If there was ever a comic that came along at exactly the right moment, this is it. A matter of hours after the dubious Wolverine movie had violated my critical sensibilities, I found myself idly picking up a Wolverine comic, unsure whether the character still held any appeal. If the Wolverine movie had been half as good as this, there wouldn’t have been any doubt in the first place. It’s a comic so good that you actually forget to roll your eyes at the idea that it came out prior to Wolverine #72.

More than any writer has in years, Jason Aaron really gets Wolverine. Helpfully, he’s also paired up with Andy Kubert, an artist who more than almost any other, draws a truly definitive Logan. Technically, this is a split book, with half a story by the aforementioned superteam, and half a story by Daniel Way and Tommy Lee Edwards. I’ll be honest. I haven’t even read that half of the book. I’ve just read the first half over and over.

It largely consists of little more than single-panel images of Wolverine as he bounces from day to day, helping the Avengers one moment, fighting alongside X-Force the next, occasionally taking a brief timeout. It’s funny. It’s emotional. It’s filled with action. Best of all, it manages to reconcile Wolverine’s overexposure with his personal nature, and it ends on a cliffhanger that actually offers an intriguing reason to go and pick up the next issue.

One of my chief complaints about the Wolverine movie was that somewhere along the line, they forgot that Wolverine was supposed to be cool. This comic seems almost designed to remind you exactly why he is. It’s rare I’d describe a Wolverine comic as a must-buy, but this one is exactly that.

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Once in a while, a comic film comes along that redefines what can be done with the genre, taking a familiar character and giving a new, considered spin that transforms the way the public sees them. Showing that comic book movies can be more than a much-derided sub-genre, daring to imbue them with A-list, Oscar-worthy performances and deep, considered subtext. But enough about The Dark Knight. Seb and James have been to see Wolverine. And this is what they thought.

Seb’s Review: free rocky v I suppose the foremost thought that occurs when coming out of X-Men Origins : Wolverine is… how can a film made almost ten years later than X-Men prince of tides the movie download baby mama , with the experience (and financial cachet) accumulated by the series so far, end up looking so much worse? From unconvincing CGI claws (no, seriously. Apparently the actual, tangible claws that had served the makers of the three X-films so far were apparently not good enough for Wolverine) to sparse, characterless locales and action-scene backdrops, the main thing that leaps forth from the film is a sense of lazy cheapness.

If there’s one thing that really characterises the film, though, it’s a sense of simply not knowing what it wants to do. At the same time as wisecracks are being liberally strewn across the show, there’s a po-faced seriousness to moments such as the explanation that “Weapon X” refers to Roman numerals (despite that particular gag being done in tongue-in-cheek fashion by Grant Morrison, it’s played earnestly here), or the rationale given to codenames like Deadpool and Wolverine himself. In one sense it feels like it wants to set up the early days of various X-Men characters, and yet in another it wants to shed as many of the trappings of the superhero genre as possible. It’s a film about a guy who has adamantium claws and gets into a lot of scraps, yet it’s a PG-13, so there’s barely a drop of blood – or even a notable character death – onscreen. Indeed, it makes a lead out of a character notable for his violent and often shady past, yet feels the need to turn him into a whiny goody-goody even before the handy excuse of taking away all his memories so he can be more heroic by the time the “proper” films’ timelines occur.

xxx state of the union dvdrip download The sense of confusion might be forgiveable if there was anything gripping about the film, but there really isn’t – every story beat is easily predictable, with the possible exception of one genuine surprise moment while Logan rests at an elderly couple’s farmhouse (and even then, I’d been thinking “How are they going to swing it so that he rides out of there on that motorbike?”); and there’s simply no character to the thing. We don’t particularly care about Logan’s “journey” – we know the ultimate destination, after all – and there’s little to no exploration of how these events actually shape him psychologically. It all just adds up to a staggering sense of pointlessness – it’s really not a dreadful film by any means (we’re not talking Batman & Robin, offensively-bad territory here), it’s just hard to see why it exists, and there isn’t enough in the way of pure, rollocking entertainment value to make it all that worthwhile.

James’ Review: With the character’s popularity at an all time high following exposure in the early X-Men films, and with an actor as inextricably linked with the role as Hugh Jackman, it seemed impossible to mess up a Wolverine solo film. But man, did they have a good go at it. They managed this by making a movie that wasn’t so much about Wolverine’s life as it was a soulless, dutiful catalogue of it. It touches on all the major events, from the emergence of his powers to his time in Team X, his relationship with Silver Fox, and his eventual downfall at the hands of Stryker and Weapon X. But at no point do we feel anything for the character. It’s a pretty sad state of affairs when the new Star Trek film manages to portray, using Spock, the inner conflict between a person’s raw nature and their controlled exterior far better than Wolverine does. That’s been the character’s gimmick for years, and now it’s done been half-inched by a space-elf. Good work, Team Wolvy!

But still, this isn’t Shakespeare. Wolverine’s appeal was always, first and foremost, that he was cool. A wise-talking, takes-no-crap, slice-first-ask-questions-later kind of guy who you’d want on your side when things turned ugly. Aside from losing most of the fights in this film, he’s also really, REALLY sullen. There’s none of the wise-cracking that typified his appearances in the X-Men films, and instead the character broods his way through a succession of slights against him, leaving all the comedic moments to his vast supporting cast, none of whom serve much function beyond “next sparring partner.”

There are a few points where the movie slips into genuine, brainless fun – the bit where he fights a helicopter, for example, is a work of demented genius – but on the whole, they’re far and few between. The film’s best moments all come in the opening credits, which point to an untold epic where Sabretooth and Wolverine fight their way through history, the former getting more bestial and violent as the latter tries to hold him back. If only they’d put some of that in the film. Instead, Logan spends 2 hours bouncing between Z-list mutant cameos in a film that’s never quite sure what it wants to be about, and ends up being about …nothing in particular.

For something a bit different this Bank Holiday Monday, we thought we’d take a look at some of the books put out by Marvel and DC for this year’s Free Comic Book Day…

Blackest Night #0
Hey, you know what? This is actually pretty good. “Blackest Night” hasn’t actually started yet, but I’m already deathly sick of it due to the roughly six months-worth of “Prelude” we’ve had to put up with in the Green Lantern books, which have only served to overwhelm and confuse with sheer volume of concepts and characters, rather than inspiring excitement for the event. But this #0 issue, designed as a primer for readers not following recent DC history, actually lays out far better the basics behind the storyline, and in having Hal Jordan and Barry Allen discuss death and rebirth at Bruce Wayne’s graveside, provides a nice meditation on the way the subject tends to get covered in comics. After all, given that the resurrection of dead (or thought-dead) heroes has been a tradition of the genre all the way back to Captain America, it actually kind of makes sense to build an entire event around the concept. There are decent moments as Johns shows yet again that his knowledge of DC characters and history is second to none (even if his ability to come up with decent new ideas for ‘em is sometimes lacking), and Ivan Reis’ art is no rush job, particularly when covering various flashbacks. Profile pages that explain the nature of each of the different Corps in the Lantern spectrum do little to convince that the concept isn’t inherently ludicrous, but at least negate the need to have read the last year’s worth of Lantern books. If you’re interested in reading the upcoming event (or, indeed, still considering whether or not to), then this is a heartily-recommended primer. [SP]

FCBD: Avengers #1
Marvel’s FCBD books of the last two years have been pretty agenda-setting, both in the case of their Spider-Man issue (which was the first “Brand New Day” book some 8 months before that continuity officially arrived) and their Uncanny X-Men freebie, which was set after Messiah Complex despite being when the crossover hadn’t even been solicited. By contrast, this Avengers book is fairly current – though perhaps the fact that the title is simply “Avengers” will bear fruit in the future? There’s a certain perverse joy in having the Dark and New Avengers team up before they’ve actually even fought one another, while Spider-Man’s narration gives readers a clear “in” to the story (even if the Dark Avengers’ introduction is ridiculously wordy.) It’s a fun issue, suffers slightly from having a lot of characters to cram into one issue, but Bendis is at his quippy best, which Cheung’s art is as stunning as ever. Definitely worth buying when the inevitable “Director’s Cut” gets released. [JHu]

FCBD: Wolverine #1
In stark contrast to the character-packed and complex FCBD Avengers, Marvel is also offering this all-ages Wolverine solo title by Fred Van Lente. Set literally minutes before Wolverine was sent to fight the Hulk in his first appearance (because god knows that particular moment in continuity hasn’t been repeatedly mined before…) this is essentially an issue of Wolverine: First Class, and is clearly aimed at younger readers. While one must applaud Marvel’s attempt to reach younger readers, one can’t help but wonder if it’s not a little misguided. In comics, “all ages” is practically synonymous with “patronisingly simplistic” and such comics rarely seem to be the entry point for new readers anyway. Even worse, with a Wolverine movie on screens, the comic seems more likely to end up in the hands of freebie-seeking Wolverine fans far older than the comic’s true audience, and in that case, it isn’t going to help dispell any of the popular myths about comics being for kids. Well-intentioned, soundly-crafted, but ultimately it’s a case of “wrong place, wrong time.” [JHu]

For reasons well-stated elsewhere, it’s hard to want to give too much credit to Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk. You have the sneaking suspicion it really should have been aborted upon the initial failure to release the third issue, instead of being allowed to suddenly reappear and accelerate to its conclusion some three years or so later. But here’s the thing… it’s bloody good. It’s probably the last remaining throwback to the days when the Ultimate universe was something cool and exciting, and it makes me miss the characters (particularly Fury) in a post-Loebized world. And like the TV series that both made Lindelof’s name and kept him from actually finishing this damned thing sooner, it’s well-constructed, and it’s funny, and it throws cracking twists here and there.

The introduction of Betty Ross as She-Hulk, for example, was a curve ball of the sort that the Ultimate books used to throw all the time – and indeed almost feels like the last hurrah for the line’s original sense of divergence from the regular MU – and worked as a genuinely interesting development, even though it shifted the book’s dynamic and subject matter away from that which the title would suggest. This issue does similar, by focusing almost entirely on Wolverine, but it works well as a “solo” book – Lindelof’s version of the character is well-defined, and as with his Fury, rather Bendis-ish. And in much the same way as Betty shifted the character balance last time, here we get an appearance from the barely-ever-used Ult version of Forge, who despite being the most ludicrously plot-devicey character in the history of comics, interacts amusingly with Wolverine.

You suspect that Lindelof’s taking the piss a bit with the way he’s been constructing the issues around flashbacks, framing devices and even dream sequences (a particularly funny one of these opens the issue) in such an arch, knowing way – but it suits the tone he’s established, with wisecracks littered throughout and even some gentle mocking of his lead. And it’s hard to deny that a book’s enjoyable to read when it looks as good as this does – moving away from the slightly exploitative nature of some of his She-Hulk art last issue, Yu is on better form than he’s been since Superman : Birthright. It’s an elaborate, considered piece of visual work (despite one slightly sloppy instance of storytelling, when only narrative caption tells us that Banner is throwing Betty through the air, given that the image looks like he’s ripping her in half), so streets ahead of the cluttered jumble of Secret Invasion that you’d struggle to identify them as the same artist. In particular, two instances of panel construction, cutting the borders around full-page Logan shots, are superbly conceived and realised.

If there’s a criticism of the book’s content, it’s that the story doesn’t feel desperately significant – we know its ending can’t really change anything, as it represents a fixed point in the long-since-past of the universe in which it lives, and as such you suspect it’s all going to turn out to be a load of fuss and bluster over nothing. Nevertheless, and despite feeling inherently uncomfortable about recommending a book whose publishing schedule feels like a direct insult to those bothered to read it, this is a classy and entertaining, if ultimately rather lightweight, piece of work.

Oh good, you’re probably saying. Another Wolverine title. Why, if you count, Wolverine, Wolverine: Origins and Wolverine: First Class, he’s only got three to his name – and one of those is an all-ages, out-of-continuity book, so it doesn’t count. Plus, Spider-Man had four books, and Wolverine’s about as popular these days…

Now, in fairness, there is actually a niche that needs to be filled. The Wolverine title has been tied up in a “series of miniseries” mentality for years, leaving the character with no personal arc to speak of, no regular supporting cast, and generally feeling like a guest star in his own title. Wolverine: Origins, on the other hand, is mostly concerned with one giant story about conspiracies, Wolverine’s son, and is generally very backwards-looking. Wolverine, as much as I hate to admit it, needs a real starring role somewhere, and if they’re going to put him back on that track, they might as well do it in a new series.

Which is where Wolverine: Weapon X comes in. The decision to reunite Jason Aaron and Ron Garney, the creators of the fantastic Get Mystique arc, is a smart one, since that story was the best Wolverine arc in years. Aaron immediately sets about building up Wolverine’s world, establishing that the story starts in San Francisco – making this title firmly peripheral to the rest of the X-line – and introducing him to a reporter character who might be the first new member of the supporting cast that Logan has desperately lacked over the years.

The rest of the book deals, not unexpectedly, with the Weapon X program. Using both that and the character of Maverick places this book in the same category as last year’s Invincible Iron Man – it’s a moviegoer-friendly launch, but nevertheless, set in current continuity. And a good job it does of filling that role too. Come into this book cold, and you’ll have a crash course in Wolverine by the end of it. He’s a hero, but not a very nice one, and he’s been messed around by the government in the past. Fine. We got it. If you’ve never read a Wolverine comic before, you’ll be catered for brilliantly.

saw iv dvd But there is one problem that the quality of Aaron’s writing and Garney’s art can’t assuage, though. As much as I can sympathise with – even get enthusiastic about – the editorial need for a new Wolverine book, I can’t bring myself to want to read past issue one. It’s Wolverine. Again. And Weapon X. Again. The character’s been doing this dance over and over for years now. Is there really nothing new that can be done with him? If anyone can do it, Aaron and Garney can, but for now I’m just left wondering where the originality of Get Mystique has gone. For all its promise, this really is just another Wolverine book. And we’ve already got plenty of those.

With X-Men Origins: Wolverine almost ready to hit screens (and making waves today because of a leaked workprint version that’s hit the torrent sites) I took the opportunity to finally buy my own copy of “Origin”. Originally a miniseries by Paul Jenkins and Andy Kubert, published in 2001, the book has been retitled “Wolverine: Origin” to tie in with the film. That’s not all that’s changed though – it’s been 8 years since the button was pushed. Is it still relevant?

In 2001, the idea of telling Wolverine’s definitive origin was considered almost sacrilege by most. And yet, in choosing to tell the story, Joe Quesada and Bill Jemas actually managed to predict the way the wind was blowing. The reasoning, laid down in one of several text pieces the TPB contains, was that Marvel wanted to tell the origin before the movies made it up for them. The story went through many revisions, and if you read some of the proposals that didn’t get made (again, included in the TPB) it’s almost worrying how close they came to screwing it up. Wolverine born in Detroit to a poor working class family? Er, no. Just no.

The story they did tell, however, managed to hit all the right notes. The best evidence that they got it right at all is that 8 years on, the origin has been accepted as part the character’s backstory, without anyone trying to undo or revise it – “Spider-Man: Chapter One”, which merely revised an existing origin, barely lasted 12 months. The success of Wolverine’s origin is that, at its core, it’s is a period-drama love story set in Canada in the 1800s. Stand-alone enough to be iconic, but informing the character just enough to be relevant to his future – even if he doesn’t remember it (which, sometimes, he doesn’t.)

Wolverine, as a character, is far greater than his role in the X-Men, so it’s fitting he has an origin that outstrips the simple “he’s a mutant” beginning that many X-characters can get away with. If there’s any problem with the story, it’s that it’s almost TOO specific. You find out who Wolverine really is, and where he came from – that’s fair enough. You also find out why he says “bub”, why he likes cigars, why he’s into redheads, and all that stuff that, really, didn’t necessarily need to be explained. The story downplays these elements enough to get away with it.

The writing is fairly straightforward, concentrating on telling a good, emotionally engaging story without getting too fancy, and it stands the test of time because of it. Likewise, the art is fantastic – Kubert is arguably one of Wolverine’s defining artists, and it takes someone who can do subtle storytelling to make a series like this work. It’s as close to perfect as a Wolverine origin ever could be, and although Wolverine is almost literally becoming synonymous with “overexposed” right now, if you find yourself wanting to read a classic, individual Wolverine story that stands out from the crowd, there’s no better place to look than here.

Buy Wolverine: Origin from Amazon (UK)

Buy Wolverine: Origin from Amazon (US)

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