There’s another new book with Wolverine’s name on it and a #1! Do you dare enter? Let’s discuss in today’s review.
Written by Paul Cornell
Illustrated by Alan DavisIT’S HUNTING SEASON!
The best there is at what he does gets an all-new on-going! Pay attention very closely: there’s a mystery here that even Wolverine hasn’t sniffed out yet. When Wolverine finds himself the bargaining chip in a hostage situation, he must make a decision to save a little boy that will follow him forever…literally! How can a berserker fight what he can’t see? And how far will he go to assert his humanity in the face of the Unknown? Find out when superstars Paul Cornell (CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI: 13, Doctor Who, Action Comics) and Alan Davis (AVENGERS, CLANDESTINE, EXCALIBUR, UNCANNY X-MEN) take on the Wolverine!
Wolverine – love him or hate him, he’s a guy that sells books. I mean, he’s in half of them, right? (That’s the joke, anyway.) Now with three ongoings and ties in just about every major Marvel title through one way or another, the latest Marvel NOW! relaunch sees Paul Cornell and Alan Davis chart a new path for everyone’s favorite Canucklehead, and the start of it all certainly leaves something to be desired.
The biggest problem “Wolverine” #1 has is that in the entire span of the issue, it never really accomplishes anything particularly intriguing. Wolverine has a book with a #1 next to his name multiple times a year, so when picking up a new #1 you tend to want a really great hook, something that the other titles can’t give you. At the very least, perhaps some sort of interesting take on the character that’s ostensibly never been done before, like Jason Aaron did with Ron Garney when they launched “Weapon X.” This book doesn’t really have either; it’s just pretty run of the mill in what you’d expect to be done with the character: Wolverine is in a sticky situation, a new, mysterious and nefarious villain is introduced and Wolverine becomes the only one who can stop the villain because he’s the best there is at what he does. Or, in other words, the same basic scenario we always see for Wolverine (and if you don’t believe me, check out “Savage Wolverine” #1, which at least threw Wolverine out of his element a bit). “Paint by numbers” seems a bit harsh of a term for what this is, but it’s certainly not exactly attention-grabbing.
What the book does have, though, is a rather shockingly dark introduction. It’s borderline obscene, really; a little more blood and this could’ve potentially been on par with a MAX title in the way that it leads and revels in its violent content over the story or character. It’s actually a bit curious that Marvel would put out a book as dark as this with a lead character like Wolverine for a relaunch, because you’d imagine they’d want something more generally accessible, something X-Related to grab in lapsed and/or new readers. Instead, we open with Wolverine half-dead in a pile of bones from recently deceased hostages during a mall shooting, and I’m having flashbacks to “Wovlerine: The Best There Is.” If anything, this seems like a Mark Millar book in that it has gratuitous violence for little more than the sake of gratuitous violence compared to the more nuanced action sequences we’ve seen from Cornell and Davis both in the past, and that’s definitely eyebrow raising — the selling point of the book isn’t Wolverine or the creative team, it’s the shock value. And, granted, some of it clearly seems tailored to Davis’ talents and that’s the saving grace of it, but when the book starts with a character randomly/brazenly shooting hostages and threatening to shoot a child, you can’t help but be concerned about the future of this story.
That said, it is Wolverine, and there’s a certain amount of insanity that you can expect from a book starring a character like him. Wolverine doesn’t really need a big grandiose introduction anymore, nor does he need to exist in a polite world. Not really, anyway; Wolverine has been around for so long that people “get” him and his environment, and you don’t really need much else. He’s one of those characters that you just have to decide if you care that much about his future or have a particular affinity for the creative team and cross your fingers that that’s enough. And, yes, that does seem rather obvious — you should always buy a book based on the creative team, not just the character — but the truth of the matter is that when it comes to Marvel or DC, the character does play a larger part in the decision making process for fans, sometimes even the central one. So if you like Wolverine, then “Wolverine” #1 is essentially the same as “Wolverine” #318, now with more Cornell and Davis.
Continued belowDespite the rather awkward plot of the book, Paul Cornell is still on form here. Or rather, his recognizable voice is. Those familiar with Cornell’s writing elsewhere will immediately pick up on his somewhat sardonic tendencies with a sassy new female character and a grim but humane Logan, in an attempt to balance the dark with some light. It makes the rather dubious story slightly suspect; Cornell has done some fantastic character work in the past, taking C-List characters forgotten by time like Pete Wisdom and making them important and relevant again, so you’d imagine that over time Cornell could do some interesting things with Logan. It makes the otherwise average issue a bit disheartening, but Cornell is a writer who you can trust to deliver in the long run, so if you can get past the rather Millar-esque story and pacing, there are aspects to enjoy, at least in the dialogue if not elsewhere. Yet.
However, the bigger selling point here is to see new Alan Davis art. Davis is great at larger than life characters, as proven beyond the shadow of a doubt on the “Mighty Thor”/”Journey into Mystery” crossover last year, and here is no different. Wolverine becomes an imposing figure despite being vertically challenged, and the action sequences are well played and framed throughout. Davis gets some great chances to play up his ability at infusing little details to flesh out the environment, such as the opening page riddled with bones, and as far as more classic artists go this issue deftly proves why Davis is considered one of the best. We’ve recently seen Alan Davis on much bigger and grandiose tales (“Thor,” “Avengers”) so it’ll be interesting to see how Davis does at a story like this that’s much more grounded and insular as the tale evolves, something with a good deal of other-worldly elements but a more focused narrative, and how his style will benefit the story.
Ultimately, “Wolverine” #1 is a bit hard to really judge. It comes down to a matter of preference, rather than most comics which can be easily judged on their perceived quality. If you like Paul Cornell’s writing, you’re probably going to like this book. If you like Alan Davis’ artwork, you’re probably going to like this book. If you like Wolverine, you’re probably going to like this book. But is there any particular reason to buy this Wolverine story over any of the other two Wolverine-starring ongoings? No. Is there any particular reason to buy this comic over any other comic? Not really. And is the story off to a very strange start? Yes, assuredly. “Wolverine” comes down to the flip of a coin, but survey says that you’re probably best left waiting for the first arc to be done before really giving this book a firm judgement.
Final Verdict: 5.0 – Browse
