Broken Frontier

Two Wolverine comics for the price of one! He fights Sabretooth and the Hulk within these pages! Why are you wasting time reading this review?

Yes, a new story arc begins here and Wolverine is in the capable hands of Jeph Loeb, Simone Bianchi, Ed McGuinness, and an array of talented artists all seemingly bent on telling Wolverine stories that will make you remember why the Canadian Berserker is so flippin’ cool. In "First Blood," Loeb takes his readers through a twisted reoccurring dream Logan suffers involving creatures that have a striking resemblance to two familiar faces. Then Wolverine and Sabretooth duke it out while Wolvie remembers Silver Fox and the day he lost her. After this shocking tale, Loeb and McGuinness pay homage to some of the industry’s greats by retelling the first meeting between Hulk and Wolverine.

When he puts his mind to it, when he loves the characters, Loeb can tell a story like few others. His mix of drama, comedy, and action are masterful and, dare I say, realistic. Furthermore, the never-ending battles between the archetypal characters Wolverine, Sabretooth, and Hulk could not be told anymore succinctly. There is no time wasted with posturing and posing. These men are fighters. In "First Blood," Wolverine wants Sabretooth out of the X-Mansion and he makes no qualms about it, at one point telling Rogue: "This is between me and him . . . You wanna make it between you and me . . . pick a different night." Following that story up with "Puny Little Man," Loeb dramatically changes his tone with a philosophical and lighthearted tribute to more than one classic moment in Marvel history.

This is ironic, since Wolverine #50 may someday be considered another classic. With the art of Simone Bianchi gracing the first story and Ed McGuinness handling the second, it seems clear. Bianchi’s art is raw, powerful, and dark. His style is classic, detailed, simple, and refined all at the same time. By adding European sensibilities to his paneling and pacing he is giving Wolverine a new look that cannot be ignored. But if that isn’t enough for the intrepid reader, McGuinness, who could almost aptly be described as Bianchi’s artistic opposite, gives his readers a kinetic, manga influenced style that jumps off the page with a bold flash. When Dave McCaig adds coloring reminiscent of the three-color print presses comics spun off of years and years ago, the second story is equally unforgettable.

Though the Wolverine/Sabretooth, Wolverine/Hulk battles are old ones, when the right creators join forces, new and powerful stories can be told. In Wolverine #50, that is exactly what is happening.