The Web Haunt of Ryan K Lindsay

I dig Wolverine as a character. I have to admit he’s pretty cool, and his power set is absolutely awesome. Healing powers that seem to get stronger every year, unbreakable bones, massive claws popping out of his hands, and a fine pelt on his chest that puts even me to shame. Yes, he’s overplayed. Seriously overplayed. He’s a solo man, with three titles to himself, he’s an X-Man, with a few of those to make appearances in, as well as an X-Force member, an Avenger, of sorts, and a guy who has to pop up in a few guest titles each month. hell, he even got a copy of a book this month that was just his covers for one month. The guy is the equivalent of Hollywood royalty in the comic realm. He’s liquid gold.

But not for me. I don’t buy any titles that he appears in. Just doesn’t appeal to me enough to buy each month, sorry little guy. I have his Miller/Claremont run hardcover, a nice and cheap eBay steal, but otherwise he just doesn’t usually kick it for me. He’s not always written well, quite honestly, and I have other stuff to read. However, in saying that, I respect Jason Aaron a hell of a lot and I was interested in him taking over one title, or more aptly put, setting a new one up. I figured the last thing the market needed was one more Wolvie title, but I like seeing good honest writers get there time in the money making sun, instead of toiling in awards and little money through Vertigo or Image. Good on him. The book sounded good, but not great and I stayed away at first. From all accounts the first arc, The Adamantium Men was pretty good, and I do plan on getting it in trade at some stage, cheap, but I didn’t feel the need to hop on monthly. Then I saw this cover, for the first issue after that arc.

That is one damn fine cover, if you don’t mind me saying so. The fonts are great, the layout is phenomenal, the idea is a sell. Wolverine is in a mental facility. That peaked my interest enough to look over some interviews with Jason Aaron, and check a preview of a few pages. I was won over, for sure. I had to know if it could possibly be as good as I wanted it to be in my head. So I picked the issue up.

And, yeah, it was better than I wanted. In 22 pages Aaron manages to pack in a hell of a lot of story. I recounted what I read to my lady and it took me ages, the issue is just so dense. We find Logan in some strange mental facility, we are not shown how he ended up there, and he doesn’t seem to know himself. The doctor that communicates with him through the intercom is strange, has bad nails, and chooses to pacify him instead of provoke him. They’re your first hints that Wolvie isn’t just in for a day spa treatment. Logan wanders around and treats us to a convenient introduction of everyone, including Charlie Chainsaws, The Biter, and The Widow. Aaron is great at developing other characters with a rich and disturbed back story. Nothing seems overlooked or glib in his writing. It’s all given equal attention, or so it seems.

One patient wants to get out, he knows that Doc Rot is bad news and he asks Logan to go with him. Logan doesn’t and when he finds the would-be-escapee the next day things have gone pretty sour for him. He seems to be missing some brain and drooling all over the table. We are given quite a menace for Logan to go up against, but when we actually meet the Doctor in question it gets even worse. It’s in the middle of a macabre masquerade send off for one of the patients and the Doc is wearing a creepy blonde wig and mask that fit really well together, but in no way match his hairy arms and broad chest squeezed into the floral and pure dress. It’s a creepy interaction between the two and it gave me chills to read it. I kept looking at the eyes through the mask, seeing what they could tell me that the inanimate mask wouldn’t.

The issue ends with a bloody and screamy (?) slam that just begs for every reader to race to the next issue. Which I will have to wait a month to do, which I love having to do, which means that this has been a solid investment of a weekly purchase. The story is like One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest crossed with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Just think about that cross-pollunated breed. Really think about what that could mean. Yeah, whatever you are thinking is exactly what it delivers.

I do like one small comedic aside that popped up twice that made me laugh. The first time Logan is given his medication the cup only holds a jelly bean and a pencil eraser. He complains but is told to take them or else the doctor will be called. Logan complies. Later he is given what appear to be two Life-Savers, orange and raspberry, and a button. he dutifully knocks them back and then finds his place amongst the other patients watching the teev.

I like the questions that are raised within this issue. How did Logan get into this place? Why can’t he remember exactly who he is? And most importantly, what’s going to happen when he does piece it all together. Logan didn’t think about his claws the entire issue; I’m sure they’ll change the game plan once he realises how to pop them out.

I love this issue, but as I talked through it I realised that it could quite easily have been just any story without Wolverine in it, and that is true. But I am pretty sure that whatever is to come will most certainly hinge on the fact that this is Wolvie and no one else. Things will get bloody and I cannot wait.

Not to mention I was left with this cover to look at in anticipation for next month. Goddamn, I love me a good horror story, especially on Hallowe’en. Good night, children.

Posted on October 31st, 2009 by ryan
Filed under: comics