Кейдж!

Cage! #1-4

by Genndy Tartakovsky

Заслуженный мультипликатор, создавший "Самурая Джека" и "Лабораторию Декстера", приходит в Marvel, чтобы поделиться своим талантом рассказчика!
Счастливого Рождества! В трущобах Гарлема ботинки высоки, рубашки широки, брюки клёши, а преступники грозны! Но в самом центре города самый трудолюбивый, бойкоязычный, цепеносящий супергерой бродит по улицам и выполняет свою работу! А ценник у него довольно демократичный! Это Кейдж! Усекли?! Но что произойдёт, если он окажется вдали от знакомых мест? Если он затеряется в джунглях в тысячах миль от дома, став жертвой диких человекоподобных зверей? На его стороне два фактора.
Первый - никакой клетке не сдержать Кейджа! И второй - у него есть хорошие друзья.
Смогут ли Люк, Железный Кулак и Мисти Найт выбраться с Острова без Возврата?

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2017

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's clear Tartakovsky had a shedload of fun making this book; significantly more than I had reading it, to be honest.

I liked the artwork; it was solid cartooning as you'd expect from an artist with Tartakovsky's animation pedigree. The story, on the other hand... weeeelll, perhaps I hadn't taken enough acid to appreciate it. Either that or I just really dislike the 'Blaxploitation' genre.

Yes, I'm aware that Luke Cage was created at the height of the Blaxploitation... what do you call it? A trend? A fashion? A racist cesspool? Whatever you call it, I feel like Marvel has spent the last two decades trying to disassociate Cage from his somewhat dubious roots so for them to now publish a book like this, especially one that will catch the eye of younger readers due to Tartakovsky's animation background, seems like an odd decision.

Whatever; I really have no desire to get up on my soapbox about this, I'm just clumsily trying to explain why this book made me uncomfortable. It's possible I've got the wrong end of the stick entirely; it certainly wouldn't be the first time.

Sweet Christmas!

[Molly™☺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strange attempt at quirky, it's an off the rails, almost bat-shit crazy story that isn't allowed enough time to be properly fleshed out. The art lends really well to the comical nature of the piece, but it isn't able to lift the experience above decent. Whilst the art can be praised, the writing is not as good and is where many of the problems arise. Pacing and development is shelved for hit-or-miss comedy and cartoon-like fight sequences, culminating in a somewhat flat execution of a story that knows exactly how wacky it is.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

There wasn’t a ton of substance here, but as a huge fan of Genndy Tartakovsky, I absolutely loved this. This was silly and wild, but in an action-packed, awesome way! The art for this deserves a 15/10. I just wish there was so much more to this!

[Peter Derk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this one for the art. Fun, dynamic. The characters have a distinct style, and it's nice to see something so stylized come from a mainstream publisher.

And it's clear that this is a very loving homage to the early Hero for Hire comics.

That said, the story is almost totally unnecessary. It's mostly there to get a couple dudes in a room together to punch each other. Which, I guess, happens in a lot of comics, but usually it's a little more dressed up.

[Λευτέρης Αναγνωστόπουλος · Rating 4 out of 5]

I get why there are so many low ratings, the story isn't fleshed out enough and it's extremely short, but you know what... I loved it! I loved every page of it and my love for it only added to my frustration because I wanted more! Why only 4 issues? Are you serious Marvel? Give more projects to Tartakovsky immediately!

Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, Star Wars: Clone Wars (best SW prequel ever, fight me!), Primal, you name it, I'm just a sucker for Tartakovsky's art style and he delivers loooads on Cage! so much so that I wished it to be animated, and then i was wondering "why?" The pages already feel like they are animated to me, but as I said I'm a sucker for the dude so my answer to everything related to him is "more!!" Also, I just loved the narration, I think it added tons to the vibe of the comic and props for the 70s setting, oh I soo missed it! Excellent, excellent, excellent!

And then it ended... is this a demo for something? Are they just testing the waters? The book came out in 2017 so I guess the testing failed because there no continuation and I'm sad...

Fuck the borefest that is the MCU, give an animated universe to Tartakovsky you Hollywood hacks!

[Levi]

Great artwork! It was quite nostalgic, really. But the writing left a lot to be desired. An interesting, funky, weird story with plenty of humor sprinkled throughout. It's nothing really worthwhile to read unless you have the time, you're a Luke Cage fan, you like the art, or you don't mind a quick, quirky story.

[Tiag⊗ the Mutant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Genndy Tartakovsky all the way back to Dexter's Laboratory, so this was quite a treat.

[Whatslifeanyways · Rating 5 out of 5]

PEAK!!! Man Tartakovsky is one of the most stylish artists out there its just amazing every time!! I love the designs and the fight sequences marvel should have let tartakovsky make an animated series after this!! I would kill for a cage vs primal book! I need 50 of these MORE MORE MORE!

[Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A purely enjoyable and frantically illustrated series of adventure and fistfights, set in the uncomplicated '70s Marvel Universe; the Vincent Price-styled Kung Fu supervillain is almost worth the price in itself.

(Read as single issues.)

[Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Marvel made a Adult Swim special of Luke Cage from the creator of Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack, it would be like this. Brilliant art and cartoonish style from Genndy like always does in those shows I mention.

[The Spooky Jedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal art! Looks like samurai Jack almost. But felt like a cartoon if it’s own. And had some vibes from the movie Shaft.

Loved the story and the humor overall and the pacing.

[cloverina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll generally consume anything Genndy Tartakovsky produces. Even though I knew about Dexter's Laboratory for a long time, I didn't know about the man who made it until I heard praise for Primal. I watched it and got hooked on Tartakovsky's works.

When I saw a Luke Cage comic on my friend's shelf with the name Genndy Tartakovsky on it, I was astonished. THE creator of Samurai Jack? He made a comic?? To say the least, I was excited. I already knew he liked superheroes from some Superman art he posted, but to actually write them is an entirely different thing. I thought I was going to have to buy it, but I ended up stumbling across it on Kindle Unlimited.

Sadly, it leaves a lot to be desired. I'm kind of glad I didn't have to buy it, because although I'll welcome any aesthetically pleasing addition to my shelf, it's not something I particularly wish to come back to or spend money on.

I think Genndy may have been going for a fun semi-parody comic. It has the same tone as Lego Batman, with many references and in-universe characters, but it's significantly shorter. I think that 'Cage!''s greatest weakness is it's length. The entire can be read in 10 minutes if you're on a time crunch, and I read it in about 20 broken up minutes. It feels far too short.

It's worth noting that even though I've appreciated every Luke Cage story I've seen or read, I'm not here for him and I don't know his character well. Going off of what I know, though, this seems like a slight parody of the character (once again) similar to Lego Batman. They're both more unlikeable and more hilarious than their in-continuity counterparts. This isn't a bad thing at all, but I think I may find it funnier if I knew Luke Cage better.

Some of the jokes also just don't land. In a comic that revolves almost entirely around jokes but that has far too short a page count for great story, the jokes have to be packed in and really work. Sadly, some just don't, and that's this story's only major strength, so a few missed jokes end up being a huge detriment to the story.

The art is alright. I think Genndy's cartoonish style works far better on screen than in still panels, because while it is fluid and well done, it can be pretty ugly to look at. It's great for a cartoon; but this isn't one, and it makes it look slightly worse.

Overall, not bad, but far too short and simultaneously a bit of a waste of time. Reccomended for big fans of Luke Cage or Tartakovsky completionists, but other than that, I wouldn't bother.

[Ignacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Supongo que lo he disfrutado porque soy fan de Tartakovsky y lo he leído imaginándome que era un storyboard de un mediometraje con Cage enfrentado a una serie de villanos elaborados a partir de las series de Hanna-Barbera. Todo bajo un filtro que grita a pleno pulmón años 70 con su psicodelia y sus locuras. Fuera de este contexto me temo que parecerá una chorrada autoindulgente sin demasiado sentido.

[Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, fun. As a big Tartakovsky fan, I enjoyed seeing his signature style applied to the comic book format. That said, this feels like a one-off episode of a Luke Cage animated series stretched out over four issues. Relaxed pacing normally works for Tartakovsky in animation, but here, his style isn't enough to distract from the lack of story. Check it out if you're curious, but don't go in expecting too much.

[Maxine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun miniseries! The art style and flow of action were very reminiscent of the kind of cartoons I used to watch as a kid, which I really liked. And the main villain was a Dr. Suess-ripoff, which I thought was a hilarious choice for a bad guy.

The full volume also includes a reprint of Cage's original origin story from the 1970s, which was an interesting read.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complete joy to read, I don't get people saying it has no substance it's got all the substance it needs for what it's trying to achieve just having fun with it. I love the artwork and the humor and narrations. Cage hasn't been this cool since the TV show.

[DanF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Christmas!!! This was a quick, really fun read- recommended.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure if there is enough story here to justify a mini-series, but man is it fun.
Lots of great, funky old school comics reading here.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite being an important character in the comics medium, in that he was the first black superhero to be featured as the protagonist and title character of a comic book, my introduction to Luke Cage came from reading Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos’ Alias, which introduced Jessica Jones, who would marry the Hero for Hire. In fact, when Luke Cage finally made his live-action debut as played by Mike Colter, he first appeared in Netflix’s Jessica Jones before appearing in his own show.

So when it comes to what is the first Luke Cage comic to read, I choose a left-field choice by reading the four-issue series by Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky. Set in 1977, when Cage donned his classic costume comprised of a tiara, bracelets and a chain/belt, he gets captured and taken to the Island of No Return, where he and other superheroes are forced to compete in fighting human-animal hybrids.

Going back to a retro 1970s setting, it does refer to the character being created during the height of the Blaxploitation genre as Marvel often created characters that reflected what was happening during the pop culture of a certain era. As seen in the first issue of Luke Cage, Hero for Hire published at the end of this trade, the writing by co-creator Archie Goodwin does sound like a white man trying to write jive talk and sadly this offensive angle is repeated in Cage!. Tartakovsky has always tried to maintain a sense of humour and what he does here is poking fun of the character and his 70s surroundings, making the eponymous Cage ill-tempered and foolish.

Having seen the evolution of his craft in animation over the years from Dexter’s Laboratory to Samurai Jack to Primal, Tartakovsky embraces his over-the-top cartoon sensibilities here as he draws characters with overly-exaggerated body proportions, including other known Marvel characters like Iron Fist and Black Panther. The action is well-drawn, though it is weird to see these characters getting their ass kicked, except for Cage, who may be the hero of this book, but why not give Misty Knight a fighting chance.

Tartakovsky’s art might be impressive, but his attempt in humorously evoking the 70s origins of the iconic black superhero is rather in poor taste.

[Emma Gear · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first opened this up I expected to be disappointed. I assumed going in that Genndy Tartakovsky was responsible for both the art and the writing, and it turns out he only did the writing (Though he did do the cover for Issue 1). But that turned out to be a non-issue as Stephen DeStefano does an incredible job cartooning and it still feels very much like something he would have illustrated. There's a lot of ultra exaggerated expressions, super thick outlines, and all sorts of various artstyle choices that make the series pop and be a joy to read from page to page on the merits of art alone.

But what I found most surprising of all was how much I enjoyed the writing. I didn't really expect Tartakovsky's style of humor to translate well to a comic given how well known he is for handling animation, but it works beautifully with the art on display. Luke's incredible stern and seriousness mixed with the absurd situations are a great combo and I really find it hard to talk about how much I enjoyed this cause it all works together so wonderfully.

One thing I haven't mentioned is the story, and that's because... it's not very notable. Misty Knight has gone missing when she and Cage were going to have a date, and then... that's it! The rest of the story is Luke attempting to track her down, and eventually getting involved in a big fight. I'd like to say there's more to it than that but there isn't, and I honestly didn't mind one bit. The writing and art work together to create a slick package that is suitable for all ages while being a joy to read for anyone.

This is not one to read if you want a serious story. At all. This feels like there is a Luke Cage animated series somewhere out there that was lost, and had a story arc turned into a comic book. And I loved it. Highly recommended to just about anyone.

[James Lawner · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5*

So Action Hank was inspired by Luke Cage this whole time?!

I had absolutely no idea that a comic like this even existed until recently, so I couldn't pass it up to check it out for myself, and honestly, the artwork alone would get a solid 5 out of 5, but the story was rather lackluster. Even if I didn't like some of the character designs--especially the villains--I still appreciate the work and level of creativity put into them, and the second issue turns into a total acid trip that I'm sure would have strobing effects if it were animated. The plot could've been better if it was about Luke Cage solving crimes and fighting bad guys in NYC, because this was pretty much Mortal Kombat with Luke Cage. This collected edition also has the very first issue of Luke Cage, and honestly, this is one of the reasons why I'm apprehensive of reading old comics because there's just TOO! MUCH! DIALOGUE! Artwork was okay tho.

Overall, even with just still images, the actions feels so alive and fluid, you could practically see the movement! Also, this could've worked as a TV special. And one more thing: This miniseries actually takes place in continuity with the 1970's era of Marvel Comics with a reference to the Dark Phoenix saga!

[Rolando Marono · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tiene años que quería leer esta historia porque me crié viendo las caricaturas de Genddy, y pensé que esto podía ser muy bueno. Varias veces lo encontré barato pero por una razón u otra no lo compré, ahora lo encontré en Kindle Unlimited.
Se lee rápidamente y lo más destacable es el estilo visual que es muy llamativo, una especie de mezcla entre Samurai Jack, Primal y Ren y Stimpy.
Lo más decepcionante es la trama y los personajes. Todos son uni dimensionales, las situaciones en las que ponen al personaje son muy genéricas (un torneo de luchas contra animales/personas expertas en artes marciales) y eso es todo, no hay más trama, no hay más giros. Pura acción pero sin mucha justificación y un poco aburrida.
El tono tampoco me gustó, a veces se sentía como para adultos y otras veces como para niños, había cosas que no se las daría a leer a mis sobrinos y otras que si, y esa ambivalencia es dañina igual para la historia porque no encuentra un tono narrativo consistente en el que desarrollar la trama y los personajes.
Quizá haciendo equipo con otros autores esta historia me hubiera gustado un poco más, alguien más en el guion y Genndy en las ilustraciones.
No la recomiendo.

[Thomas Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite animators paying homage to the over-the-top action and wild characters of 70s Marvel? I was sold as soon as I heard about this book. And the result is pretty damn cool, action-packed, and silly. Tartakovsky's style shines through on the page, with dynamic action and exaggerated character motion matching his angular, thick-lined style. The jokes are funny and the cast are fun, though it's mostly Luke Cage himself going on a medium-sized adventure that culminates in a big tournament that he (naturally) dominates. A celebration of the character that clearly had a lot of love poured into it. And then the volume concludes with Cage's original introduction comic, which is so much more grounded and heavy than the preceding issues that the whiplash is palpable. It kind of illustrates that the character is more than just action-packed wisecracks, that Cage was conceived to appeal to blaxploitation audiences and tackle the same kind of issues and themes. It's an odd choice to put these in the same volume.

[Craig Lotter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something is out hunting Luke Cage - and it's pretty effective too. When he comes too, he finds himself trapped on an island with other heroes beside him. And to get off - well it is a fight tournament against some very unexpected monsters! Tartakovsky takes the pen and pencil duties for this experimental Cage caper, one that feels straight out of a Cartoon Network show. It's set in the 70's and so think bombastic, blaxploitaion, and the plot of Enter the Dragon. It's got all the man behind Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack's signature humour and energy, and the cartoony visuals to match what we've come to expect from this animator. It's not badly done and works for fans of his, but I can't say I took much away from finishing this one. (He does however produce some very eye-catching visuals!). The book is padded out with the inclusion of the classic Hero for Hire issue #1 tale, which is the original origin story for Cage - which actually holds up pretty well, even though it does feel complete out of place next to Tartakovsky's madcap take.

[Michael Emond · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the fence about this. If you want a sample of an artist pushing the bounds of what comic art can do - get it. If you love Luke Cage and want to see a great Cage adventure? Not so much. If you have ever seen Genndy's animation shows (you should - they were groundbreaking) he has done an amazing job transferring that kinetic energy and creativity into this comic book. For that alone I enjoyed the experience.

The story isn't horrid but would have worked better as a short cartoon on the screen - some voice acting could have elevated the paper thin plot. Cage gets captured - is forced to fight - and finally fights the big bad guy and wins. Simple - no twists - very much like a simple story you would find on Saturday morning TV when that still existed :).

But yes - I would recommend it to people interested in the art.

[Roberto Diaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña de la edición Colección 100% Marvel de Panini España.

Conseguí este volumen en descuento, intrigado por ver al autor de Clone Wars, Samurai Jack y otros, trabajar con su estilo ennuna mini-seeie de un personaje no tan conocido de Marvel.

Tomando en cuenta que terminar este trabajo de cuatro capítulos le tomó 9 años por los constantes compromisos que tomaban prioridad (explicado en un prefacio al inicio. Gracias, Panini) la serie es un intento irreverente en contar una historia de Cage dándose de tortas con varios personajes, con la atmósfera del blacksploitation de los 70s. Pero lo limitado de su cantidad de páginas transmite un ambiente de sin sentido a lo que está pasando, siendo más un ejercicio de estilo.

Para fans del autor que quieran ver su arte caracteristico y dinámico aplicado al cómic.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but it did make for a distinctively Tartakovsky-esque ride. From the art to the tone, it was all totally in the spirit of those crazy Cartoon Network shows we've all come to love.

I'm just not sure if that made for a good Luke Cage story, given the tonal shift was so drastic versus everything else we've typically seen from the character. So yeah, it's hard to really unpack I feel about this book.

The story was rather silly - with a disappearance that led to a most bizarre animal-related final confrontation. And maybe this worked for others, but it didn't quite hit home for me. At least the art was fun and there were some crazy sequences that were amusing on their own.

[Mag · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t dislike this, despite the fact that I’m getting a negative review, because I did think it was really fun and the cartooning is drop-dead gorgeous, I just didn’t think the story really got there as far as executing on the idea that Genndy had. This is like a Game of Death thing, Cage is on a tropical island with these exotic martial arts masters working his way through a tournament, that is an awesome idea that could’ve been executed far better than it was here. First issue wasn’t even really needed, but would’ve preferred if it just picked up at the island and we got more there. Feels like a first draft from someone who’s never really written comics before. But man, does it look good, real saving grace there.

[Camilo Guerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hay un comic al principio, que va lento, que no parece llevar destino y uno se pregunta ,¿quien autorizo a Genndy Tartakovsky a esto?, y conforme van pasando las paginas me di cuenta de mi error , esto no es un comic de Cage hecho por G.T, esto es un derroche visual que usa a Cage como excusa para dibujar lo que se le venga en gana, y vaya si lo hace , no había visto hace mucho en una de las grandes alguien con este nivel de libertad : Cage drogado y alucinante, monos karatecas , chicas sexys en portadas, poderes vistos de manera increible y absurda, una carrera a través de una isla , gansters en traje...es un viaje, solo se disfruta y ya.

[Vail Chester · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all know Genndy loves himself some classic animation and even if this wasn't animated, he sure drew it like it was gonna be a wacky segment after Samurai Jack or something like that.
The streetwise Harlem hero is suddenly abducted to a mysterious island and along some other do-gooders are forced to fight for the amusement of a not-so-subtle Grinch expy...who knows kung-fu...and who taught other animals how to do kung-fu. Very VERY wacky!

The other half of the book is a back issue on the origin of the man who would become Luke Cage. Full of betrayal! injustice! redemption! hope!