Editor's Note: Cable #4 arrives in stores Wednesday, June 4.

"One day is all we'd need, little girl. One day would change everything." – Cable

Cable is stuck in a sans mutant future of 2043, and things are all post-apocalyp-ty. Ambushed by Bishop (who took a time travel cyborg arm from Forge – who really needs to get a new security system), Cable is bleeding bad and can't time travel away. Luckily, Cable is whisked away by a waitress who hopes he will be her heroic Road Warrior and save everyone.

Bishop makes short work of the ragtag Turnpike Authority agents and heads off looking for Cable. Things aren't looking good, but then walks in an unexpected visitor... Cannonball.

Cable is a continuation of the Messiah CompleX with Cable in the future trying to protect the mutant child (ah, I'm getting flashes of Lone Wolf & Cub). The series started kind of bland, but has improved over the last few issues. I personally am not a big fan of this style of digital art, but I will admit that it is growing on me.

You can tell that Swierczynski is a novelist because his writing strength is Cable and Bishop's internal dialogue. Olivetti helps with great control of the flow between panels to help punctuate Swierczynski's words and the actions of the story.

Cannonball popping up was a nice surprise and he does fill-in Cable on what he has been up to over the years. Yes, there is a big battle later in this issue that I did enjoy and a cliffhanger promising an even bigger fight for the next issue. I'm very curious as to where Swierczynski plans on taking this series.

I do have a few criticisms. The post-apocalyptic future that Swierczynski has created seems very bland and cliché. Olivetti doesn't help matters by making everything look far too clean and orderly. Except with the hooded guys running around with guns I would have a hard time thinking this was a terrible post-apocalyptic future. Olivetti also makes Cannonball look too bulky. Yes, Cable and Bishop are not exactly slim either, but it works better for them. For some reason Cannonball just looks a little off.

Besides that and my worry about the direction for the series (we have mostly just fighting back and forth with Cable and Bishop for four issues), I do like this action packed book.

Swierczynski is a strong writer (as I'm sure fans of his novel work would eagerly agree) who is learning with each issue how to better apply his skills in the script-writing format of comics. Olivetti has a nice art style that often delivers great control of flow between panels. Like seeing a truck flying towards Cable in his POV in the last issue or, from this issue, a nice flashback from Bishop that answers a question asked by Cannonball (and probably the reader) without telling us with words.

Final Word: This explosive book is a must for Cable fans, readers wanting to know what the heck happened to that baby from Messiah Complex, or those who dig Road Warrior type stories.

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