Marvel just can’t get enough of using everyone’s favorite lovable Canadian brawler. With Wolverine’s last series having been done, it’s time to launch it as a Marvel NOW! title with a #1 and everything.
Reading Marvel as a young comic junkie I won’t lie, Wolverine was my favorite character. He’s become so embedded in everything Marvel does. Lately though, I have to wonder about the necessity of including his own stand alone title. Honestly how does he even have time for this between being an Avenger, an X-Men, a teacher, stuck in cross overs in every major series, and a Guardian of the Galaxy… oh wait he isn’t part of that team (yet.).
Previously on Wolverine, he was out battling Japanese gangs and causing all kinds of mischief. But this time we’re going to just skip past all of the old story lines as we’re starting on a fresh new one that takes place in the Big Apple.
A father was out shopping with his son and out of the blue seems to snap using some kind of high-tech science fiction weapon. The weapon is used to capture people and also seems to almost completely eradicate part of Wolverine aside from his skeleton.
With Wolverine’s healing factor kicking in overtime, he talks to the son and tells him to take cover and hide. We’re talking from skeleton to fully healed without clothing overtime in about 5 minutes flat.
Yep, it’s one of those kind of books.
Skipping past that though, Wolverine heals himself and eviscerates the father in front of his son. Surely this would be traumatic but shortly after it seems the son is now continuing his father’s quest to go on a murderous killing spree. I want to say this is being done by some kind of possession most likely alien in nature or from a time traveler.
At the end of the issue, Wolverine has the cops that end up on the scene call someone he knows to get a spare suit ready and he’s off to try and save the child from being killed or killing more.
The plot isn’t bad but honestly, I don’t see why we have it as a stand alone or how Wolverine even has time for solo adventures right now.
I will give the book praise where it’s due. The artwork throughout the entire issue is absolutely fantastic. I had problems turning the pages just so I could check out Logan doing what he does best and looking the part. While this isn’t going to be a darker Wolverine it IS going to look more like the Logan that was a brawler who made such an amazing impact for so many years.
Do we need another Wolverine title? Not really. Do we need more Wolverine past the multiple X and Avengers titles he’s currently in? I really don’t think so. At the very least we are getting a brilliantly illustrated comic.
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Alan Davis
