[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Written By: Jon Rivera
Story By: Gerard Way & Jon Rivera
Art By: Michael Avon Oeming
Colors By: Nick Filardi
Summary
Borsten and his crew are on the verge of releasing the Whisperer. Cave, Chloe and Wild Dog are pushed to their limits to try and stop them and at the same time rescue Cave’s father-in-law. The issue opens with a flashback of Edward Borsten finding the Whisperer. What actually happens is not clear, but hints are given at the end of the issue. And it’s weird, man, weird. Cave and Chloe take some of the night pudding hallucinogenic to mitigate the psychic affect of the Whisperer on them. Wild Dog is crazy enough that he doesn’t need it.
In front of the Whisperer, the elder Borsten offers himself as food to the Whisperer and this appears to bring a change over it. Meanwhile, Cave, Chloe and Wild Dog come in blasting with everything they’ve got. It appears that they are able to stop the Whisperer from being awakened. Chloe is able to get to her grandfather before anything else bad happens to him. But just as it seems that everything is going to be alright, the Whisperer pops out of what was apparently a cocoon or shell and rises into the sky. Borsten looks up at it and greets his father. (What!?!?) Then, Caves cybernetic eye shoots out of his skull causing Cave to pass out, or worse. The eye heads straight for the Whisperer…!
Positives
Despite the “all-action” quality of this issue, there are plenty of subtle moments that continue to illustrate the theme of family that permeates Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye. Cave’s vision of his deceased wife, drug-induced or otherwise, is truly touching. Chloe realizing how her dad perceives the world when he says they are “safe,” continues to bring Cave closer to his daughter.
Oeming’s facial expressions are a big part of the storytelling and should not be underestimated. It’s especially strong in the night pudding sequence.
Lastly, Wild Dog’s advice to Chloe on voting is hilarious, as long as you une’er stand it’s intended as satire. Why did Cave recruit Wild Dog?
Negatives
The biggest negative for this is the nearly impenetrable “Super Powers” back up by Tom Scioli. On the positive side, they always deal with something that is thematically relevant to the main story, but mostly they are awkward and somewhat bizarre. If you’re not digging it, it’s easy enough to skip it. However, it seems that the page space could be better used to fill in the gaps on Cave’s past or something more coherent that fits the Young Animal concept.
Verdict
With an action-packed seeming finale, Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye #6 manages to continue to surprise and keep the weirdness going with the last page promising a whole new narrative angle. And they aren’t even done with the threat of Borsten and the Whisperer. Cave, Chloe and family are infectious. So, DC – How about a trade paperback collecting Cave Carson’s appearances in the Sixties from The Brave and the Bold and Showcase ?
