CABLE #10
Review by: Brianjames
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This review contains spoilers, click here to read
In his essay "The Philosophy of Composition”, Edgar Allan Poe describes his conception of the ideal “prose tale”; he states that length, method and "unity of effect" are of greatest importance in the success of almost all classes of composition. Additionally, he theorizes "the death... of a beautiful woman" is "unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world".
In the May 1842 edition of Graham’s Magazine, Poe elucidates his literary theory in a review of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s collection Twice Told Tales.
“The ordinary novel is objectionable in length…. As it cannot be read at one sitting, it deprives itself, of course, of the immense force derivable from totality. Worldly interests intervening during the pauses of perusal, modify, annul, or counteract, in a greater or less degree, the impressions of the book. But the simple cessation in reading, would, of itself, be sufficient to destroy the true unity. In the brief tale, however, the author is enabled to carry out the fullness of his intention, be it what it may. During the hour of perusal the soul of the reader is at the writer’s control.”
In view of Poe’s claim, it is easy to understand how "The Philosophy of Composition” is a formula for complete success for writer and reader alike. Moreover, for comic book creators, whose work is experienced on a monthly basis in a format designed for a “single sitting” read, Poe’s theory of length, method and "unity of effect" can be used as the ultimate guideline to creating a flawless escape into the fictional world month after month. Unfortunately, where comic book stories are concerned, Poe’s practical concept of a “single sitting” is now attached to the practice of “waiting for the trade” and more often than not the “unity of effect or impression” of a monthly yarn is lost when the “pause of perusal” takes thirty days or more.
Of course, no comic book creator designs his or her tale with the intention of falling victim to the law of diminishing returns. In fact, one of the more inspiring elements of the genre is the fact that comic books continually strain against their definition to expand the boundaries of creativity; and it is this formation of new creativities that is a key measure in the creation of intellectual works such as Watchmen, The Walking Dead and The Dark Knight Returns, and will make certain that the comic book does not suffer the fate of the epic poem.
On the whole, even under the constraint of 32 to 48 pages or falling in the midst of the latest crossover event, monthly comic books continue to offer prime models to Poe’s theory. Case in point, the one-shot Wolverine: Flies to a Spider by Greg Hurwitz with artists Jerome Opena and John Lucas. The story is watertight in length and flawlessly methodical, as, despite the fact that Wolverine appears in a half-dozen titles each month, the creators work events in one precise direction while limiting outside influence and at no time compromising the story’s “effect” with spontaneous and unnecessary originality. The final product is a tale that would be every bit as effective without mutant healing factors and adamantium claws.
Of course, whereas the one-shot issue is meant for the “single sitting” story, the application of Poe’s “Philosophy of Composition” within an ongoing series is often a bit more difficult. Between Civil Wars and Secret Invasions, most ongoing series benefit from a simple story that can be enjoyed and understood with minimal effort. Most recently, writer Mark Waid penned a fine example of this with Amazing Spider-Man #579. Although the series generally features a large, and to the casual reader often burdensome, ensemble cast and amount of personal issues, this issue of Amazing Spider-Man is seasoned with only a sprinkle of tangents and intsead focuses mainly on Spider-Man as he and a group of civilians (including J. Jonah Jameson’s father), along with classic villain the Shocker, work to free themselves from a collapsed subway tunnel. Despite being backed by almost 600 issues, the genius of Waid’s story is that it can be read with little regard to previous or following events, making it not only a perfect call to new readers but also a source of renewal for the dedication of long-term fans.
If Wolverine: Flies to a Spider and Amazing Spider-Man #579 exemplify the success to be had with Poe’s theory, then the latest issue of Cable amplifies it. From the collective talents of writer Duane Swierczynski with artist Ariel Olivetti, Cable #10 is sound in length, method and “unity of effect”. What’s more, the series has been so since its debut, making Cable thorough in part or in whole.
In terms of length, it is obvious that while Swierczynski has an epic tale in mind for Nathan Summers, he is working equally hard to capture the soul of the reader in each issue. Born of the tragic “Messiah Complex”, the story of Cable is set in a bleak post apocalyptic future where Nathan Summers has taken the role of protector and reluctant father to the mysterious Messiah Child while being sadistically pursued by Bishop, a man whose catastrophic timeline is a result of the Child’s existence. This origin, setting and circumstance does little to grant the writer and artist the luxury of colorful heroics; instead Swierczynski and Olivetti are restricted to a tale of survival of which they design with an immaculate tone of desolation and intelligence that is comparable to the sense in Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Road.
Each issue of Cable gives the reader an absorbing picture of a desolate future. From a still operational New Jersey diner in the year 2043 A.D. to humanoid roaches claiming to be the United States Army, the visuals of Cable, along with the detached first person storytelling dialogue of Nathan Summers, fill the reader with the desire to see and uncover more the this bleak futuristic world while simultaneously feeling that there may be nothing left to see. It is this union of curiosity and desperation that creates the key motivation in any tale of survival: hope.
And although the seeds of hope are sown throughout the series, the “immense force derivable from totality” is ultimately harvested in full with issue #10. Each panel, whether in the future or the present fills the reader with hope; but as hope grows so does the void that it will leave if diminished, and the reader can never truly shake the feeling that there is no promise of a truly happy ending.
By the end of Cable #10, Swierczynski has taken full control of the reader’s soul, proving his method of structuring Cable to be anything but spontaneous. By the final, tragic pages of issue #10, the reader can recall the various themes, tones and conflicts of the series, which at most times remain just below the surface of the journey, and find that their hope had been all along false and realize that, to Swierczynski’s credit, the writer did not hide the outcome of his story, the reader simply chose to not believe in anything other than a happy ending.
Swierczynski’s methodical and analytical composition of Cable leads to a tragic ending that supports Poe’s conviction to "unity of effect". For Poe, the third key to success in writing requires a work of fiction written only after the author has decided how it is to end and which emotional response, or "effect," he or she wishes to create. When considering Cable’s journey through ten issues of time traveling, his spiritual gains and ultimate loss in issue #10, there is no doubt that Swierczynski knew the fate of not just Nathan Summers, but the future of all mutantkind, from the moment he penned the opening line of Cable #1, “My name is Nathan Summers. I’m a soldier. I’m trained for this.”
As a final point, Swierczynski completes Cable #10 with what Poe considered the most poetical topic in the world, "the death... of a beautiful woman". And although it seems that Swierczynski has carried out the fullness of his intensions, one must wonder if the author is only about to push the boundries of creativity and if his intensions are merely beginning.
In the May 1842 edition of Graham’s Magazine, Poe elucidates his literary theory in a review of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s collection Twice Told Tales.
“The ordinary novel is objectionable in length…. As it cannot be read at one sitting, it deprives itself, of course, of the immense force derivable from totality. Worldly interests intervening during the pauses of perusal, modify, annul, or counteract, in a greater or less degree, the impressions of the book. But the simple cessation in reading, would, of itself, be sufficient to destroy the true unity. In the brief tale, however, the author is enabled to carry out the fullness of his intention, be it what it may. During the hour of perusal the soul of the reader is at the writer’s control.”
In view of Poe’s claim, it is easy to understand how "The Philosophy of Composition” is a formula for complete success for writer and reader alike. Moreover, for comic book creators, whose work is experienced on a monthly basis in a format designed for a “single sitting” read, Poe’s theory of length, method and "unity of effect" can be used as the ultimate guideline to creating a flawless escape into the fictional world month after month. Unfortunately, where comic book stories are concerned, Poe’s practical concept of a “single sitting” is now attached to the practice of “waiting for the trade” and more often than not the “unity of effect or impression” of a monthly yarn is lost when the “pause of perusal” takes thirty days or more.
Of course, no comic book creator designs his or her tale with the intention of falling victim to the law of diminishing returns. In fact, one of the more inspiring elements of the genre is the fact that comic books continually strain against their definition to expand the boundaries of creativity; and it is this formation of new creativities that is a key measure in the creation of intellectual works such as Watchmen, The Walking Dead and The Dark Knight Returns, and will make certain that the comic book does not suffer the fate of the epic poem.
On the whole, even under the constraint of 32 to 48 pages or falling in the midst of the latest crossover event, monthly comic books continue to offer prime models to Poe’s theory. Case in point, the one-shot Wolverine: Flies to a Spider by Greg Hurwitz with artists Jerome Opena and John Lucas. The story is watertight in length and flawlessly methodical, as, despite the fact that Wolverine appears in a half-dozen titles each month, the creators work events in one precise direction while limiting outside influence and at no time compromising the story’s “effect” with spontaneous and unnecessary originality. The final product is a tale that would be every bit as effective without mutant healing factors and adamantium claws.
Of course, whereas the one-shot issue is meant for the “single sitting” story, the application of Poe’s “Philosophy of Composition” within an ongoing series is often a bit more difficult. Between Civil Wars and Secret Invasions, most ongoing series benefit from a simple story that can be enjoyed and understood with minimal effort. Most recently, writer Mark Waid penned a fine example of this with Amazing Spider-Man #579. Although the series generally features a large, and to the casual reader often burdensome, ensemble cast and amount of personal issues, this issue of Amazing Spider-Man is seasoned with only a sprinkle of tangents and intsead focuses mainly on Spider-Man as he and a group of civilians (including J. Jonah Jameson’s father), along with classic villain the Shocker, work to free themselves from a collapsed subway tunnel. Despite being backed by almost 600 issues, the genius of Waid’s story is that it can be read with little regard to previous or following events, making it not only a perfect call to new readers but also a source of renewal for the dedication of long-term fans.
If Wolverine: Flies to a Spider and Amazing Spider-Man #579 exemplify the success to be had with Poe’s theory, then the latest issue of Cable amplifies it. From the collective talents of writer Duane Swierczynski with artist Ariel Olivetti, Cable #10 is sound in length, method and “unity of effect”. What’s more, the series has been so since its debut, making Cable thorough in part or in whole.
In terms of length, it is obvious that while Swierczynski has an epic tale in mind for Nathan Summers, he is working equally hard to capture the soul of the reader in each issue. Born of the tragic “Messiah Complex”, the story of Cable is set in a bleak post apocalyptic future where Nathan Summers has taken the role of protector and reluctant father to the mysterious Messiah Child while being sadistically pursued by Bishop, a man whose catastrophic timeline is a result of the Child’s existence. This origin, setting and circumstance does little to grant the writer and artist the luxury of colorful heroics; instead Swierczynski and Olivetti are restricted to a tale of survival of which they design with an immaculate tone of desolation and intelligence that is comparable to the sense in Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Road.
Each issue of Cable gives the reader an absorbing picture of a desolate future. From a still operational New Jersey diner in the year 2043 A.D. to humanoid roaches claiming to be the United States Army, the visuals of Cable, along with the detached first person storytelling dialogue of Nathan Summers, fill the reader with the desire to see and uncover more the this bleak futuristic world while simultaneously feeling that there may be nothing left to see. It is this union of curiosity and desperation that creates the key motivation in any tale of survival: hope.
And although the seeds of hope are sown throughout the series, the “immense force derivable from totality” is ultimately harvested in full with issue #10. Each panel, whether in the future or the present fills the reader with hope; but as hope grows so does the void that it will leave if diminished, and the reader can never truly shake the feeling that there is no promise of a truly happy ending.
By the end of Cable #10, Swierczynski has taken full control of the reader’s soul, proving his method of structuring Cable to be anything but spontaneous. By the final, tragic pages of issue #10, the reader can recall the various themes, tones and conflicts of the series, which at most times remain just below the surface of the journey, and find that their hope had been all along false and realize that, to Swierczynski’s credit, the writer did not hide the outcome of his story, the reader simply chose to not believe in anything other than a happy ending.
Swierczynski’s methodical and analytical composition of Cable leads to a tragic ending that supports Poe’s conviction to "unity of effect". For Poe, the third key to success in writing requires a work of fiction written only after the author has decided how it is to end and which emotional response, or "effect," he or she wishes to create. When considering Cable’s journey through ten issues of time traveling, his spiritual gains and ultimate loss in issue #10, there is no doubt that Swierczynski knew the fate of not just Nathan Summers, but the future of all mutantkind, from the moment he penned the opening line of Cable #1, “My name is Nathan Summers. I’m a soldier. I’m trained for this.”
As a final point, Swierczynski completes Cable #10 with what Poe considered the most poetical topic in the world, "the death... of a beautiful woman". And although it seems that Swierczynski has carried out the fullness of his intensions, one must wonder if the author is only about to push the boundries of creativity and if his intensions are merely beginning.
Story: 5 - Excellent
Art: 5 - Excellent
Art: 5 - Excellent
Dude, you just dropped some knowledge. I like your review! I ate it up even though you became a little bit too explanatory and I would like to hear your opinion about the art. Because I can’t share the rating you gave for it.
Really nice, well-thought-out review. I’ve been looking for a reason to give this series another chance, and your review almost convinced me. If, as you say, "By the end of Cable #10, Swierczynski has taken full control of the reader’s soul", then I’m going to have to hold off, fearfully, from reading. :0
Even f you’re not a fan of his unique art, Olivetti’s work on Cable grows on you because it is fitting for tone of the story. I think if the same story was drawn by by Jim Lee or David Finch, or even Rob Liefeld, the impression would be totally lost. His style certainly isn’t for everybody, but it works here.
And this is definitely a reader’s book, both in words and pictures.
Great review!
Poe also said, “Don’t forget to include a Roach President.”