Mourning his lost wife, suffering an existential crisis, Cave Carson may be the only man who can save the Earth from threats from deep within its core… Your Major Spoilers review of Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye #2 awaits!
CAVE CARSON HAS A CYBERNETIC EYE #2
Writer: Gerard Way & Jon Rivera
Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
Colorist: Nick Filardi
Letterer: Clem Robins
Editor: Molly Mahan
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye: “Something is rotten in the subterranean state of Muldroog, the ancestral home of Cave’s wife Eileen (a.k.a. Princess Mazra P’thrall), forcing Cave to step out of adventurer retirement to solve this mystery. To do that, he must to steal a massive piece of mobile technology and recruit an old friend for this mission. Also in this issue: How Cave got that cybernetic eye. And explosions.
Lots and lots of explosions.”
NOT PULLING THEIR PUNCHES
Say what you will about the decision to allow Gerard Way to spearhead the Young Animal imprint: It’s made for some great comic books. After last issue’s setup, this story gets rolling in a major way, starting with the untold tale of how Cave got his cybernetic eye. (Warning: It’s not for the squeamish.) After that revelation, we spend a little time with Chloe, as Cave returns to his office at EBX to find out exactly what is going on. His boss quickly transitions from careful BS to full-on James Bond villain, revealing that he knows the secret of Cave’s late wife and the underground empire of Muldroog, that’s he’s been working with the Muldroogi for years, and that Cave’s Mighty Mole is the key to their sinister plans. Of course, he hasn’t figured on Cave Carson actually being the hero he seems to be, and so begin the explosions, as Cave retakes his drilling machine and makes a few calls…
EXPLOSIONS!
The second half of this issue is action, action, action, and I really enjoy Oeming’s distinctive art style. Cave grabs Wild Dog for artillery support, gets into a car chase with the Mighty Mole, and saves his daughter, all rendered wonderfully. As the issue ends, we see another example of the strange fungus beasts that Cave fought last issue, leading to a tense cliffhanger ending. Perhaps my favorite part of this story is the fact that it’s NOT a launch-boot, instead referencing Cave’s past as hero, his alliance with Superman as part of the Forgotten Heroes, and uses Wild Dog wonderfully. Maybe it’s an old guy’s wish-fulfillment, but it’s nice to see Cave in action over the age of thirty, unlike the vast majority of comics since the New 52. Best of all, the high-speed pacing doesn’t shut down clever dialogue, the interesting character interactions make this story really sing, and even Chloe gets a couple of ‘Hell YEAH!’ hero moments.
THE BOTTOM LINE: AFTER A QUIET START, KA-BOOM!
Of all the Young Animal books, this is the one I picked as the weirdest and the one I had the least expectations of, but Way, Rivera and Oeming have put that all to shame with a story that reminds me of an Indiana Jones tale, only set in the DC Universe. With explosions. I do like the explosions. Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye #2 is even better than the strong first issue, with wonderful art, expertly paced action and well-written, fun story from cover to cover, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. If you’ve been dragging your feet about an unusual title featuring a minor DC Silver Ager, worry no more: This’n’s a good one.
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