Fifty years ago, Marvel debuted a character named Luke Cage. This particular character’s first appearance was in his own title. Luke Cage, Hero for Hire. In the Black comic book community, Luke Cage is either celebrated or honestly, misunderstood. Which is why the promotion of his 50th anniversary has been lackluster needless to say. However, I am a collector and Luke Cage has considerable space in my long boxes. Instead of pontificating over his existence in Marvel comics, I just rather give you some reading material to pour over in your spare time. Just so you know, there are hundreds of Luke Cage stories to pull from. I’m just going to hit you with few and take my seat.
1. Luke Cage Noir by Adam Glass and Mike Benson
If Luke Cage Hero for Hire #1 is beer, then Luke Cage Noir is 25 year old cognac. Truthfully, the cognac would be outlawed because in this story; prohibition is the law of the land. This story takes place in the 1930s. No, this isn’t for you MCU nerds. This story pulls you into the world of Luke Cage after a stint in Rikers Island. Its a nod to his origin story but has a few twists that make it a compelling read. You should add this to your collection because it feels original in that you could read this before you read Luke Cage Hero for Hire #1 and feel cheapened. After all, its 1930s Harlem, need I say more?