While its not as deep or emotional as one would hope, Luke Cage #167 is an enjoyable read thanks to a great protagonist, a good villain, and solid action scenes. Writer David F. Walker definitely gets the character of Luke Cage. There is still hope that this arc will dive deeper into our hero, but it doesnt quite accomplish it here. That being said, I still recommend this issue, and you should still check it out. Read Full Review

The second arc of this issue is still finding its footing after the first arc started out on fire. Cage is up against an unfamiliar foe (to him) but in an unfortunate familiar setting. Hopefully, the subsequent issues flesh out the villain and the plot a bit more. Read Full Review

If those bells the Grandmaster uses to control the prisoners sound familiar while you're reading, it's from this Dr. Dre classic. Read Full Review

The main issue this faces is it's pacing. It just moves towards the penultimate chapters of the story arc too quickly which s a shame because the writing is really strong. Luke gets some really great characterization and Ringmaster is probably one of the most surprisingly scary villains this year, but specifically Luke's interactions in the prison, which definitely should be more of a focus, especially in this issue. However, the decision to move towards the conclusion of this arc means that we miss out on more of some of the strongest content in this issue. Read Full Review

Walker is still trying to get his bearing in this arc. There is a lot of potential for the next issue. The world that Walker has created doesn't feel as real yet as the ones he has created in the past. This book should continue being on your pull list. It is a good book but not a great one. Sanna continues a great look for this book. The art style for this arc has been really solid and a colorful yet grounded look for Luke Cage.

Keep reading and pick it up.

We get a brisk, ominous look inside the Ringmaster's mind-control prison. Luke's memory is on the fritz and we still have tons of questions. That's this story's compromise: It's atmospheric and ambiguous, but that means we don't get a ton of forward plot progress. The good news is that the story is told with enough confidence in words and pictures to satisfy even without a comprehensive rundown on the villain's plans. The cafeteria fight scene gets sadly undercut by the detail work applied to Guillermo Sanna's otherwise-excellent art. Flat tattoos and execrable jumpsuit lettering draw the eye in a wholly negative way.