Volume 57: Wolverine: Old Man Logan

Wolverine: Old Man Logan

Author: Mark Millar | Illustrator: Steve McNiven

"The past only hurts if we let it catch up with us."

Wolverine has survived multiple horrific injuries over the years, but he's not immortal. A bullet might not kill him but old age likely will because the passing of time is more deadly than lead from a gun.

Time is also a great pacifier. Old Man Logan begins fifty years after a cataclysmic battle saw the heroes lose their fight against evil. With no one left to oppose the tyranny, the world changed. Wolverine changed. He's bub'd but he hasn't snikt'd in almost half a century. The combative Wolverine is gone; only Logan remains.

The detritus of the past is a constant reminder that he failed, so he removes himself from the larger arena, partially easing the numb pain he feels. But nothing lasts forever (he knows that better than anyone), so when an old 'friend' offers an opportunity that'll enable Logan to extend his current situation, he has to take it seriously.

Millar loves movies. If you've read his work before, then you'll know that already. The book is a road trip that's influenced by the American Western movie; specifically Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven (1992). Like Unforgiven's William Munny, Logan retains the practical attitude he's always had but his focus has shifted to more personal concerns.

Millar also loves action scenes, so there's no shortage of those either. Amazingly, up until the final chapter he finds an almost perfect balance between the two things. The absurd nature of the post-hero world helps the more fantastical aspects of the story seem less at odds with the more introspective, quiet moments. The battle within the titular anti-hero remains of primary importance.

I'm not going to reveal who Logan's companion on the journey is, but will say he has a chequered past, so we're never quite sure of his real agenda. All we know for certain is that both men have very different personalities and that sooner or later the animalistic presence inside of Logan will be called upon to decide if his contentedness is more valuable to him than his morality.

The last chapter goes OTT, it's the kind of thing I normally associate with Millar, but everything prior to that is him restrained and his work is all the better for it.

A great story deserves a great artist. Steve McNiven's depiction of the old, hardened ex-heroes is fantastic. He's equally as good at evoking serenity as he is at framing explosive drama.

The book collects together Wolverine #66-72; and Wolverine: Giant-Size Old Man Logan.

Verdict: