Jason Large: And we are back with a book I completely remembered was a thing. This is feeling more and more the book for people who grew up reading Wolverine and do not want to read anything else.
Jude Jones: I totally, 100%, absolutely agree. And that’s…fine? I guess? These all feel like mid 90’s Wolverine stories. Which, in one sense is fine: comfort food can be good! But in another it’s a bit disappointing, because (at least in my case) my palette is much more refined, and what served me 20+ years ago does not serve me now. But, on with the show (plays 90’s X-Men theme).
JL: Jude, do you have any classic Wolverine stories that come to mind? I generally prefer Wolverine as part of a team rather than off on his own (The “Now it’s my turn!” from Uncanny X-Men #132 is what most often comes to mind). When he is on his own, I like the quieter stories, which generally seem to be the opposite of what we have with this series.
JJ: I don’t mind solo Wolverine, but I appreciate stories that remember his intelligence, his kindness, his conscience. Maybe the Scarlet Samurai stories from a few years back fit the bill. But the rage-monster with self hate, while I get the appeal, just isn’t what I want to see again and again and again.
Unfinished Business
(Vita Ayala, Greg Land, Jay Leisten, Frank D’Armata)
JL: Let’s just start off with the elephant in the room: talking a title up as something bringing on all-star artists falls flat when Greg Land is included. It’s a disappointment to see Marvel continue to provide Land work over giving the opportunity to someone new. Land can be a good artist, but has learned that making the deadline is the most important thing and will be paid to do so by a company that doesn’t appear to care that he does it by stealing and tracing over the work of others. The art here is serviceable enough but suffers from the inability for characters to emote anything other than ‘yelling’.
JJ: So I’m not as up on this as I should be, but a quick “Greg Land” Google just really, really makes me angry. Bluntly, there’s no way a non-white guy gets away with this. Full stop. There are reams of people who could, *should* get a shot, sidelined for someone who shouldn’t be considered for anything but self publishing. And, most importantly, he’s not even that good. Not here, at least. It’s all very fine. Fine is not sufficient.
JL: I am very excited to read more Vita Ayala X-comics. Their issue of Marauders was a X of Swords highlight and their tenure on New Mutants also begins this week (Children of the Atom is coming… eventually). Their work here is a serviceable enough rendition of Wolverine vs. Sabretooth. Wolverine, being the hero, puts his desires aside to rescue a man who hates and fears mutants. What did you like about it?
JJ: So I liked this story for what wasn’t explicitly said. On a surface level it’s the same old “Sabretooth antagonizes Wolverine” story we’ve seen time and time again. And as that it’s, again, fine. But I asked myself “why would Sabretooth leave the guy alive? Why would he not take all the money *and* antagonize Wolverine?” Which led me to believe that Sabretooth *wanted* Wolvie to win. Sure he got his licks and kicks in, but he wanted the scientist’s work to fail. In a sadistic way he was helping his rivals cause, which of course is his own as a mutant. That kind of Sabretooth – Sadism with a sinister side of sanity – is one I’d love to read more about, and I appreciate Vita for creating that kind of space for him.
Or, you know, I’m reading it all wrong.
JL: I definitely think you have something. Sabretooth is generally at his least interesting when he is written as thoughtlessly savage. He’s a much more interesting villain when there’s a calculating nature to his brutality. This is made clear that he cares much more about Wolverine and their relationship than the money or reasons behind the job he was ‘hired’ for.
Seeing Red
(Saladin Ahmed, Kev Walker)
JL: For being a comic book villain, Arcade seems to be much better suited for live-action. He’s always seemed like a silver-age Mojo. I like the idea of a video-game style timer bar on the page, but it seems a bit too modern for Arcade.
JJ: Agreed. I liked the art (especially the timer) here. It felt…natural for lack of better terms. Really good use of shadows, but really clear depictions of action. But let’s talk about that action. I know what Ahmed was trying to do here: a mediation on Logan’s use of violence. Arcade was betting that Wolverine couldn’t contain his violent nature, and that would be his (and the unlucky waiter’s) downfall. But instead Wolverine embraces the animal within to win the game. I get it. And I think in another context, maybe framed another way, this would work well. But it just doesn’t click to me here. The struggle doesn’t feel well articulated. There’s a bit of nuance that’s missing, so it ends up just looking and feeling like normal rage-filled Wolverine saves the day – no growth, no self-reflection. Again, maybe I’m looking too deep into this. Maybe I want something more. But I just did not love the execution on this. It wasn’t bad, but the landing did not stick. Not for me, at least.
JL: Once again we agree. I almost wish Logan failed in rescuing the captive due to his berzerker rage.
Do We Die Today
(Chris Claremont, Salvador Larroca)
JL: “My adamantium-laced bones don’t break. Never thought I’d be grateful for that” ….What?! Adamantium bones are kind of Logan’s whole thing. Claremont remarked about having to get caught up on X-comics to write this and it seems like he just decided to ignore pretty much everything.
JJ: While the other two stories felt like modern-ish interpretations of 90’s Wolverine, this feels like a 90’s version of the modern Wolverine. Or in music terms, whereas the other two pieces were, say, Tyler, The Creator (Vita) and Jack Harlow (Ahmed) experimenting with retro beats, this feels like Ice Cube (Claremont) trying to make an album with modern sounds. While sure, it could be interesting, the reality is Cube/Claremont can’t leave their linguistic and stylistic comfort zones, so the words, pacing, name choices (we’re calling the Black guy “Beastly-Brute?”) feel both anachronistic and forced. I thought this, by far, had the weakest story and dialogue of the three works. Which is a shame, because the art here is easily my favorite. The shot where Logan bobs and weaves like a butterfly before he lets loose with his adamantium stingers was (almost) worth the price of admission.
JL: Larroca draws a nice Logan (Patch) but everyone else felt fairly generic. I definitely did a double-take upon reading the woman Logan was with was Kate Pryde. I still don’t really see it.
JJ: Not only do I not see it, but if not for one panel I’m not even sure if that’s who it was drawn to be. It would not surprise me if the story was back-filled from the art – it feels like an afterthought.
JL: This series continues to be something that… exists. Nothing new or groundbreaking, but I would say none of the stories are explicitly bad. Even with the Land art, I think Unfinished Business is my favorite of the three here. What do you think, Jude?
JJ: Unfinished Business is definitely the best of the bland here, which frustrates me: fleeting visions of untapped potential are more infuriating than consistent mediocrity. There are some really good stories that could be told in some really interesting ways, but I fear we’re only going to get reheated and rehashed tropes. And you know, that may be good enough for some. It may even be what most people want. But it leaves me unsatisfied, and that’s how I’ll leave our discussion.
A proud New Orleanian living in the District of Columbia, Jude Jones is a professional thinker, amateur photographer, burgeoning runner and lover of Black culture, love and life. Magneto and Cyclops (and Killmonger) were right. Learn more about Jude at SaintJudeJones.com.
He/Him
Jason is born, raised, and currently resides in New Jersey with his wife, two cats, and one dog. He enjoys comics, games, art, and helped put together the logo and website for ComicsXF. He'd rather be in the woods.
