Long gone are the days when comics dared to be pushed their readers out of their comfort zone. The one book that still has a hold on me 20 years later, Batman: Killing Joke, was both disturbing and brilliant, but not to me at the time. It shook me to the core, it made me sick the first time I read it. It would take me several times before I got through the rough parts, before seeing just what the creators were trying to do, bring these epic superheroes into the real world.

Comics would continue to do this, several times, especially when Vertigo was in its prime and drawing talent from Great Britain. It would not be long before the House Of Ideas decided to make more adult fare, when it introduced Marvel Max, and introduce the world to Jessica Jones, a rather realistic look at what means to be a woman and a superhero. It also gave readers everywhere the edgy vision of their favorite heroes that they never got a chance to read until then. In the debut issue of one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes, we find Luke Cage hired to avenge a death in Cage, only to find a more tangled web than he ever imagined.

We find Luke at a local strip club in Harlem, where an older woman has approached him, requiring his services. Her daughter had just been killed by a stray bullet from a local gang, as vengeance she requires, knowing that the police, because it is a gang matter, will not get involved.  As Cage starts investigating, he soon finds out that the bullet was intended for a local gangster but someone hiding in plain view, may also have a hand in it, Tombstone, who is trying to pass for a legitimate businessperson. By issue’s end, he finds out that this is no normal case, and the NYPD may be in the middle of it.

Overall, a gritty version of Luke Cage, one that despite some of its problematic undertones, is also an entertaining story, The story by Brian Azzarello is appealing. The art by Richard Corben is incandescent. Altogether, if you are a fan of Luke Cage, this may be the story that gives you a whole new look at this superhero.

Story: Brian Azzarello Art: Richard Corben
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy