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:

Volume 55: World War Hulk

World War Hulk

Author: Greg Pak  |  Illustrator: John Romita Jr.

"[H]e is the green scar. The Worldbreaker. The Eye of Anger... The Hulk."

We read previously about how Hulk was exiled from Earth by his "friends" (Vols 45+46: Planet Hulk), about his landing on an alien planet and his struggles whilst there. And then, without warning, something tragic happened, tearing apart his chance at inner peace.

The green giant is now as mad as hell—madder than he's ever been, which means he's more powerful than he's ever been—and he's returning to Earth to make the people he holds responsible for his loss pay for their crimes. He's not alone, either, the friends he made on planet Sakaar, the Warbound, are by his side and ready to kill.

Events prior to and during the World War Hulk mini-series were explored across multiple titles. I've not read them, but I'm wondering now if they manged to do any better with the premise than WWH did, because, while the thing that put Hulk on his rampage of revenge was emotionally affecting, the result is little more than page after page of the titular (anti)hero smashing superheroes and levelling buildings.

Considering that WWH was written by the same author that gave us the enjoyable Planet Hulk, I'd hoped it would at least equal it. And while there are a couple of interesting scenes, most of which involve Doctor Strange, overall it's a SMASSSH! and BRAKKKOOOM! and THOOOM! bore-fest that isn't a worthy sequel of its predecessor.

The Hulk's story was continued in the subsequent Planet Skaar story arc, which was also written by Greg Pak, but I've not read it and it's not even included in the initial 60 volumes of The Ultimate Graphic Novels Collection, so I can't comment on whether or not it manages to scrape back some dignity for all involved.

The Book collects together World War Hulk #1-5.

Verdict:

Volume 44: Captain America: Winter Soldier

Captain America: Winter Soldier

Author: Ed Brubaker  |  Illustrator: Steve Epting

"...[H]e's a Cold War myth that's turnin' out to be true."

Winter Soldier is one of the more well-known Captain America story arcs, but the issues included in the book can only tell a part of the story. If you haven't read the build-up, then you'll just have to accept that prior to the events herein some shit went down that ended with a man named Aleksander Lukin, an ex-General of the KGB, coming into possession of a Cosmic Cube (one of the many, it seems like Marvel create a new one as and when they need it).

Some knowledge of Steve's one-time partner, Bucky Barnes, will also be helpful. Bucky was killed in action during WWII, and Steve never fully got over it. The youth was his partner but also someone he felt responsible for, so alongside the loss of a friend is a feeling of failure to himself, his confidant and his country. When it's suggested that the Winter Soldier might have a connection to the event that killed Bucky, Steve's emotions are put through a wringer.

The book bounces around in time, showing events from yesterday or yesteryear, etc, that when assembled like a four-dimensional jigsaw result in a series of cause and effect scenarios that weigh heavily on Steve's conscience. His feelings are a confused mix of hope, fear, denial and anguish - states of being that artist Steve Epting captures wonderfully in his framing, expressions and lighting. In fact, Brubaker's script allows many of the weighty moments to draw their power from being shown more than told; he must have known Epting was very much up to the task.

A personal favourite moment of mine is when Steve goes for a rooftop run. High above the city, distanced from the everyday bustle, he seeks to clear his head by going through the motions, leaping and rolling as only a superhero (or super-soldier) can do. He seems to be aware that his weakness is party to guilt and loss, to friendship lost, and perhaps even a little nostalgia for a time that only he remembers. He knows that running from the problem isn't going to make it go away, but the feeling of familiarity that accompanies such actions is a kind of comfort in itself.

To get back on track, despite the leaps of faith needed by the reader, the nonsense science (and the damn Cube), Winter Soldier is a human story, a turn of events that prove even heroes aren't so different from the rest of us after all.

The book collects together Captain America (Vol 5) #8-9 and #11-14.

Verdict:

Volume 26: Wolverine: Origin

Wolverine: Origin

Authors: Paul Jenkins / Bill Jemas / Joe Quesada  |  Illustrator: Andy Kubert

"There's cruelty in his eyes now, make no mistake. When I catch him looking up at my window, it frightens me."

We've already had the story in which Wolverine got his adamantium skeleton (Volume 12: Wolverine: Weapon X), but this one takes place before that. Like the title says, it's the character's origin story, not his transformation story. It lifts the veil from Logan's past by following him from early childhood, through adolescence and into maturity.

I was hesitant about reading it because the mystery of the character was a large part of his allure. Filling in the blanks was a bold move by Marvel, one that could've sent ripples of derision and disappointment through the fanbase. But, in my opinion, it really paid off. The series is by far one of the best that the House of (regurgitated) Ideas ever commissioned; at least, of the ones that I've experienced to date, which is a small percentage of the publisher's output, to be fair.

Part of the reason it stands head and shoulders above many of the others is because it dares to break free from the typical comic book format. It draws from other sources, primarily classic women's literature. It's Wolvie's story but it unfolds through the eyes of a young girl, who is herself moving from adolescence into maturity.

As the girl sits atop a symbolic hill, her diary entries record her thoughts; they strip Wolverine metaphorically naked, enabling the reader to forget the assumptions and biases formed by his chronologically subsequent exploits. Her observations show him instead as a troubled youth being shaped by a world of divided social class; a world that isn't a happy one for either of them.

The art was coloured straight from Andy Kubert's pencils by Richard Isanove, leaving out the inker completely. The rich candlelit oranges and earthy browns contrasted by dark bluish nights and the cold grey of winter give the book an organic, less rigid appearance that's incredibly complementary to the historical setting. Also, the volume of textless panels versus ones of exposition is balanced expertly, allowing the story's strengths to rise to the surface early on.

The book collects together Wolverine: Origin #1–6.

Verdict:

Volume 12: Wolverine: Weapon X

Wolverine: Weapon X

Author + Illustrator: Barry Windsor-Smith

"When all the secrets are exposed an' all the runnin' ends. Hell… Hell is comin'."

The story of how Logan got his adamantium skeleton. You've maybe read or seen that same event elsewhere in comics or film, but in Weapon X Barry Windsor-Smith, an auteur of the comic world, does it his way. He scripted, sketched, inked, and coloured the work; it seems that the only thing he didn't do was the lettering.

It uses the comic book format's strengths in every way. Sure, you could adapt it into a film, but you'd lose most of what makes it special because it's not just the story that makes it memorable. In fact, it's hardly the story at all - it's the structure.

Often when a page is broken up into patterns the positioning of dialogue is what helps us keep track of which panel to go to next. That applies here, too, but it's more complicated because the text boxes are arranged in a stylistic, unconventional manner and sometimes there's more than one voice speaking simultaneously.

A large portion of it is what I'd call background chatter that's functional but hardly revelatory, and it's repetitious. So why is it there? It has a second function: it's arranged in a circular pattern upon the page and in order to advance the story you sometimes have to read widdershins. It's like a clock face that requires you to read it backwards (it's a timer counting down and we know what's going to happen when that timer reaches zero). It's structurally complex but easy to follow in practice. There were only two or three occasions when I was unsure of which panel I was supposed to go to next.

The book collects together Marvel Comics Presents #72–84. The story is also included in The Best of Wolverine, Volume 1 (2004).


Verdict:

Volume 04: Wolverine: Wolverine

Wolverine: Wolverine

Author: Chris Claremont  |  Illustrator: Frank Miller

'I'm the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn't very nice.'

In a remarkable and uncharacteristic feat of memory, I still recall the first time I heard the name 'Wolverine'. I was around ten-years-old. My neighbour, a year older than me, was raving about a new issue of a comic he'd picked up. It was most likely an X-Men comic, I don't recall that part, but the name 'The Wolverine' stuck in my mind even though I'd never seen the character and all I had to go on was that he was a short guy with retractable claws. The name was enough for my mind to fill in the blanks. And the fact that he was being referred to as The Wolverine, with a definite article attached, made it even cooler.

Many months passed (a long time to a kid) before I actually saw the character in action on the pages of my own comic and, even more remarkably, Wolvie lived up to the image I'd created of him.

Chris Claremont's four-issue miniseries (published Sept-Dec 1982) was Logan's first solo title and quickly became one of his most seminal adventures. In an introductory scene written in a first-person narrative he successfully establishes Logan's strong personality, animal instincts, mutant healing ability, and draws attention to his struggle to balance savagery and violence with compassion.

Besides the customary catch-up monologue at the beginning of each issue for the people who missed the previous one, the author doesn't waste words on unnecessary exposition. He creates events that cause Wolverine to quickly question, conclude, and act according to his nature, at a pace that keeps the drama thundering along. The result is a book that could be turned into a novel with minimal effort.

But if that happened then we'd miss out on Frank Miller's art. His seeming preference for small panels that tell a big story are a perfect fit to Claremont's precise wording. Many of the angles used are in a filmic style, guiding the reader's eye from one panel to the next like a good movie editor would do for live footage. To keep things interesting, Miller throws in a few silhouette shots, double page tussles, and other things that are best experienced first-hand.

The book collects together Wolverine #1-4.

Verdict: