Review: Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye Vol. 1- Going Underground
Quick Summary
Pros: The entire work feels incredibly unique. The action is fun and adventurous. There is a mystery at the heart of the story that is a joy to uncover. The artwork is psychedelic and weird in a way that compliments the story well.
Cons: Some plot points are introduced only to vanish shortly after.
Overall: The first volume of this series sees a return of pulp action to the world of mainstream comic books. This is a delightful romp of underground exploration where fun can be found around every corner. It involves an entertaining cast of characters, a solid mystery, and adventures that range from standard to downright bizarre. If you are looking for a fun book that isn’t afraid to get psychedelic here and there, this may be for you.
Story
Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye Vol. 1: Going Underground proves that the “Young Animal” imprint can deliver on its promise to offer titles unlike anything else from DC Comics. In this volume, writers Gerard Way and Jon Rivera craft a story about underground societies, pulp action heroes, and a conspiracy that threatens the fate of the entire world. This is a bold and unabashedly fun volume that truly isn’t afraid to be different. Any reader who can appreciate a quirky story about underground adventures will find something to love here.
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The book starts out slowly, in a good way. Readers discover Cave Carson’s history and learn about his past adventures along the way. Plot threads are started, characters are introduced, and the general premise of the series is kicked off. Though not as exciting as the rest of the volume, this intro works and gives readers time to acclimate to the setting.
Things really begin to kick into high gear when Cave discovers the conspiracy behind the company he works for, EBX, and takes matters into his own hands. He heads underground with his daughter and a friend and is forced to go head to head with both his old employer and dangerous subterranean creatures. This portion of the book is packed with over-the-top action and fun, as the heroes deal with all of their newly acquired enemies. It is this wacky action that makes the book feel like an adult version of a Saturday-morning cartoon, in the best way possible.
This is also the portion of the book that digs into the collection’s central mystery, the secret of the Whisperer. It turns out that EBX’s owner is being controlled by an ancient evil intent on destroying the underground society of Muldroog. It also turns out that Cave’s wife was the former princess of Muldroog and that his daughter is technically a member of the royal family. All of this adds a flair of drama and intrigue to the otherwise action-focused plot and makes for a more well rounded story. It also simply gives readers something interesting to discover in each chapter.
All of this together, leads into the book’s conclusion, a drug fueled showdown between Cave’s crew and the Whisperer’s minions. This climactic battle makes the rest of the action-packed collection look tame by comparison and is the most ridiculously fun portion of the book. It also ends on a completely unexpected cliffhanger that has the Whisperer evolve into an even more powerful form and has Cave’s eye jump right out of his head. Ending the volume like this left me dying to read more and did a great job in building excitement for the next volume.
The only real flaw here is the way certain plot points are introduced only to vanish shortly after. For example, Chloe’s boyfriend and her anger toward her father are two storylines which stop shortly after they start. They go away so quickly that they feel pointless and leave you wondering why they were even described in the first place. However, this is a very minor problem and not something the majority of readers will care about.
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Art
Michael Avon Oeming’s crazy and psychedelic artwork is the perfect compliment to this wacky series. Oemig’s heavily stylized take on characters and locations emphasizes the Saturday-morning cartoon vibe that the writing puts off and makes the action pop right off the page. He also excels on the non-traditional pages, especially those where hallucinations and drugs distort the perspective of the heroes. Overall, this is a good looking book that changes in order to present each page in a unique and interesting fashion.
Continuity
Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye Vol. 1: Going Underground is a brand new series that has little ties to any recent comic. Instead, it is inspired by Cave Carson’s original appearances from back in the 1960s. This means that readers can come into this series with absolutely no knowledge of Cave Carson’s past adventures.
The story here is continued in Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye Vol. 2: Every Me, Every You (Review).