|
|
|
Wolverine #42
Book Released: 24 May 2006
Review posted: 28 May 2006
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Humberto Ramos
Publisher: Marvel Comics
4.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Adam White
|
|
I picked up Wolverine #42 fully prepared to hate it; after all, it was by a writer I have never heard of and an
artist I know I don’t like. I also thought that two Wolverine titles was too many considering his overuse, and
Wolverine: Origins was excellent so I figured that was the book to stick with. I was fully unprepared to actually
like this issue, so it came as a surprise when I did.
I know virtually nothing about writer Marc Guggenheim except for the fact that he knows how to write Wolverine. While
Daniel Way nailed the characterization of the loner Logan in Origins, Guggenheim equally captures the superhero side
of Logan in Wolverine.
Guggenheim’s style fits Logan perfectly, as the writing doesn’t pull any punches and
deals with tough and sometimes controversial topics from an outsider’s perspective.
|
Guggenheim starts off strong and only gets better as the issue blasts along at full speed without ever slowing down or losing
the reader. Guggenheim captures Logan’s short-and-to-the-point dialogue on every page and writes great interactions
between Logan and his fellow X-Men and New Avengers. Guggenheim’s style fits Logan perfectly, as the writing
doesn’t pull any punches and deals with tough and sometimes controversial topics from an outsider’s perspective.
You need know nothing about Logan or Civil War going into the book despite the fact it is a tie-in, so Guggenheim
scores major points for that as well.
While I love the writing, the art by Humberto Ramos is absolutely wrong for Wolverine in every way possible.
Granted, I personally don’t care for Ramos’s art style, but his pseudo-manga sensibilities are not what this
series needs.
Ramos might be the best he is at what he does, but what he does has no place in
Wolverine.
|
Wolverine is hard core, and Logan is a down-and-dirty, doing-what-needs-done character that is on a mission that no
one else wants or needs; much like Harry Callahan, Logan gets all the dirty jobs. So consider the sharp contrast between the
gritty tone and the happy-cartoony art complete with goofy expressions and humongous mouths big enough to swallow the heads
that barely contain them and you’ll see why Ramos is not the artist for this book. Ramos might be the best he is at
what he does, but what he does has no place in Wolverine.
I like the story so well that I will keep buying this book, but I sincerely hope the art chores get handed to someone
more befitting of the series. Way and Guggenheim have proven that Wolverine does need two books — one for his personal
quest and one for his superhero interactions/Civil War tie-ins (like what Marvel is doing now with Punisher) —
and that both books can be different yet equally entertaining without being overkill. With supposedly less guest appearances
in his future, and considering there’s no way he’ll still be with the New Avengers after Civil War, Logan
is finally on the right track and Marvel would do well to keep him there. Wolverine #42 is definitely worth a read
even if you hate the art.
—CCdC—
Cover image used without explicit permission in accordance with the "Fair Use" provision of US copyright law.
|
|
