REVIEW: Dark Wolverine #75

Don Chiavon — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:33:16 +0000

In the midst of Dark Reign, Norman Osborn has assembled his own team of Avengers, many of them criminals who’ve assumed the identities of existing heroes.

One such is Daken, who’s usurped the identity of his father, Wolverine. While I’ve followed this current Wolverine series from the very beginning, I was largely unfamiliar with Logan’s upstart offspring, as he was introduced in Wolverine: Origins, a title I didn’t stick with for very long. And when I’d heard that the imposters would be taking over their counterparts’ books, I have to admit that I went into this book fully expecting to dislike it.

I was wrong. I really enjoyed reading this, especially as a complement to the Dark Avengers series. Written by Daniel Way and Marjorie Liu, Dark Wolverine #75 shows Daken to be a master manipulator in his own right. While he may have agreed to take a spot on Osborn’s team to get under the skin of his old man, Wolverine, (heh. Old Man Wolverine. See what I did there?), it seems he’s determined to have fun while he basks in the spotlight that his new identity brings. His interactions with his teammates, particularly Hawkeye/Bullseye, are VERY entertaining, and it’s obvious that he’s nobody’s pawn, as he uses secret abilities to play those around him and set his own machinations into motion. The artwork by Giuseppe Camuncoli is nothing less than beautiful. Camuncoli seems like a shoe-in for Marvel’s Young Guns stable of artists.

I’ve always found the Wolverine series to be largely hit or miss, depending on who the creative team was. The recent “Old Man Wolverine” arc was fantastic, so, as I stated already, I didn’t have high hopes. I know it’s only been one issue, but if this series continues to showcase the same type of high level storytelling, it’ll quickly jump to the top of my must read list.
(my rating for this book)

Item Reviewed: Dark Wolverine #75 Marvel Comic Book
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Reviewer: Don Chiavon
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2009
Summary: "I really enjoyed reading this, especially as a complement to the Dark Avengers series"

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Tags: marvel-comic, marvel-comics, spiderman, uncanny-x-men, comicbook

REVIEW: Ultimate Spider-Man #133

Don Chiavon — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:55:41 +0000

What started Marvel's Ultimate line off with a bang has now ended with nary a whimper.

The final issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, #133, ties in with the Ultimate Universe changing event Ultimatum, and you basically have to have read that series to understand what's going on in this issue. As confusing as that is, the writer, Brian Michael Bendis, makes things worse by making this a silent issue. That is, not a single word of dialogue is spoken in the entire book.

Now, there have been silent issues in the best that have been done right... G.I. Joe #21, (Marvel, 1983), comes to mind...but this is the total OPPOSITE of doing it right. After a stellar run of 132 issues, all written by Bendis and all a cut above most other books on the shelves today, to have this be the finale is truly a massive blunder. There's no closure, no hint of the continuity that came before to reward long-time fans of the series. Spider-Man himself doesn't even appear in the book!

I understand that Marvel wants to leave you guessing about the status quo for the impending re-launch of this title, but this not only felt like a cheat, but also seemed inexcusably... lazy. I've been onboard for Ultimate Spider-Man's run from the very first issue, but this doesn't feel like a worthy closing to a long-running saga of high caliber stories. It feels like a cash-grab, pure and simple. (my rating for this book)

Item Reviewed: Ultimate Spider-Man #133 Marvel Comic Book
Rating: 1.5/5.0
Reviewer: Don Chiavon
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2009
Summary: "What started Marvel's Ultimate line off with a bang has now ended with nary a whimper."