His business is killing, and business is booming.
Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s Wolverine: Old Man Logan is easily one of the more memorable dystopian future superhero revamps in recent memory. Marvel’s first attempt at revisiting that universe as part of Secret Wars last year started out strong but quickly degenerated into an aimless road trip across Battleworld. But Old Man Logan has a second chance now that he’s made the jump to Prime Marvel Universe. He’s back with a new ongoing series and a proven creative team. This book looks like it could succeed where its predecessor failed.
Stylistically, the new Old Man Logan doesn’t differ much from the previous volume. Andrea Sorrentino is still on board as artist. It’s touch to imagine a creator more suited to the tone and subject matter. Sorrentino’s elaborate collages and striking design work are a perfect match for Old Man Logan’s world. Even though the setting has changed since the Secret Wars days, there’s a very hard-boiled, neo-noir vibe to the book that’s conveyed through Sorrentino’s shadowy drawings and Marcelo Maiolo’s surreal colors. This first issue also features a lengthy flashback to Logan’s old world. Here Maiolo’s colors stand out all the more, drenching the post-apocalyptic landscape in a baking sun and recalling the Wild West vibe of the original Old Man Logan storyline.
This issue is also a showcase for one of Sorrentino and Maiolo’s particular storytelling flourishes – their use of small, washed-out panels to highlight key moments of action and violence. This series features a far more brutal and bloodthirsty Logan than the relatively well-adjusted hero of recent years. Those panels capture his berserker rage nicely. The effect is only further enhanced by Cory Petit’s bold lettering choices.
Aside from the new setting, the big change with this new series is that Jeff Lemire has replaced previous writer Brian Bendis. Considering how much Lemire and Sorrentino did to reinvigorate Green Arrow in the New 52, it’s exciting to see them reunited in the Marvel Universe. Thankfully, Lemire is quicker to get to the point with this book than he was with Extraordinary X-Men’s early issue. It’s not long before this issue makes it clear what Logan’s ongoing mission is and what distinguishes this book from Extraordinary X-Men. With EXM, Lemire’s focus has mainly been on Logan’s relationships with his fellow X-Men (particularly the young Jean Grey). This book is far more introspective and focused on exploring the psychology of this aging, psychologically battered version of Wolverine. The flashback scene is especially effective in that regard. The tone and focus of this series immediately help set it apart from the rest of the relaunched X-Men franchise.
The previous Old Man Logan comic proved to be a disappointment, but it looks like the follow-up will do justice to this troubled, grizzled version of Wolverine. The strong visual design and neo-noir tone immediately help distinguish the series, while the story finds the focus and momentum that was lacking last time around. This is a promising start for Marvel’s newest X-Men comic.
