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Author Topic: Wolverine Origins: a treatise  (Read 3717 times)
Jimmy T
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« on: September 03, 2017, 01:28:24 AM »

This series came out back in 2008. I, of course, didn't read it. No Unlimited, yet another Wolverine book, trying to capitalize on the 'Origin' moniker is the way I saw it.

However, with so much watered down/over-used Wolverine stuff going on currently, I wanted to get the 'real' Logan back. The last Hugh Jackman movie was one such inspiration to come to this series. The other part was Steve Dillon.

As I've said elsewheres, Dillon's sudden death quite saddened me. I had grown accustomed to really enjoying his art, his storytelling, his direction, and the power of his panels. Hence, the 'Origin' title was added to my reading, and I began. Well, I didn't begin until I realized that my following journey of Deadpool through all is publications took me to the 2008 volume, written by Daniel Way-the same author as 'Origin', so why not read them both concurrently?

Getting into, it felt like Dillon took a little bit to be comfortable drawing a pure Superhero book *TM(R). After the first arc, I felt Dillon settled in and did his masterful job-is there anyone who does a better side profile, side eye stare than Mr. Dillon? I think not.

I truly love reading this volume. It's Logan chasing down the enemies of his past. See, all his memories have been returned-in full. Apparently nothing has faded to the ages of his long, 100 year life-either that, or his memories were simply conjured up from all recesses of his brain and stamped as permanent. Not that that is important, or truly matters. What is the drive is that he remembers, and he's going to chase, sorry, hunt down all that used and hurt him his life.

This eventually leads to the name 'Romulus' as the one person who drove everything forward in a series of events to carve Logan into the killing machine he wanted him to be. It's this point that I find a little bit of a pill to swallow. One man, living through all the ages, manipulating Logan into everything that's ever happened-excepting that Xavier was able to stop it by burying the killing commands of Romulus when they first met in the summoning of Giant Size X-men #1.

I've found it to be a great build of subtly layered reveals of those behind Alpha Flight, going back to Weapon X, going back to the Hudson Shipping company, and going back to Logan's birth. I seriously thought that during the beginning of the history revealing 'Origin' title, that Marvel made a huge mistake in taking away the mystery of Logan's past. Here, at least, I feel I'm reading a good work that is building and layering something that I can fall in line with. The Logan of today (well, during this publication) is here to stay-he wasn't going to ever change into James Howlett, or suddenly be a new person. Just a better defined person.

Here, we are also introduced to Daken, Wolverine's son. Again, a huge new thread to weave in that I thought took guts, because done wrong, introducing the 'lost sibling/child/parent' thing is a huge gamble. It's either awesome, or utter horseshit that needs to be erased quickly and quietly.

I've loved seeing Cyber woven in to this as well-because that dude was so 90s, I found him to be as bad as Adam-X.

Dillon see's his way out of the title at issue 25-which was after a 5 part arc with Deadpool, where DP either manipulates Logan just so, or that has Logan allowing and setting the manipulation up to bring his son in closer. No matter what, it's awesome to view, it was great to read, and drama moments were hitting all over the place.

The title goes through Dark Reign, which was interesting some in seeing Daken doing a bit. Goes to Original Sin, which is how we see Logan freed by Xavier's mental meddling, and now I'm up to the point of seeing Logan get so very close to Romulus!

Oh, and Omega Red has been in here twice! Another 90s Wolverine villain I just enjoy seeing to see!

The title has had Dillon, Mike Deodato, and Doug Braithwaite going through it as artists. Damned cool is what I have to say on all that front.

So...that's me meandering through a review of the book. I'm about 13 issues to go to finish it off. Not sure I can read the travesty that is 'Death of Wolverine', but I know that I'm sad to not see this tragic figure out and about. Old Man Logan is fine and good, but his story is about the fall of the future and his escape of it, which in itself is about surviving the loss of his family and good love. He's a survivor.

Wolverine is about trying to be something greater than he is-a man who is respected and loved. He self sabotages that almost as often as it is taken away from him-but yet he still keeps trying.

That's what has drawn me to the core of the Wolverine character. When they show this in writing, I become a huge fan.

And this fan misses that character. Sad
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Jimmy T since 2001
Jimmy T
Global Moderator
HR Celestial
*****
Posts: 5579



« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2017, 01:28:59 AM »

Dear lord, I'm not sure anyone will read this in its entirety, or find much to respond to me! LOL

Well, enjoy if you will. Wink
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Jimmy T since 2001
Jimmy T
Global Moderator
HR Celestial
*****
Posts: 5579



« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2017, 02:15:17 PM »

So, I finished up W:O last night. The story took Wolverine to the end of his time under Romulus. The defeat was...quick, disjointed, and confusing. Logan's planning through all of it was really good, but the actual finale was...something I had to check through 2 issues to see what happened, because I was sure I missed something.

What's best is the finale of the series through 2 issues. Now, it's definitely a lot of arm chair quarterbacking psychology, but it leaves the character at ease with his past. 'The past is set in stone. The future is mine' is a great line, and something that would inevitably be ruined by the next writer who decides to take Logan back to his dark days of being a monster.

That's the nature of comics. It makes me sad, because the 5 years through this title really showed how to progress a comic entity to a point where a new status quo would be established. As always, those things never last. Ever. And it makes me sad, because this point that Logan was brought to was something I viewed as highly enjoyable, and extremely well written. Your opinion may vary, but this showed me why Wolverine was an amazing character, and why he soared highest on so many people's charts.

I may go and collect this in trade. It's damn near a perfect stand alone opus to the character.

Yeah...I'm putting it on my list now.

I've also decided to keep reading the various 'Wolverine' titles that come out after this. I want to see if everything gets undone, and to see how they decided to come to the 'Death of Wolverine' story that they did.

I went to read #4 of that mini; SERIOUSLY, that's how Wolverine dies? How f***Ing dumb. Like, gawdawful Chuck Austen dumb.
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Jimmy T since 2001
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