Mark Millar approaches the title character not as a super-hero, but as someone immersed in the world of espionage with links to the more colorful realm of caped crusaders and benevolent mutants. It works pretty well, but in order for the writer to get the story rolling, he has to create the latest in a series of badass, unstoppable mutant villains. Millar leaves behind the more grounded tone of the Greg Rucka run on the book, but the slower pace is history as well. This is far from the most cutting edge or original comics storytelling, but it makes great use of different facets of the title character.
A simple chauffeur sees his son abducted, mistaken for his master's child, and the police are of no help when it comes to getting him. Desperate, the horrified father seeks aid from his late cousin's widower, who just happens to be Logan, better known as the mutant hero Wolverine. Logan makes the painful trip back to Japan, and he soon discovers there's more to the kidnapping than meets the eye. That discovery comes too late, though, as Wolverine is attacked and goes missing for weeks.
Romita Jr. demonstrates he's at home when it comes to illustrating the lives of just about any Marvel icon there is. He was a fan favorite on Amazing Spider-Man for years, and has captured the ferocity and brute strength of the Hulk. Here, he conveys the quiet intensity of Wolverine quite well, but he still captures the everyday attitudes of more grounded characters, such as Kitty Pryde and the doctor tending to Wolverine in the latter part of this issue. Janson's inks put one in mind of Frank Miller's style, and it reinforces the dark mystery surrounding the ninjas the hero faces earlier on in the book. The Gorgon's design is a little plain for my liking, though, and he'd probably fit in better in Romita's creator-owned book, The Gray Area. The colors maintain a mature and realistic tone in a fantastic story. I love the texture they bring to the characters' faces.
What sets this book apart is that Wolverine loses in a big way. He's taken off guard and faces a conflict he's never had to deal with before. His surprise at the end of the ninja encounter and his confusion later on in the book bring him down to earth, transform the infallible, blade-wielding hero into a vulnerable human being.
I enjoyed Millar's use of Elektra as more of a spy for hire than assassin, and while her more overt methods here are unusual, her association with Nick Fury works for me. The entire exchange between Fury and Elektra brings a certain degree of credibility to the story, treating key figures in the super-hero world as political targets. Millar has developed a plausible scenario in which the heroes of the Marvel Universe would have to hunt down the Best There Is at What He Does. 8/10
