A preview for the upcoming miniseries Luke Cage: City of Fire shows the original “hero for hire” taking center stage to battle a team of crooked cops. The preview depicts the rogue officers drawing Cage’s attention after murdering a Black man. It also teases Luke's team-up with the new Daredevil, Elektra Natchios.
With the release of Hero for Hire #1 by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, and John Romita in 1972, the character of Luke Cage was the first African-American superhero to star in his own ongoing comic book series. Boasting super-strength and unbreakable skin, since his debut Cage has served as one half of a dynamic duo with Danny Rand’s Iron Fist. He has also been a member of the Defenders, Thunderbolts, and Fantastic Four, and even has served as the leader of the Avengers. Despite the character’s popularity, Cage has not headlined a Marvel series since the conclusion of Luke Cage in 2018. However, this new miniseries shows that Marvel is bringing the hero back in style for an impactful tale that promises to be action-packed.
The preview for Luke Cage: City of Fire #1 by Ho Che Anderson and Farid Karami was first posted by CBR. The preview images and accompanying solicitation information identify Luke’s new foes as a group called the Regulators out to “terrorize ordinary citizens.” The unlettered preview shows the group storming into a civilian's home and gunning down a Black man in cold blood. We then see Elektra Natchios, now serving as Daredevil after Matt Murdock’s arrest, on the phone with someone who could very well be Luke Cage himself considering the preview ends with the pair determinedly (and very cooly) walking side by side. The issue is part of the upcoming Devil’s Reign crossover event in which the mayor of New York, Wilson Fisk, will declare war on the superheroes of the city.
It seems from the preview that Marvel is hoping to tell a story that is equal parts superhero escapism and biting social commentary. The solicitation information reveals that it is specifically the murder of an African-American at the hands of the police force that catches Cage’s attention and brings him into an alliance with Daredevil. While Marvel has shown in recent years that it is willing to tackle topical issues, the preview describes the miniseries by declaring it is “unlike any you’ve seen in the 616” (the Marvel Comics universe) and it is“AN ALL-TOO-RELEVANT STORY.” The miniseries also serves as the Marvel debut of acclaimed comics writer Ho Che Anderson, whose previous credits include King: A Comics Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s also interesting that Mayor Fisk seems to have designs to use the Regulators for his own gain, so it is likely the series will offer commentary on the link between political corruption and racial violence committed by police.
The series also seems to be positioning Cage as the one looking out for the innocent with Daredevil eager to “bring them down no matter the cost.” Luke Cage: City of Fire is set to tell a poignant story reflecting on real-world injustice. For readers eager to see the return of Luke Cage as the star of his own series, as well as him teaming up with Daredevil to take down crooked cops, they will have to make sure to pick up Luke Cage: City of Fire #1 on December 29th.
Source: CBR