Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Wolverine Weapon X #2
Marvel Comics
Aaron, Garney & Way
What we are seeing in this issue and with this series so far is an interesting story about Wolverine. Sure, the plot has been told before and there isn’t a real threat that Wolverine might die, but this comic is able to put together something fresh in a presentation with a character that is actively handled ten to fifteen times a month.
The concept is so simple: the blueprints for making Wolverine have fallen into the wrong hands. All this means is that someone wants to make more Wolverine-like men. This issue has Wolverine get on the trail of those that have the plans and he is confronted by the new wave of Wolverines.
The issue has only a few components to it and yet, despite being simplistic, is probably one of the more straightforward and concise Wolverine comics told in continuity in a while.
The comic consists of three main scenes. The opening, where the reporter Wolverine saved in the previous issue tries to dig up more information about him. The middle, which has Wolverine enact his plan for tracking the bad guys. And the ending, which is a battle between regular Wolverine and Wolverine 2.0 corps.
What’s so special about this comic? For one thing, it doesn’t take itself (or Wolverine) too seriously. The newspaper editor even states, “He’s way too overexposed.” The comic is mocking the fact that the comic book store racks are flooded with his face on the cover. Another item to like about this comic is how the writer throws in jokes about his own previous work with the character. I counted at least three references that Aaron makes about his previous stories and two of them made me laugh out loud. Finally, the battle between all the Wolverines actually was able to present some level of danger for the original Wolverine. We know he won’t die but it’s impossible to see how he could possibly win as well.
The artwork pulls off a difficult task by portraying the battle in the dark. It’s a dark background with characters dressed in similar outfits shown from a bit of distance. This is a recipe for confusion, but here the characters are easy to track and the sequence has a natural flow to it.
This comic gets recommended depending on how you like your Wolverine stories. This one doesn’t have Kung-Fu or torture, but it does have a good battle with some difficult foes. The subplot could be a dud, but if it’s pulled off then Wolverine might actually have a genuine supporting character in his book that isn’t his enemy. I liked this issue a lot.
4 out of 5 geek goggles
