Written by: Daniel Way & Marjorie Liu
Illustrated by: Giuseppe CamuncoliDaken has shown in the past that he’s willing to do absolutely anything to accomplish his goals, but DYING? That seems a bit extreme. However, impossible as it may seem, there are things in life that you can only accomplish after death. Just ask Wolverine…
I’m not sure what it is, but something about this book intrigues me. I never read any of Daken’s solo adventures when he took over the main Wolverine book at the start of Dark Reign, nor did I read any of his original appearances in Wolverine Origins. These are both facts I am starting to regret as, on a whim, I picked up the first issue of this new ongoing back when the whole retooled “wolverine-verse (or Claw Crew as absolutely no one calls them)” started up. So, despite not fully knowing why I read it in the first place, I sure as hell am enjoying this book and its darkly suave take on the idea of Wolverine as portrayed by his bastard child.
This issue, which I believe is the last direct tie in to Wolverine Goes to Hell, shows us a bit more of Daken’s master plan and proves that the rumors of his death provided by the last issue were greatly exaggerated. That said, for most of the issue we don’t even see him, save for a charred husk on the floor, as the demon possessed body of Wolverine attempts to murder Mystique. I’ll be honest, I’ve always been a Mystique fan and some of the things Way and Liu had her do this issue were downright impressive and show that they really do understand the full potential of her powers and how to portray in the most badass way possible as she escapes Mr. Stabby McFire-Claws to fight another day. It’s at this point that we flash back a scene from Daken’s youth with Romulus, who explains to the young killer that the reason for his success was taking himself off the board and living in the shadows. Since no one knew where he was, they had no choice but to assume he was everywhere, and it was this mystery that gave him his true power. We cut back to the present to reveal that this was Daken’s exact plan as he is revealed to be in league with the demon in order to fake his own death. The end of the issue is a direct lead in to next issue’s projected confrontation with the Fantastic Four, showing just how well Daken has been playing them and setting up what are sure to be some great character moments next issue…or at least a good fight.
As for the art, I will say this: Giuseppe Camuncoli definitely KNOWS DAKEN. Near as I can tell, this guy has drawn all or nearly all of Daken’s ongoing solo adventures, and his familiarity with the character the atmosphere of the book is obvious with the tight, well composed pencils he turns in on this issue. That said, I’m not sure he is the best suited artist for this one, as Daken’s suave, smooth demeanor and level of sophistication of his plans kinda lends itself to a more polished look than what we get…someone more like John Cassaday or even Salvador Larocca would fit the down to earth, real-world feel of this book a lot better. However, Daken is still very much a B-list character and a B-list book, so I’m fairly certain Marvel wouldn’t use such profitable talent on him.
All in all, this book amuses me. While some books about anti-hero characters try desperately to redeem the character or in some way make them more heroic, this book seems content to just let Daken be a complete bastard, and I definitely appreciate that. Whether it will continue to hold my interest in the long term remains to be seen, I’m definitely onboard for now.
Final Verdict: 8.4 — Buy
