Luke Cage is the mayor of New York, but he is also a heroic vigilante. Despite the Anti-Vigilante Act, he has formed a team to fight the underworld of New York! Check it out in Luke Cage: Gang War #2 by Marvel Comics!

LUKE CAGE: GANG WAR #2

Writer: Rodney Barnes
Artist: Ramon F. Bachs 
Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse 
Letterer: Travis Lanham 
Editor: Ellie Pyle 
Publisher: Marvel Comics 
Cover Price: $3.99 
Release Date: December 13th, 2023 

Previously in Luke Cage: When Wilson Fisk was mayor, he passed the Anti-Vigilante Act, making heroes illegal. Luke Cage decided to run against him and won the election. However, he cannot appeal the law and must publicly uphold this set of rules. Nevertheless, he dons a new stealth costume and has recruited Cloak and Dagger for a new team to stop Alistaire Smythe, who has created the next generation of Spider-Slayer robots!

Luke Cage: Gang War #2 starts in City Hall, where a handful of people discuss the brewing gang war, including Luke Cage feeding intel to Spider-Man. The police chief mentioned that there would be an attack on Ryker Island soon. Luke Cage continues to recruit for his illegal team and gets Danny Rand, who isn’t currently the Iron Fist, and his wife Jessica Jones. With Cloak and Dagger, they stop the attack on Ryker Island, but Luke Cage also repeats a line he told the police captain earlier, likely revealing his identity.

The group then attacks Alistaire’s lab, and Danny runs ahead while the group fights the robots. Danny finds Alistaire but is shot and injured. Alistaire then blows up his lab, and the team quickly escapes. Back at City Hall, Luke Cage is attacked by what appears to be old Sentinel robots, where he says his classic line, “Sweet Christmas.”

The story feels very fast-paced at the moment, but it isn’t overwhelming. We all knew Danny Rand and Jessica Jones would join this team. So I am happy that Luke Cage: Gang War #2 introduced them to the plot quickly. But the attack on Ryker Island was only three pages before we moved on. By the time I breathed, that plot point was over, and we were suddenly attacking the lab. There wasn’t even travel time between most of these scenes. So, while the narrative arc is solid within the story, I want to see a little more nuance in the characterization and conflict. We spent more time watching Jessica flirt with Luke than on some of these more prominent points.

The art is well done here, and I like the character designs. I wish Danny and Jessica were in costume because they feel a little out of place next to Luke, Cloak, and Dagger, especially when they are supposed to keep their identity a secret. Still, good, consistent work here.

I think the premise of Gang Wars is strong, but the pacing is too fast. Meanwhile, other events going on right now feel too slow. This isn’t the creators’ fault but a realization that the creative team is under the constraints of the higher-ups making certain decisions. With that in mind, Luke Cage: Gang War #2 is a 3 out of 5 comic. It is an above-average showing but with some flaws.

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Luke Cage: Gang Wars #2

63%

63%

Good Premise but Too Fast

Luke Cage: Gang War #2 has all the right ideas but not enough page count for proper execution.

• Writing

  5
• Art

  7
• Coloring

  7
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
  0