Cable: Love & Chrome #2: Hearts and Techno-Organic Terrors

The creative team drop us straight into the action this issue with a daring train heist mission which allows the art team to put their foot flat on the gas, Henderson and Prianto get to have fun with the heavy action content while Pepose mixes the dialogue up with equal parts flirting and quips between Cable and Avery. it’s not all mindless fun though, Pepose takes the time with Cable’s internal narrative to interrogate Cable’s new found sense of belonging amongst a people who have the same techno organic virus infection as himself.

The story itself doesn’t take leaps and bounds forward this issue and big bad The Cicada only appears briefly, instead Pepose chooses to concentrate on exploring the relationship between Cable and Avery, and how that relationship plays out against background of resistance against The Conclave. Avery and Cable become intimate this issue and it’s handled deftly, gets it’s point across as Pepose shows us and Cable who Avery is. Along the way this issue clarifies the nature of resistance and their struggle for the people against the conclave, also how a people without Cable’s mutant abilities survive as long as they do with the infection and their limitations in doing so.

After the pillow talk is done, it’s back to another mission and it’s a doozy. Henderson and the art team deliver techno organic horrors that are hard as nails as Cable finds himself facing them alone. It’s hard core action that ultimately see’s Cable victorious but at a huge cost setting up chapter three. Henderson and the rest of the art team excel at the action scenes, Henderson’s gritty cinematic art style is perfect for a dystopian action packed love story. Letter VC’s Joe Sabino has fun with all the action and there are cool sound effects galore and even a cool font for the aforementioned techno-organic horrors. I’m still not sure what’s going on with Avery’s coloring again this issue but everything else is spot on from Prianto otherwise. Ian Churchill’s covers for this series continue to be flawless.

It’s a well written action packed issue that takes the time to stretch the moment out and flesh out it’s central characters connection emotionally to each other rather than rushing the central narrative forward, making the story feel more organic and not just one giant action fest.