Wolverine: The End, Revisited
I previously reviewed both issues #5 and #6 of Wolverine: The End in this space.
I have just re-read the entire mini-series. My intention was to re-read Origin as well, but instead I read some synopses of it online.
First, I have to say, that I had been confusing the character of John Howlett (whose first appearance is in this series) with that of Dog (the character from Origin). Now that this situation is clearer in my mind, I can more easily criticize this book.
This miniseries does not work. Partly, this is due to expectations. In a series that is supposed to be a character's final adventure, this is not the adventure we would hope for. Wolverine is more than just the mystery swirling around Weapon X and he is more than just a man waiting to find out all the things the reader knows (and some the reader didn't know) about Origin.
Origin was a nice story because it gives a background to a character that we never knew, and it's never clear if the background will ever be revealed to him. Various X-Men psychic foes have mentioned snippets of Origin to him, and he had a dream about Rose from Origin but we never know how much he'll find out.
The End tries to tease out a lot of these connections, such as how will Wolverine learn the truth and how did he end up at Weapon X. But the notion that he had a brother (who was supposedly dead in Origin) following him around like a stalker from the sidelines throughout his life, is a bit much.
Did we really need a brand-new villain in this series? It's also chock-full of "where are they now" references without the characters showing up (such as Victor Creed's death, this mysterious accountant son, and others).
Somewhat related to this is that I am a big Wolverine fan, but I have no idea about anything relating to Weapon X anymore. In the first Wolverine ongoing series, Larry Hama and Mark Silvestri tried to elaborate on Barry Windsor-Smith's Weapon X series, and for the most part, it seemed pretty clear. But somewhere along the line, between Deadpool, the Weapon X series and Grant Morrison's Weapon Ten, the entire concept has gotten muddled around in my brain. I'm just as confused as Wolverine!
The End tries to set the record straight, but it just ends up more confusing. It would have been nicer if this story wrapped around Wolverine's man/beast dilemma and some of the themes of honor and being an X-Man, rather than this long-lost brother.
I have just re-read the entire mini-series. My intention was to re-read Origin as well, but instead I read some synopses of it online.
First, I have to say, that I had been confusing the character of John Howlett (whose first appearance is in this series) with that of Dog (the character from Origin). Now that this situation is clearer in my mind, I can more easily criticize this book.
This miniseries does not work. Partly, this is due to expectations. In a series that is supposed to be a character's final adventure, this is not the adventure we would hope for. Wolverine is more than just the mystery swirling around Weapon X and he is more than just a man waiting to find out all the things the reader knows (and some the reader didn't know) about Origin.
Origin was a nice story because it gives a background to a character that we never knew, and it's never clear if the background will ever be revealed to him. Various X-Men psychic foes have mentioned snippets of Origin to him, and he had a dream about Rose from Origin but we never know how much he'll find out.
The End tries to tease out a lot of these connections, such as how will Wolverine learn the truth and how did he end up at Weapon X. But the notion that he had a brother (who was supposedly dead in Origin) following him around like a stalker from the sidelines throughout his life, is a bit much.
Did we really need a brand-new villain in this series? It's also chock-full of "where are they now" references without the characters showing up (such as Victor Creed's death, this mysterious accountant son, and others).
Somewhat related to this is that I am a big Wolverine fan, but I have no idea about anything relating to Weapon X anymore. In the first Wolverine ongoing series, Larry Hama and Mark Silvestri tried to elaborate on Barry Windsor-Smith's Weapon X series, and for the most part, it seemed pretty clear. But somewhere along the line, between Deadpool, the Weapon X series and Grant Morrison's Weapon Ten, the entire concept has gotten muddled around in my brain. I'm just as confused as Wolverine!
The End tries to set the record straight, but it just ends up more confusing. It would have been nicer if this story wrapped around Wolverine's man/beast dilemma and some of the themes of honor and being an X-Man, rather than this long-lost brother.
posted by Blogman @ 12:03
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