Brian Wilkinson
Feb 28, 2002, 12:25 am
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/wolv-173.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/wolv-173t.jpg" align=left alt="Wolverine #173"></a>
Reviewer: Brian E. Wilkinson, bewilkinson@yahoo.ca
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: The Logan Files (Part 1 of 3)
Wolverine has proved that he is more than a match for any foe that comes up against him but how will that help when all those he holds dear are the targets instead?
Written by: Frank Tieri
Cover by: David Finch
Pencilled by: Sean Chen
Inked by: Norm Rapmund
Lettered by: Richard Starking & Comicrafts Saida Temofonte
Colored by: Avalon’s Raymund Lee
Assistant Editor: Mike Raicht
Editor: Mike Marts
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
“Laying The Groundwork”
Written by: Matt Nixon
Art by: David Finch
If you thought things were tough for Wolverine before, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Writer Frank Tieri and artist Sean Chen waste no time in presenting Wolverine a dire threat, not only against himself, but those he is closest to.
In some ways, this makes an almost sinister sense. Wolverine has long been considered one of the toughest heroes in existence and he has overcome hundreds of obstacles and villains in his past. If you were a villain, how could you possibly hope to succeed where many have failed before? There are more ways to defeat a man than by killing him or beating him down… instead, you could go after everyone and everything that he holds dear. What fight is left in a man if there is nothing left for him to fight for? This issue is an overload of emotion with thrills, chills, mysteries, and a loss that will take Wolverine some time to recover from.
Despite the fact that this comic has the title Wolverine this issue features very little of our favorite canuckle head and instead focuses on some of the many supporting characters both from this series and the core X-Men titles. Character appearances include Sasquatch, Puck, Vindicator, Guardian, Leech, Yukio, Amiko, Omega Red, Nightcrawler, Cyclops, Shaman, Lady Deathstrike, and the mysterious director of the Weapon X program! If that isn’t bang for your buck, I don’t know what is. Considering the overload of characters, it seems as though it would be quite easy for the plot to get away from Tieri but not only does he keep a firm reign on his characters but each get a chance for development.
The first page of this issue gives readers a welcome guest-appearance in Nightcrawler, one of Wolverine’s best friends (and team-member in the X-Men). Unfortunately, Nightcrawler’s presence isn’t to be a positive one as the duo of Omega Red and Lady Deathstrike appear and quickly overwhelm the unprepared Nightcrawler. Despite putting up a good fight, Nightcrawler’s unconscious body is hurled into a river. As this is comics and Nightcrawler a popular character, Tieri considerately has Cyclops tell Wolverine later on that Kurt is fine.
After Nightcrawler is taken care of, Omega Red and Lady Deathstrike continue on to cause the plane carrying James and Heather Hudson (Guardian and Vindicator respectively) to crash, abduct young Amiko (whom loyal Wolverine readers will recognize as Logan’s ward), and the biggest shocker of all: kill Yukio! A long-time friend of Wolverines (and occasional lover), her death at the hands of Lady Deathstrike comes as a serious emotional blow. Acting as Amiko’s caregiver in Wolverine’s absence, what will become of the young girl now that Yukio is dead? Tieri has once again shown his mastery of continuity by having Amiko comment on Wolverine’s long absences and shortcomings as a ‘father’, but what will happen now that Yukio is gone? Will Amiko (assuming she survives the ordeal) go to live with Logan at the Xavier Institute? Considering the Institute is once again a functional school, this does not seem too far-fetched (if the Mansion survives the impending arrival of Cassandra Nova in New X-Men). Time, frustrating though it may be, will tell.
Revelations and developments galore in this issue. Heather is pregnant (about time somebody else besides Scott and Jean had a kid in these books), Leech is a captive of the Weapon X program, and it looks as though Sabretooth isn’t the willing soldier that he’s made himself out to be! It seems that Sabretooth, and not the Weapon X program itself, is responsible for all of these attacks on Wolverine’s loved-ones. Tieri has hinted in the past that something big is brewing between Wolverine and Sabretooth, and will most likely come to a head in issue #175. Could this have something to do with the Origin mini-series? Does Creed know more about Logan’s past that even Logan himself? We know that the Weapon X program has uncovered all of Wolverine’s original memories, so who knows what Creed was able to get his dirty hands on. At this point I’ll be happy with knowing how Sabretooth managed to convince Lady Deathstrike and Omega Red to even work for him!
Tieri’s Wolverine is as solid as they come. In all my years of reading, I’ve never come across a writer who was so creative in the new threats and experiences they gave to a character while acknowledging and respecting the past events that writers have contributed to the Wolverine canon. In this issue alone, we see how Tieri works in the ‘foster parent’ relationship that Logan has always shared with James and Heather (complete with slight animosity that Logan and James have shared in the recent past), Logan’s relationship with his ‘family’ in Japan, and his close connections to the X-Men and it’s extended family. I’m just impressed that with all the attention that Tieri pays to Wolverine’s past that he’s able to write the present so effectively! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: as long as Tieri writes this series they have a fan in me.
Chen’s art is fantastic. All of his characters are very strong (and I LOVE his Nightcrawler) and given that it is such an emotionally charged issue he handles Wolverine’s frustration beautifully. His attention to detail is second to none, and his art improves with each issue.
Complaint time: the only real complaint I have with this issue is in how quickly Lady Deathstrike and Omega Red travel the planet. Within the context of the issue, they seem to go from New York to Canada to Japan all in the span of a day. While technically possible given the level of technology present in comic books, it just seems a bit excessive. This is the only frustration I feel in Tieri’s writing is that often these situations seem a bit too convenient for my tastes. Despite telling strong and compelling stories, I find his methods of storytelling (and the way he sometimes tests the laws of physics) often don’t leave room to properly explain what it is we’re seeing. Still, I wouldn’t trade him for any other writer, so that tells you right away how serious of a complaint this is.
The back-up story by Matt Nixon and David Finch is also top-notch and leads into both the rescue mission for James and Heather, but also into the new recruits that the Weapon X program has lined up. Nixon delivers some solid moments between the Alpha Flight members Sasquatch, Puck, and Snowbird as the team struggles to come to terms with recent developments with Aurora as Finch’s art delicately captures the solemn tone of their discussion. Unfortunately, Sasquatch is unable to remain beside his fallen teammate (and girlfriend) as the news of Heather and James accident comes in to him. For Finch, his finest moment of the issue may come from the cover itself. The dark and brooding quality exhibited in his Wolverine presents a haunting image and perhaps is foreboding of the future to come.
The juicy part of this story comes with the revelation that Aurora is a target of the new Weapon X program. Once she has recuperated a little from the recent encounter with Mauvais, Weapon X is going to send in Wild Child to ‘save her’ which will nicely land her in the lap of some of the worst people possible. Given that Wild Child and Aurora have shared an intimate relationship in the past, this makes me wonder what kind of presence Alpha Flight is going to have in the upcoming Weapon X: The Draft series of one-shots and the Weapon X monthly series which follows. I’d say it’s a safe bet that the X-Men will also have a particular interest in the events in Weapon X as Aurora’s twin brother, Northstar, is set to join the cast of Uncanny X-Men around issue #410 when new series writer Chuck Austen comes on board.
Things are brewing in the house of ideas and it sounds like some of the best stories in the history of Wolverine and the rest of the X-canon have yet to come. This issue of Wolverine has enough surprises in it to more than justify the price of admission without the incredible talents of Tieri, Chen, Nixon, and Finch. This is one series you shouldn’t be without so go and pick it up today.
{I may be nitpicking, but I can’t be a know-it-all if I don’t over-analyze.}
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!
Reviewer: Brian E. Wilkinson, bewilkinson@yahoo.ca
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: The Logan Files (Part 1 of 3)
Wolverine has proved that he is more than a match for any foe that comes up against him but how will that help when all those he holds dear are the targets instead?
Written by: Frank Tieri
Cover by: David Finch
Pencilled by: Sean Chen
Inked by: Norm Rapmund
Lettered by: Richard Starking & Comicrafts Saida Temofonte
Colored by: Avalon’s Raymund Lee
Assistant Editor: Mike Raicht
Editor: Mike Marts
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
“Laying The Groundwork”
Written by: Matt Nixon
Art by: David Finch
If you thought things were tough for Wolverine before, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Writer Frank Tieri and artist Sean Chen waste no time in presenting Wolverine a dire threat, not only against himself, but those he is closest to.
In some ways, this makes an almost sinister sense. Wolverine has long been considered one of the toughest heroes in existence and he has overcome hundreds of obstacles and villains in his past. If you were a villain, how could you possibly hope to succeed where many have failed before? There are more ways to defeat a man than by killing him or beating him down… instead, you could go after everyone and everything that he holds dear. What fight is left in a man if there is nothing left for him to fight for? This issue is an overload of emotion with thrills, chills, mysteries, and a loss that will take Wolverine some time to recover from.
Despite the fact that this comic has the title Wolverine this issue features very little of our favorite canuckle head and instead focuses on some of the many supporting characters both from this series and the core X-Men titles. Character appearances include Sasquatch, Puck, Vindicator, Guardian, Leech, Yukio, Amiko, Omega Red, Nightcrawler, Cyclops, Shaman, Lady Deathstrike, and the mysterious director of the Weapon X program! If that isn’t bang for your buck, I don’t know what is. Considering the overload of characters, it seems as though it would be quite easy for the plot to get away from Tieri but not only does he keep a firm reign on his characters but each get a chance for development.
The first page of this issue gives readers a welcome guest-appearance in Nightcrawler, one of Wolverine’s best friends (and team-member in the X-Men). Unfortunately, Nightcrawler’s presence isn’t to be a positive one as the duo of Omega Red and Lady Deathstrike appear and quickly overwhelm the unprepared Nightcrawler. Despite putting up a good fight, Nightcrawler’s unconscious body is hurled into a river. As this is comics and Nightcrawler a popular character, Tieri considerately has Cyclops tell Wolverine later on that Kurt is fine.
After Nightcrawler is taken care of, Omega Red and Lady Deathstrike continue on to cause the plane carrying James and Heather Hudson (Guardian and Vindicator respectively) to crash, abduct young Amiko (whom loyal Wolverine readers will recognize as Logan’s ward), and the biggest shocker of all: kill Yukio! A long-time friend of Wolverines (and occasional lover), her death at the hands of Lady Deathstrike comes as a serious emotional blow. Acting as Amiko’s caregiver in Wolverine’s absence, what will become of the young girl now that Yukio is dead? Tieri has once again shown his mastery of continuity by having Amiko comment on Wolverine’s long absences and shortcomings as a ‘father’, but what will happen now that Yukio is gone? Will Amiko (assuming she survives the ordeal) go to live with Logan at the Xavier Institute? Considering the Institute is once again a functional school, this does not seem too far-fetched (if the Mansion survives the impending arrival of Cassandra Nova in New X-Men). Time, frustrating though it may be, will tell.
Revelations and developments galore in this issue. Heather is pregnant (about time somebody else besides Scott and Jean had a kid in these books), Leech is a captive of the Weapon X program, and it looks as though Sabretooth isn’t the willing soldier that he’s made himself out to be! It seems that Sabretooth, and not the Weapon X program itself, is responsible for all of these attacks on Wolverine’s loved-ones. Tieri has hinted in the past that something big is brewing between Wolverine and Sabretooth, and will most likely come to a head in issue #175. Could this have something to do with the Origin mini-series? Does Creed know more about Logan’s past that even Logan himself? We know that the Weapon X program has uncovered all of Wolverine’s original memories, so who knows what Creed was able to get his dirty hands on. At this point I’ll be happy with knowing how Sabretooth managed to convince Lady Deathstrike and Omega Red to even work for him!
Tieri’s Wolverine is as solid as they come. In all my years of reading, I’ve never come across a writer who was so creative in the new threats and experiences they gave to a character while acknowledging and respecting the past events that writers have contributed to the Wolverine canon. In this issue alone, we see how Tieri works in the ‘foster parent’ relationship that Logan has always shared with James and Heather (complete with slight animosity that Logan and James have shared in the recent past), Logan’s relationship with his ‘family’ in Japan, and his close connections to the X-Men and it’s extended family. I’m just impressed that with all the attention that Tieri pays to Wolverine’s past that he’s able to write the present so effectively! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: as long as Tieri writes this series they have a fan in me.
Chen’s art is fantastic. All of his characters are very strong (and I LOVE his Nightcrawler) and given that it is such an emotionally charged issue he handles Wolverine’s frustration beautifully. His attention to detail is second to none, and his art improves with each issue.
Complaint time: the only real complaint I have with this issue is in how quickly Lady Deathstrike and Omega Red travel the planet. Within the context of the issue, they seem to go from New York to Canada to Japan all in the span of a day. While technically possible given the level of technology present in comic books, it just seems a bit excessive. This is the only frustration I feel in Tieri’s writing is that often these situations seem a bit too convenient for my tastes. Despite telling strong and compelling stories, I find his methods of storytelling (and the way he sometimes tests the laws of physics) often don’t leave room to properly explain what it is we’re seeing. Still, I wouldn’t trade him for any other writer, so that tells you right away how serious of a complaint this is.
The back-up story by Matt Nixon and David Finch is also top-notch and leads into both the rescue mission for James and Heather, but also into the new recruits that the Weapon X program has lined up. Nixon delivers some solid moments between the Alpha Flight members Sasquatch, Puck, and Snowbird as the team struggles to come to terms with recent developments with Aurora as Finch’s art delicately captures the solemn tone of their discussion. Unfortunately, Sasquatch is unable to remain beside his fallen teammate (and girlfriend) as the news of Heather and James accident comes in to him. For Finch, his finest moment of the issue may come from the cover itself. The dark and brooding quality exhibited in his Wolverine presents a haunting image and perhaps is foreboding of the future to come.
The juicy part of this story comes with the revelation that Aurora is a target of the new Weapon X program. Once she has recuperated a little from the recent encounter with Mauvais, Weapon X is going to send in Wild Child to ‘save her’ which will nicely land her in the lap of some of the worst people possible. Given that Wild Child and Aurora have shared an intimate relationship in the past, this makes me wonder what kind of presence Alpha Flight is going to have in the upcoming Weapon X: The Draft series of one-shots and the Weapon X monthly series which follows. I’d say it’s a safe bet that the X-Men will also have a particular interest in the events in Weapon X as Aurora’s twin brother, Northstar, is set to join the cast of Uncanny X-Men around issue #410 when new series writer Chuck Austen comes on board.
Things are brewing in the house of ideas and it sounds like some of the best stories in the history of Wolverine and the rest of the X-canon have yet to come. This issue of Wolverine has enough surprises in it to more than justify the price of admission without the incredible talents of Tieri, Chen, Nixon, and Finch. This is one series you shouldn’t be without so go and pick it up today.
{I may be nitpicking, but I can’t be a know-it-all if I don’t over-analyze.}
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!