Comic Info
Comic Name: Cage/Terror, Inc./Silver Sable and the Wild Pack
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Marc McLaurin/O.G. Chichester/Gregory Wright
Artist: Scott Benefiel/Paris Cullins/Richard Pace/Steven Butler/Kirk Van Wormer/Brian Pelletier
# of Issues: 12
Release Date: 2016
Cage #17
Reprints Cage #13-20, Terror, Inc. #11-12, and Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #13-14 (April 1993-November 1993). Luke Cage seems to be getting his life back on track. He’s found his father and reclaimed his name…but like always Cage always seems to invite danger. When he signs up to seek out an object called the Vatsayana’s Tryst, he finds himself reluctantly teamed with Terror and Silver Sable to stop a world threatening enemy. Plus, people are gunning for Cage at home, but Cage is going to find out that he could be his own worst enemy.
Written by Marc McLaurin, O.G. Chichester, and Gregory Wright, Luke Cage: Second Chances—Volume 2 is the second and final volume collecting Cage’s 1990s comic book series from Marvel Comics. Following Luke Cage: Second Chances—Volume 1, the series features art by Scott Benefiel, Paris Cullins, Richard Pace, Steven Butler, Kirk Van Wormer, and Brian Pelletier. The collection features the six-part crossover “For Love Nor Money” with Terror, Inc. and Silver Sable and the Wild Pack.
There is no way around it, the 1990s were bad for the most part. Image Comics shattered the DC-Marvel domination which was already suffering, but reinvigorated collectors with flashy art and limited edition comics. As a result, many of Marvel and DC Comics secondary titles were rather bereft of the higher quality artists and writers…and Cage feels like a real victim of this.
Cage #19
The story is plodding. The first few issues lead into the big crossover title which feels like a three part crossover that was stretched to six parts. The action in the crossover is rather non-existent, and Terror and Silver Sable are less than stellar costars. The series then dives into an Infinity Crusade crossover and a three part story to wrap-up the series with the Boogey-Man villain from Power Pack as the featured enemy…it feels sloppy and tired.
While Image boasted the hot artists, Marvel seemed stuck with leftovers at this point. In general, everything feels over-inked and only the Silver Sable issues by Steven Butler seem to have any style or control (but they too come off as just rather average art). It generally isn’t a good sign when rather than taking a cover from one of the comics collected, the trade reaches back to the first trade for its cover (Cage #5).
Luke Cage: Second Chances—Volume 2 is a rather miserable experience that doesn’t feel like it would make a collector out of anyone who reads it. It makes Cage a dull character and features art which isn’t very compelling. I knew what I was getting into reading it, but if I picked it up on a whim, I’d be pretty disappointed. If you are going to read Cage stick to his original adventures or the more entertaining Power Man and Iron Fist.
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