting!, April 10, 2009

By 

Manifest (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Cable - Volume 1: Messiah War (v. 1) (Paperback)

I picked up "Messiah War" because I love time travel. I was originally looking for a book on Bishop, but this is the closest I could get. The cover and pages are of excellent quality.

The story is a bit bland. Although my knowledge of X-Men comes from the early 90's cartoons and an old roommate, the story falls within the X-Men universe. The story would benefit from a little more complexity... It often feels like a "no talking, just action" story. Well, at least there's a solid frame for the story.
One thing that really irritated me were the errors I found: a grammar error, and Bishop was called Nathan. Shouldn't be a big deal, but I think any published work should be free of any spelling/grammatical/mistype errors!!!

The art is pretty good. The characters are drawn with detail, but the backgrounds feel copied and pasted. I can deal with the rare 3D art, but some of the backgrounds look slapped together. Not a major turn-off but an old-fashioned background would have been acceptable.

I'm torn, but I think I'll give vol. 2 a shot. If there isn't an improvement on the next book then I'm done with this story.
This is the second graphic novel I have ever read. Maybe "Kingdom Come" has lead me to expect more than I should.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining!, November 4, 2010

By 

Attidude (Bangalore, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cable - Volume 1: Messiah War (v. 1) (Paperback)

Actually , I bought this book to find out what happens to Cable and the baby after "Messiah Complex". And honestly speaking, I was quite impressed with this book!! Though there are very few characters in the story, still it's quite entertaining and thrilling! Though there is a weak point in the story (How Bishop can easily track Cable through time-travel), still it's enjoyable.The characterization by the writer Swierczynski is brilliant. The artwork by Olivetti is stunning!! Especially the face expressions!! I've rarely seen any other artist render so good face expressions.So, if you are an "X-Fan", then I suggest you pick this book up!! You won't be disappointed...it's better than the regular "X-Men" books! But be sure to read "Messiah Complex" before reading this book..else you might not comprehend the story!