Truth to Power by S.A. Cosby
It is not easy being a mutant super-hero.
Luke Cage, a six foot-six, 425-pound Black man, can’t even shake hands or give hugs without crushing the other person. In this newest entry into the Marvel Universe, bestselling author S.A. Crosby examines the Luke’s strengths and weaknesses when he investigates the murder of his cousin, Rashon, in Truth to Power. Luke, a New York City private investigator, has been hired by attorney Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil) to investigate a fleet of cybernetically enhanced foot soldiers. Suspecting that a prosthetic factory in Majestic, Virginia may be involved in the case, he asks his security guard cousin Rashon to keep an eye on the Pacific Vista Laboratories, which is located next to Rashon’s workplace.
The book begins with a bang as Luke battles the Polar Bear Man, created by Dr. Zarko Malcovich, who helps folks become supervillains, on the streets of New York City. And the story turns dark very quickly when Rashon is found dead in his car, and Luke believes his family will not receive justice from their racist county sheriff assigned to head the investigation. So, he takes on the job himself. There’s plenty of action as Luke battles villains, cybernetically enhanced foes and uncooperative authorities. But the more he hunts, the more disappearances and bodies turn up in Majestic, including Rashon’s best friend and the key witness to his murder.
The Burden of Power
Luke is more than a comic book character; he is a well-defined human being suffering with real, albeit superhuman, problems. Crosby paints him as a sympathetic man who was betrayed by his best friend, sent to jail for a crime he didn’t commit, and lost years of his life as a result. He became isolated from his family, but Rashon’s murder returns him into the fold of kith and kin. The readers witnesses his struggle as he blames himself for Rashon’s murder, and his dedication to find truth at all costs. And his continuing struggle between being a human and the power that was forced on him as the subject of a scientific experiment gone awry.
Fans of S.A. Crosby will recognize his trademark Southern-Noir wit and prose throughout this superhero tale. And Marvel aficionados will appreciate the way Crosby weaves references to other superheroes such as Luke’s love interest Jessica Jones, S.H.I.E.L.D, Daredevil, and Iron Man into the complex multi-murder plot. Crosby reminds us that Luke is not a singular figure, rather he is one element within a larger world designed to keep peace on earth.
Blazing a New Trail
While Crosby still explores his recurrent themes of family, racism, and revenge, Truth to Power is a PG-rated novel, which is a first for Crosby. Adapting popular characters into fiction can be a challenging task, but Crosby handles the task with ease. It must have been fun for him to stretch his skills and tackle a project outside his crime wheelhouse. He immerses himself and the reader in the preexisting characters. Truth to Power unfolds for the reader like a movie, and who will be able to visualize the action, the characters, and the locations as they are as familiar as old friends.
Truth to Power will certainly expand Crosby’s readership beyond crime fiction to popular fiction, exposing him to well-deserved new fans. Let’s hope this is the beginning of a new series for one of the most gifted authors of our time.
S.A. Cosby is an Anthony Award-winning writer from Southeastern Virginia. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers All the Sinners Bleed and Razorblade Tears, and Blacktop Wasteland, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, was a New York Times Notable Book, and was named a best book of the year by NPR, The Guardian, and Library Journal, among others. When not writing, he is an avid hiker and chess player.
