Jun
19
“Wolverine: Old Man Logan” Comic Book Review
Filed Under Comics
I like Wolverine. I’m not absolutely obsessed with the character. He’s the Britney Spears of the Marvel U, overexposed as all get out. But when a writer does something interesting with him — apart from emphasizing how he tends to leave off the “g” at the end of present participle verbs — it’s easy to see why people love Wolvie so much.
I took a beating in the comments section of my diatribe about DC Comics’ creative inertia a couple weeks ago; of course, I totally pwned the guy with my follow-up comment. At any rate, I still stand by my blog and believe that Marvel’s the bolder of the Big Two publishers because they’re willing to try new things with their A-listers. Yes, it might seem like a cynical attempt to boost sales. But it’s not like that. People who don’t normally buy certain books start picking them up because the creators are doing something fresh and unique. That’s not cynical — that’s good storytelling.
Writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven — the duo that shattered the status quo of Marvel Comics with “Civil War” — kicked off the 8-part “Old Man Logan” storyline in the regular “Wolverine” ongoing series yesterday. I’m glad it’s not some mini-series or a one-shot, but a flash-forward in regular Marvel continuity, decades after some catastrophic battle wiped out almost all of the superhero community. Wolverine’s begun showing some age, his healing factor having weakend somewhat over time. He’s softened and become something of a post-apocalyptic frontiersman with a wife and kids. When he can’t make rent one month and is pounded into the dirt by the Hulk’s trailer trash (green trash?) offspring who’ve come to collect, he’s talked into going on a cross-country journey to make some extra bucks with the aging former Hawkeye (aka Clint Barton). The U.S. has been divided up into four kingdoms — each lorded over by a different supervillain — and the two heroes set off in the Spider-Mobile on the final page of what should be a hell of a storyarc.
This is why I still read comic books. I’m creeping up on 30 and sometimes curious why I haven’t given up collecting altogether. But reading the first part of “Old Man Logan” reminded me why the medium — one that’s been declared dead for the 15+ years I’ve been a faithful reader — can be as good if not better than some dopey movie. Creators who, out of respect for the character, turn his world upside-down, are the ones that keep me collecting. The only time Wolverine pops his claws in the first issue is in a daydream about maiming one of the dullard Hulk siblings. A non-violent Wolvie might sound like a wrong-headed gimmick, but it’s only building towards what will probably be the ultimate berserker scene in comics’ history. And what’s “Old” will be new again.
-Brad Lohan
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LOL the Britney Spears of the Marvel U, now that is funny.
I am glad to hear good news about the title, I haven’t been reading it for a while and I am going to pick it up.
Mark is one of my favorite past guests on the cindycentr.com podcast. I really dig his work, so I am pretty confident that this is going to rock (and McGiven’s pencils are amazing)
Hi there Expert, what entice you to post an article on ve is Like a Ticking Clock, Berserker!? This article was extremely interesting, especially since I was searching for thoughts on this subject last Saturday.