Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Wolverine #17
Marvel Comics
Aaron, Garney & Keith
Billed as the perfect jumping on point I found this issue of Wolverine to be fun, accessible and provide an interesting enough story to continue reading future issues. The book picks up from some major events in Wolverine's life but before he can begin to deal with the fallout or start anew he's sidetracked into some old problems that he seems to have ignored for too long. This issue may not be Wolverine fighting Omega Red or Sabretooth but it sure has enough in it to keep me entertained throughout. This was a good read.
A recap page seems to summarize every issue of Wolverine that Jason Aaron has written over the last three years. He manages to tie it up into just a few sentences and at this point I was wondered why he was bothering to reference a mini-series he'd written about Wolverine in Chinatown until I realized this issue really doesn't have anything to do with Regenesis as the cover suggests. Inside I see that the arc is aptly titled, "Goodbye Chinatown". The cover seems to be really misleading.
Wolverine tries (and badly at that) to explain to his girlfriend why he is leaving her for a new start in New York when they are interrupted by a kid from Chinatown. Wolverine then follows Yuen Yee back to Master Po for a scolding.
Wolverine was basically left in charge of Chinatown after the mini series back in 2008 but it doesn't seem like he's done much there since then. In fact, the place seems to have completely fallen apart and it would appear that Wolverine is partially to blame.
Master Po leads Wolverine to the folks he needs to stab and Wolverine and friends end up in a lot of hot water. The last few pages of the issue includes talking gorillas, dragons and some ninja assassins that might be familiar to some readers.
This is a fun comic. The beauty of the issue is the dialogue that Wolverine engages in with almost every character. There are simply no boring parts to this comic book because there seems to be a chuckle or a one-liner on every page. The issue also bounces from scene to scene and includes just enough action to keep the issue honest. Combine that with the fact that Wolverine has a solidly presented supporting cast in the book that are mostly made up of D-listers and you have an issue that feels like something that matters in Wolverine's universe. This is tough to do with a character as overused as he is.
The artwork is terrific. Garney has a real talent for drawing grand things like gorillas and dragons but he also excels here with strong character emotions and reactions, especially with Wolverine and his girlfriend. Overall, the visuals are equally as exciting as the story.
Wolverine seems like the kind of title that is tough to get into. The character is all over the place in the Marvel Universe but Aaron seems to really keep him contained in his own little world really well without ignoring all the other appearances he makes. This book actually is a good jumping on point as far as I can tell. You might not find Kung-Fu to be your thing but there are still enough Wolverine moments in here to keep the hardcore Wolverine fans pleased I would think. I definitely recommend picking this book up.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
