Friday, January 18, 2013

Laid Back Comics: Savage Wolverine

Bryan "BAC" Clendening is a comic blogger and sometimes video producer. You can follow him on Twitter at his handle @BAClend


Remember the joke that Wolverine was in every Marvel book and they only did that so said book could sell better. If you haven’t look to what a lot of people are saying about Deadpool now being everywhere and you get the idea. Lately though while Wolverine is still hanging around his appearance count has lowered. So with Marvel Now adding new titles into the mix, one that got announced was Frank Cho Savage Wolverine. I did wonder if this would be the return of said joke when not to long ago 'Wolverine' was announced  So big question was what is going to separate that title from this one. Well, for starters this one does have Wolverine fighting a bunch of dinosaurs.

Though while that isn't the main story line, Logan on going battles with dinosaurs in the book at least twice. The issue sets up two mysteries, the first being a group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents, with Shanna the Jungle Girl in tow who stands out like a sore thumb dressed in her leopard print bikini surrounded by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents attire, mapping out areas in the Savage Land. They come across The Forbidden Island and head over to try and map it out, only to crash on to it for some reason. This is standard when entering the Savage Land.

With the book then suddenly cutting to eight months later and Wolverine suddenly what we can only assume is him getting transported to the Savage Land. Though, he doesn't really question why he is there or how he even got there. The first thing that happens to our hero is attacked by a dinosaur. Then when that is done he tries to rescue a S.H.I.E.L.D. from a group of native warriors leading to another very bloody fight. We aren't left really to breath or understand what is going on just yet with all the fighting going on. Wolverine’s dialog doesn't help either as he is basically saying what we see him doing on the page.

Luckily we do get a moment’s rest when Wolverine and Shanna meet again in the down ship. The issue takes a much needed rest to help try to explain what happened those 8 months to now, leaving Shanna the only survivor of the mission. And while the issue seems to have explained why the mapping crew’s ship crashed in the first place, the second mystery of how and why Wolverine is there is a bit glossed over, with Shanna only asking the question once.

Story wise Savage Wolverine starts out simple enough, but also a bit hazy a lot of the details and doesn’t looks like it wants to give them away anytime soon. But, there was never a time where you were bored while reading it that is for sure. And the moment you thought you would be, there was a dinosaur fight to bring you right back up.

The art work by Frank Cho is well Frank Cho, and by that he loves to draw women. He has an art books just on that. Here his work doesn't suffer.

I would recommend this book same way I would recommend say an cheesy action flick. It is pretty fun, but so far there isn't a lot of story there yet, but plenty of fighting. If there is one major criticism I do have is that this book is presented as an ongoing series but, it doesn't feel like it. It feels honestly more like a mini-series and once the ‘proper’ Wolverine title launches I am not sure how long this Savage one will last.

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