Recently, we saw the conclusion of two intense sagas in the Wolverine mythos. Last month, I dared ask can we have a world without Steve Rogers as Captain America (again). Now I ask, can we have a world without Wolverine? Or at least, can we survive the Marvel Universe without Wolverine in one of its titles? I mean, COME ON!! I love the Hairy Canuck as much as the next guy, but he is everywhere! And if he isn’t, then he soon will be. Wolverine seems to be the rite of passage for all Marvel comic characters, both heroes and villains. You MUST cross paths with him if you exist in this Universe. But I am in serious Wolverine overload. Luckily for us, one of his tales comes to a close, one brings closure to an extended storyline, and one, I argue, is the only title worthy of his presence.
In Wolverine: Old Man Logan, Mark Millar and Steve McNiven brought us an intense tale of an alternate future in which the bad guys win and heroes are in short supply. Logan, now a family man trying to get by while burying his tragic past as Wolverine, is pulled back into conflict with several re-imagined heroes and villains. I loved the overall concept, but I hated how Wolverine’s spirit was crushed (Really? Mysterio?) The story could have been much more dramatic or wrought with confrontations with Logan traveling cross-country with an aged, but none-the-wiser, Hawkeye. But the moments we were given by McNiven’s art were quite good. The story wraps-up this week in Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant Size #1 in dramatic fashion, with Logan tapping into his inner Wolverine ready to enact revenge on the Hulk Gang for their role in the slaughter of his family.
Jumping back to the present, the protracted “Romulus” storyline concluded in the Wolverine: Origins title. This title was born from the events of M-Day, after which Wolverine recovers his memories previously blocked after years of brainwashing. Origins provided an account of Wolverine’s actions as he attempts to re-assemble all splintered fragments of his memory and discover why he has been at the focus of exploitation by various mysterious factions. His most obsessive hunt had been for the shadowy manipulator, Romulus, to whom Wolverine appears to have some genetic ties and who has secretly orchestrated many of the tragedies in Wolverine’s life. For thirty-nine issues, we have been strung along by Daniel Way and his team of collaborators, in much the same way that Wolverine has been influenced by Romulus. Now with issue #40 of Wolverine: Origins, we finally draw closure to this chapter. So where would our favorite slicer and dicer be best utilized as a principle character?
Artwork courtesy of Marvel Comics.
X-Force! I think this is the only team title Wolverine should be in. There are enough mutants to spread across the other X-titles. Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Mike Choi, and Sonia Oback go for the Wow!-factor each episode. If this team of covert mutant operatives is willing to slash there way through the most extreme menaces, then let there be blood, and chunks of flesh, and horror-stricken faces, and lots of it! I have seldom been disappointed by the stories or the artwork in this title, with the exception of the final pages of issue #18; shocking until you realize the wrong severed arm was drawn on the floor! Pity. Wolverine makes sense as the de-facto leader of this commando team. His ferocity is trademark and it fits this title more so than other team books intent on maintaining their hero image. Hawkeye/Ronin had been spewing his desire to kill Osborn for a few issues now, kicking off “The List” saga. Avengers tried to talk him down… NO! HEROES DON’T KILL! Uhm… Wolverine does. That’s why Wolverine hasn’t been around recently. He would have gotten the job done three months ago!
Maybe now that Wolvie is straightening out his head (and his outrageous string of guest appearances), he’ll just get back to doing what he does best!
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