Review: OLD MAN LOGAN #1

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OLD MAN LOGAN #1
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Andrea Sorrentino, Marcelo Maiolo, and Cory Petit
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: January 27, 2016

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: an X-Man gets thrown back in time and decides to embark on a mission to right the wrongs of a misbegotten future.

Yeah. Me too. And I was more than ready to let Old Man Logan #1 pass me by. Except that Logan impressed me in the Secret Wars title of the same name. And Jeff Lemire is writing this. And my comic shop had the whimsical John Tyler Christopher action figure cover. So I bought it. And I liked it. A lot.

Since the days of Chris Claremont constructing the legend that would become Wolverine, Marvel’s most recognizable mutant went from being a runt in bizarre gold and blue togs to being one of the most beloved comic book characters of all time. He’s the best he is at what he does. And what he does isn’t pretty. And Jeff Lemire gets that.

Lemire gives readers a time-lost Wolverine. Reluctant to unsheathe his claws, but still fueled by the instinct to slash out, Logan’s adventures put him in New York. Lemire uses the man out of time cliché to open Logan up like a book. The writer is able to selectively sample the best bits of Logan’s time in the Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis Old Man Logan tales. Lemire also sets Logan on a quest, which is enough to give Wolverine-starved fans a satisfying read as they are able to re-meet a character with less baggage than he should have, but more experience at the same time.

This first issue has bits of reflection and morsels of flashback, but the main story drives forward, and Lemire’s partner on this adventure is the triple threat of Andrea Sorrentino on art, Marcelo Maiolo coloring, and Cory Petit lettering. Sound effects become backgrounds, shadows become motion, and color permeates throughout Old Man Logan #1. Readers familiar with Sorrentino and Maiolo know the duo’s signature style: rich, heavy, character-defining shadows over photo-influenced figures with bursts of pure, unadulterated color. Their work definitely has a certain flair to it that is more compatible with certain characters than others, and in the case of Old Man Logan #1, they’re able to mix the gritty with the explosive, the bombastic with the subtle. Sorrentino, Maiolo, and Petit make this book a thing of beauty, which fits nicely inside of Lemire’s story.

Old Man Logan is back, and he’s been seen in other spots around the Marvel Universe. With Old Man Logan #1, he has top billing and provides the insightful narrative that is present in the caption boxes. This is his book, and Lemire, Sorrentino, Maiolo, and Petit are simply here to help relay the details. Readers who loved the adventures of Wolverine once upon a time are going to find something to enjoy in this book, as will fans who have yet to call the clawed Canuck one of their faves.

The Verdict: 9.0/10

 

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