WOLVERINE: THE ORIGIN #2
"Origin, Part II of VI: Inner Child"
Recommended (8/10)
|
Marvel Comics
Writers: Paul Jenkins, Bill Jemas & Joe Quesada
Pencils: Andy Kubert
Digital painting: Richard Isanove
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Mike Marts
Price: $3.50 US/$5.25 CAN |
Jenkins continues this rather unorthodox period piece. There's something in this book for readers of a wide variety of tastes. As the cover would suggest, the Kewl Wolverine factor kicks into full gear in this issue's climax, satisfying die-hard X-Men and Wolverine fans. There's also a Jane Austen-esque/soap opera quality to the story as well. Furthermore, there's a strong sense of culture and tradition in the book, along with a maturity and darkness that makes for compelling reading.
A few years have passed. Rose continues to work on the Howlett estate for "Soft John" and his sickly son James, as do Dog and his father, Thomas Logan. However, a rift has grown between Dog and his former friends, Rose and James, mirroring the one between Logan and the master of the estate. Dog sets his eyes on Rose, but his advances are not welcome. The situation flares up until one of those on the estate lies dead and another is horrified to discover he is undergoing a painful transformation.
The digital painting approach continues to impress. It makes the sketchiness of the pencils alone fade, and in its stead is a sense of the historic that's so integral to the story. Every panel is bathed in odd purples or green or fiery oranges, adding to the foreboding atmosphere. One gets a sense of the gothic from the art.
Jenkins (along with fellow plotters Quesada and Jemas) has the unenviable task of telling an interesting story that makes sense on its own while making room for a quarter-century of stories featuring the title character. What he does here has to jibe with elements that have been established before, and I'm pleased to say that they don't intrude on the central plot itself. Rose's red hair is obviously a nod to Wolverine's attraction to Jean Grey in the decades to come, for example. It's fun trying to decifer the significance of small details like that, but it's not necessary to an overall appreciation of the story.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't see the twist coming at the end, but it was a satisfying moment in the story nonetheless. I had a hunch Jenkins was snapping his fingers in the air while palming a coin in the other hand, and I was right. It was a smart move, though, and it adds a whole new depth to a familiar figure in comics.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
|
