Luke Cage, Power Man Masterworks Vol. 2 (Power Man by Tony Isabella

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Issues 17-31 represent a shift for Luke Cage from the Heroes for Hire to the name of Power Man but continuing the same shtick.

The first ten issues in here are really good. We get a crossover with Iron Man, a trip cross-country where Cage runs into an abusive small town in typical 1970s fashion, a meeting with the crime circus that also includes the introduction of Black Goliath, and we also meet Cottonmouth. You also have to love a book where Cage was given the name "Power Man" and someone forgot that a minor villain had the name, so they square off and battle in a movie theater.

The last five issues by Bill Mantlo on fill in and Don Macgregor aren't nearly as good. I don't think they had a great grasp of the character. Piranha Jones and Cockroach Hamilton are good eyes for villains for Cage, but their first appearance doesn't work me.

Overall, this is still pretty decent Bronze Age marvel stuff, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first volume.



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