Broken Frontier

Dugan finally catches Wolverine and Wolverine finally meets his son. This can only add up to one thing, bad mojo for everyone’s favorite berserker mutant.

I’ve always been skeptical of this title. Did we really need another monthly book starring the Canadian Berserker? I’m still not convinced, however, Daniel Way and Steve Dillon are doing a masterful job trying to sway me. In issue #10 we see the cat and mouse game Wolverine and Dum Dum Dugan have been playing since issue #1 come to a close. We see Omega Red’s violent tendencies fully explored in a bloody battle with S.H.I.E.L.D. And last, but surely not least, we see Wolverine cry.

Reading this title is like facing down the barrel of a gun. There is no room for interpretation or pedantic pondering as to what any of it means. It is a story about a sad, brutal man who has led a sad, brutal life. We see the tragedy, violence, confusion, and sorrow that would haunt a man like Wolverine. We don’t need to wonder why Logan is so jaded, Daniel Way shows us. With the sordid past, legacy of violence, and uncertain future Way gives Wolvie, there is no way this title can be anything but significant to the character’s growth. Though I would say the last thing Wolverine needs right now is a son, perhaps Way knows this, and that is what makes the story so interesting.

If reading this title is like facing down the barrel of a gun, then seeing it is like a bullet to the brain. Steve Dillon’s art has a simple, and at times horrible, beauty to it. The line work is smooth and direct and the shading is dark and heavy, complementing Way’s script well. Again, there is no room for interpretation. Dillon’s images are what they are. They are stark, they are overwhelming, and they are crisp. In short, Barry Windsor-Smith has a clear successor in this industry who can carry the mantle of the classic, dignified artist who follows no trends but is perpetually ahead of the game.

Maybe Origins was an unnecessary series created more for marketability than public demand. Ironically, its origins don’t matter. By focusing on his tragic past instead of his convoluted and somewhat stereotypical present, Way and Dillon are approaching Wolverine from an angle long overdue. If anything, it’s worth a look.