LOGAN: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD #1 (MARVEL COMICS)
James Howlett. Weapon X. Wolverine.
Marvel’s uncontrollable force has made quite a reputation for himself. His legacy of violence is terrifying. The trail of bodies in his wake is mind-numbing. No matter what the era, LOGAN has left his mark for better or for worse. To see this in its’ truest form, Marvel is letting top level creative teams bring this to life under it’s “Black, White and Blood” banner. It’s SNIKT time!
LOGAN: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD #1 by Tom Waltz, Alex Lins, Cory Petit, Saladin Ahmed, Adam Kubert, Arthur Hesli, Larry Hama & Dave Wachter unleashes the fury in its’ first chapter.
Let’s take a closer look at the one who’s the best at what he does.
LOGAN: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD #1 by Tom Waltz, Alex Lins, Cory Petit, Saladin Ahmed, Adam Kubert, Arthur Hesli, Larry Hama & Dave Wachter (Marvel Comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The issue is a compilation of three stories. Due to the amount, the overview of each tale will be shorter than usual reviews.
“Arms Race” by Waltz, Lins, & Petit takes Logan into the Korean War. Waking up in a sea of dead bodies, readers watch as his revenge switch is flipped on. This takes him into a conflict with some individuals with a very familiar symbol on their arms. The conflict showcases what Logan does better than anyone. Even in defeat, his opposition notes what he brings to the table.
Waltz sets this conflict up with sound structure. It is straight-forward in presentation. The dialogue conveys Logan’s thirst for revenge. This spills into big action. The two-page spread by Lins hits all the marks. It’s brutal and unapologetic in delivery. Flipping the color scheme adds to elevating the fight. The final page is a full circle moment that leaves no doubt Logan was there.
“Times Square Red” by Ahmed, Kubert, Hesli & Petit deals with a serial killer in the shady world of Times Square in the 1970’s. While Logan is on assignment, he becomes entangled in a psychotic’s mission of cleaning up the “seediness” of the city. This is a prime example of Logan handling matters in his own hands when no one else will. A hero with unconventional methods.
Seeing who’s on creative there is no shortage of Logan experience. Ahmed taps into the brooding rage as Logan plants the trap for the killer. His dialogue is frank and to the point. The art compliments in every single fashion. Kubert drops in a two page splash of the seedy world to open up events. The real fight begins with a bloody near full image of Logan unleashed. It is followed up by a brutal strike that handles business. Closing with a subtle nine grid page caps off the throwback look with an easy landing.
“Red Claws” by Hama, Wacher, & Petit takes Logan back to his Weapon X escape. While adjusting to his new found freedom, hunters come across him in the wild. Dealing with a rabid walking weapon, you can imagine how this ends. Bloody and messy.
Hama back on Wolverine is a gift. The build is spotlighting his adapting to the survival of the wilderness is bold. It holds nothing back. Once the hunters start shooting, it unlocks Logan’s true nature. Wacher’s art goes from quiet panels to unleashed action very quickly. Readers watch how fast Logan deals with these antagonists. It departs with a fitting final page that drives home the ramifications in disturbing the wild.
FINAL GRADE: 8.7
The violence that follows James Howlett leaves quite the brutal impression in this launching chapter. Each team spotlights different eras with the same mindset in place. The art locks in on their respective eras while delivering on the vintage violence. It’s Logan at what he does and it ain’t nothing nice to his enemies.
Let me know your thoughts on LOGAN: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
