There's a secret government agency where shadowy men in dark suits gather in unlit rooms to discuss matters of varying importance. Today, the focus of their attention is one man -- a man named Logan. They discuss how he's the best there is at what he does -- or maybe that's the worst, who knows, who cares -- and what he does right now is hunt shadowy men in dark suits in unlit rooms. Rooms in a secret government agency. Maybe you've heard of this agency. It's the Department of Redundancy Department, and it's exerting its influence over the world of Wolverine.
Oh piss off... it seemed clever for a minute or two when I first came up with it.
Two Wolverine titles. Two story arcs about Logan hunting the people who used him like a guinea pig. Two editions of this first issue, each with different cover art, each with a typical Wolverine pose. The redundancies just keep piling up, and I find my interest wanes more and more. Initially, I thought the notion of Wolverine regaining his lost memories and acting on that new information from an emotional motivation was good fodder for a new direction for the character. But nothing's happening, and more importantly, nothing has changed.
The Secretary of State conacts Dum-Dum Dugan at S.H.I.E.L.D., demanding to know what the international law enforcement agency is doing to keep tabs on Wolverine. Dugan informs her the X-Man has come into the possession of a rather special sword, but importantly, he's regained his erased memories from years before. Dugan said that although all security protocols possible have been taken to protect the President from any conceivable menace, even Logan. S.H.I.E.L.D. soon finds itself scrambling to deal with not one but two threats. One is a low-flying cruise missile, and it's the lesser of the two problems.
The main reason I picked up this new title ca be summed up with two words: Steve Dillon. Given the dark and violent tone of this story, Dillon is the perfect choice of artist, even if he doesn't seem like a typical Wolverine artist. Actually, that is what makes him a good choice for the book, as he'll attract readers such as myself who aren't Logan devotees. The pwoer he brings to the art isn't in the action sequences, but in the faces of the characters. Wolverine's intensity, rage and focus shines through in his face, where as Dugan's annoyance is plain to see just as the high-ranking bureaucrat's fear is apparent in the arrangement of lines Dillon chooses to bring her to life.
The exchange between Dugan and the desperate White House official is a satisfying one. It's also nice to see a Marvel using Dugan as a face for S.H.I.E.L.D. rather than some cypher with no real history.
Didn't we just go through five issues of this in Wolverine? In a story arc penned by the same writer? And despite the return of Logan's memories, he still doesn't know who is ultimately responsible for the horrors he underwent? What's the point of telling this same story, over and over again? It's clear Marvel never intends to fully expose the underbelly of Logan's haunted past, so why the pretense? Sure, it can translate into increased sales in the short-term, but in the long term, aren't they running the risk of alienating readers by leading them on for so long and on so many occasions? 5/10
