Cable and X-Force #11

COVER ART: 3.5/5

SALVADOR LARROCA & colorist FRANK D'ARMATA produce a fun and expression filled cover to this weeks (7/14/13) issue of Cable and X-Force. I love the look on Domino's face most of all. Unfortunately, the cool convertible winds up being a busted up Ambulance.

STORY ARC: 3.5/5

When you are a writer by the name of Hopeless, you better always bring you A game, or your name will be used extensively in silly puns about the story being so "hopeless"...etc. Dennis Hopeless doesn't bring his A game to this issue, but it is a fun adventure and there is a dramatic scene in the final pages that render this issue worthy of reading.

This book is really 2 unrelated, or seemingly unrelated stories. One following Domino and Boom Boom. The other following Hope.

To start with the Domino and Boom Boom story, the duo are charged by Cable, prior to his arrest by the Avengers, to help a young man that is unconscious in a hospital reach the outer limits of the city before his mutant powers manifest and destroy everyone in the hospital and other civilians around the hospital. This is the beat the clock part which is always fun. Now we have our dynamic duo of Domino, who plays the strait man who always follows the plan and trying to stay under the radar, and Boom Boom, the comic relief who disregards all the plans, is loud and always looking to just make it up as she goes. This is the classic strait man/funny man bit and it works with these two fairly well. Boom Boom is constantly cracking jokes about Domino hooking up with Colossus. Boom Boom never sticks to the plan, but "luckily" Domino is always there with a contingency plan. In the end, all is well that ends well. A light and fun glimpse into one serious, but fun fun filled mission with Domino and Boom Boom.

This book also follows Hope during a future timeline where she is looking for answers on who is responsible for Cable's condition. She interrogates Blaquesmith fairly handily before she is forced to battle robots/cyborg soldiers. Blaquesmith and Hope are unable to really talk because of the attacking robots/cyborg creatures. Hope is saved from peril by an ominous figure. It is STRYFE! But this is not the Stryfe from old. No, this is a FEMALE STRYFE, or it looks like a female Stryfe to me, with a huge a$$ sword. In my humble opinion, I believe this very adult female Stryfe is actually HOPE but in a future timeline.

STORY ART: 1.5/5

SALVADOR LARROCA is not my favorite artist. His layouts are always the same. One page of 5 horizontal panels, all the same height, followed by a 6 panel (boring) page, followed by another 5 panel (exact copy of the first page panels) page followed by a splash page. Then it repeats, 5 panels, 6 panels, and so on. I understand it is easier, but it gets boring visually. The characters are all well identifiable but you wont see any of this books artwork up on the internet or on peoples comic vine image pages. It is okay, but I would like to see better.

FINAL VERDICT: 2.5/5I know I can't actually rate it 2.5 in the stars, but that is my actual rating. I don't think it worth a 3 star rating but it is better than a 2 with the unveiling of the Female Stryfe adding much unforeseen drama. That alone brought this book up a half star. The art is nothing to write home about, but the fun adventure of Domino and Boom Boom was like an episode of Starsky & Hutch. Fun the first time but we will soon forget that adventure as we are all start talking about Trinity War.