Advance Review: Wolverine #56

WOLVERINE #56
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Howard Chaykin
Marvel Comics


An honest-to-Gawd good Wolvie story? No, excuse me, a GREAT Wolvie story! One that doesn't involve an umpteenth battle with his stereotypical nemesis, doesn't rewrite his origin, doesn't involve hidden or resurfaced memories! A story that's self-contained, new-reader friendly and doesn't tie in to the X-titles but features Wolvie as a character on his own strength?

Please, pinch me!

Jason Aaron (a new Vertigo voice: SCALPED, THE OTHER SIDE) is doing a short stint, paired with Howard CHAYKIN! Hmm, keep pinching, this is too good to be true.



Logan wakes up in the bottom of a dark pit, without knowing how he got there, while a man with a massively huge chaingun keeps shooting at him every five minutes to keep him trapped. The story follows the life of the man with the gun, the poor slob named Wendell, his every day life from the time he wakes, to when he goes into work, greets the sexy secretary he can't have, takes over machine-gun duty, chats with the monster-in-the-pit, punches out and heads home again.

Aaron weaves a fascinating character in the hired goon, with his utter misery of an existence and instant familiarization magnet for the reader. Logan takes a back seat in the story, staying in the shadows and acting as the catalyst for the goon to address his life and his choices. Logan is smart and cunning, vicious and ruthless. Totally dreamy and a major hard-ass, finally! Good to know the castration didn't hold.

Of course, Aaron isn't here for more than a few issues. Time to wake up.

Grade: 8.5/10