Here’s the thing: I had a good time reading Avengers: X-Sanction #1. It’s possible that I’m missing the stomach bug that makes me vomit blood upon hearing Jeph Loeb’s name, but I the story that I read was…good. Not bad, not amazing, and not even mediocre. Just…good. There’s honestly not much more to say about the quality of the writing, since Loeb set up a decent narrative that is building upon a great character (Cable) and a great relationship involving him and his daughter Hope.

I did think it was funny, though, that this is pretty much a “last mission” story for Cable, since the last story to feature him was also a “last mission” story. In Second Coming, Cable was racing against his mortality clock when he let the T-O virus (the metal scar tissue that covers him) overcome him to hold open a time portal to allow his teammates to come home, which is a mission that cost him his life. In Avengers X-Sanction, a weakened Cable was plucked out of the time stream a millisecond before death, and embarks on a mission to save his daughter before the virus overtakes him for good. I know that death doesn’t really mean much in mainstream comic universes, and accordingly, I allow myself to be moved by a good death scene. But Christ Almighty, when you have two consecutive stories that BOTH feature inescapable death fates for a single character, it does indeed cheapen death to a whole different degree. This isn’t so much a deal breaker for this series, but keep in mind that if he does die at the end of this series, it will be the 3rd time that he died since 2007. Please don’t expect me to be moved by another Cable-centric death scene if there is indeed one in this series.

Has Ed McGuinness and Dexter Vines worked together before? I can’t remember if they worked together on Hulk. I was very happy to see this team-up, since McGuinness draws some of my favorite action scenes, and Vines’ touch gives anything he’s working on an impeccable texture. A panel that sticks out was the one where Captain America threw his shield to ricochet and bonk Cable in the back of the head. While throwing, the arc in Cap’s arm was drawn with a visual “sonic boom” effect to remind you that this is f’n Captain America throwing the shield, and that his throws mean business. It’s these type of details that make McGuinness’ action scenes pop, as they add a whole sense of bold motion to the scene.

So yeah, I’m sticking with this. Probably even until the end. Any story featuring Cable is one that I want to read, and even though this won’t be as deep or imaginative as James Robinson’s and Joe Casey’s run (the greatest writers to ever write about him), this should be at least a fun way to pass the time.