Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: Wolverine

Comic Comments: Get Mystique Final Repose

This is a one issue story that links the Wolverine Versus The X-Men arc with the following five book Wolverine’s Revenge! arc.

The credits for the issue are as follows: Jason Aaron writer, Daniel Acuña artist, Jae Lee with June Chung cover art, VC’s Cory Petit Letterer, Jared K. Fletcher designer, Jody Leheup asst. editor, Jeanine Schaefer editor, Nick Lowe group editor, Axel Alonso editor in chief, Joe Quesada chief creative officer, Dan Buckley publisher, and Alan Fine executive producer.

All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

This title refers to the Get Mystique arc that appeared in Wolverine Volume 3 Issues 62-65. Basically it’s the same story as that arc. Logan is out to kill Raven after he almost died because of her helping someone. There’s a chase. This one is just in San Francisco the other was all over the world. The arc was interrupted by flashbacks showing Raven and Logan’s relationship through the decades. This one isn’t we just get to the chase and fights. I’d hoped this story would put an end to all of this but the zinger at the end hints not. Like all things Marvel we may again end up chasing our tail doing the same tired story line over and over except in San Francisco and without flashbacks.

I want to point out that Raven and Logan have always had an odd relationship. Her son is his BFF. She has a thing for him and they have sex occasionally. Either it’s spite sex or he doesn’t know it’s her or it’s House of M and he’s forgotten he dislikes her. Either way since Raven’s relationship with Irene (aka Destiny) ended she’s been trying to get in Logan’s pants. As I said she has succeeded a few times. In this issue he tells her he’s had enough of her. Has he had a enough that he’ll now kill his BFF’s mom since Kurt isn’t alive to see it?

As for the art, let’s start with the cover. Again lovely anatomy, great coloring, but Mystique’s face? I guess running from Wolverine gives you bags under your eyes. Overall I like it best from this cover team so far. Still it’s too romancy for me and what goes on in the book. Trust me he doesn’t want to be that nice when he gets close to her no matter what he holds behind his back. Then again when did the cover of a comic ever accurately portray the contents? Another pet peeve of mine, also have it with movie posters.

The interior art is better than the last arc. Both were by Daniel Acuña. I have to admit there are a lot more panels here I like. Some are really nice, really nice. I’ll highlight just a few after the jump. Not so many panels with characters looking like cutouts pasted into an incompatible background. Though unfortunately there are some in this book the number is greatly reduced. Some panels still have the odd piss yellow outlining though other times it has given over to other colors. I still don’t like it and stop reading to think “why the heck did they outline that in that color?!?” So it throws me out of the story.

In the end I consider this a light weight issue. Just a bit of fluff fighting between old enemies before Logan goes after those who wronged him. I didn’t care if he got her or not. I’d done all of this before over more issues. I just wanted him to get on with going after the Red Right Hand so we could learn more about them. In the end it was much-to-do about nothing and he’s off for his revenge.

Now I’m off to a few panels with comments. Didn’t have many in this issue I cared to say anything about one way or the other. There are two scans after the jump.

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July 31, 2012
Comic Comments: Wolverine Versus the X-Men

This arc is a three issue arc taking Wolverine volume 4 issues 6-8. It follows up on the Wolverine Goes To Hell story picking up where issue 5 ended.

Here’s the credits for this arc: Writer: Jason Aaron, Artist: Daniel Acuña, Cover Art: Jae Lee with June Chung, Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit, Designer: Jared K. Fletcher, Asst. Editor: Jody Leheup, Editor Jeanine Schaefer, Group Editor: Nick Lowe, Editor in Chief: Axel Alonso, Chief Creative Officer: Joe Quesada, Publisher: Dan Buckley, Executive Producer: Alan Fine.

All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

Logan’s soul comes back to his body after the spiritual abduction but the demons possessing the flesh haven’t left. The problem is there are too many occupants in his head. They are battling for control inside and out.

Again we have a two aspect story. The battle for Logan’s soul inside him and the battle to keep his physical being from doing harm. Just like when the Hand controlled him back in the Enemy of the State he’s battling his own X-Men. Yes, a worn-out plot line that I hope to never see again but gee – lookie at the Avengers Vs X-Men line going on now, or schism, or well the list get longer every year.

For this arc I was again bored with what was going on in the outside world. Sure Scott has a Danger Room program to help the team practice killing Wolverine. They all fret with the ‘oh noes’ but we’ll do what we have to do.

The new spin on the old tattered plot of what goes on in Wolvie’s head is this time he’s battling demons literally. He calls up all aspects of himself to do battle. We see Patch, Weapon X, Department H, Death, and many other personas he has taken over his long life. The lead Logan starts out nude (again) and dons Samurai’s armor to lead the battle. The team do what Logan claims his the best at doing, fight the enemy.

The X-Women decide they have to give him a chance by going in there to help in the fight. Emma leads the brain invasion and Melita insists on going along to help her man.

Once in Logan’s head we are treated to touch moments and silly ones. At one point there are guideposts labeled The One That Got Away, What To Do About Daken, Things I Should Te.., Beer Garden, Memories of Mariko, and Things That Bug Me About Scott. There are labeled doors as the women investigate his mind and the doors are entitled Reasons To Hate Myself (that one has Dr. Rot’s graffiti tag, if you’ve not read that arc GET IT. It is awesome story and interor art! Insane In The Brain arc in Wolverine Weapon X TBP), Secrets of Weapon X, X-Men I’ve Had Sex With, How I Cheat At Cards, Hopes and Dreams, Sexual Fantasies, Football, Faith, and Self-Loathing. We don’t always see what’s behind the doors but the woman’s reaction to looking into some of the room often tells us what’s there. I’ll leave it to you to read the story to see what is there, as the contents don’t effect the story.

Eventually as the fortress that’s Logan’s heart begins to fall to the demon horde he throws the women from his mind. They are back to the boring reality of ‘oh noes do we kill him?’ But in his mind he still has two allies, one is Kurt who suggests he’s not an aspect of Logan’s mind but something more. The other is Jean as the Phoenix (need I point out this is another WAY over used plot device?).

I don’t think I’ll spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t read it to say in the end Logan is victorious over the demons. I mean it’s not a possessed Logan that’s running the school and once again battling the X-Men today. So you know he makes it through. How he does addresses the torch he’s carried for Jean for so long. Also his given good advice by Kurt but does he take it?

How do you know when Logan is no longer possessed? He wakes up and asks for a drink and hugs his woman. Ahhh, sweet. Good thing Scott waffles so much giving Logan time to wake up. Once again it’s close but they scuffle as class 4 mutants do and as they did yet again Schism.

I do not like the interior art. It has many of the issues discussed in DarXide’s article Photoshop of Horrors article. I found it distracting. Remember the coloring books where the outline of each part was a heavy line? Yeah that’s what this looked like, like characters were cut out and stuck on the felt board background. I don’t like it but I’ve seen much worse.

The cover art again suffers from pinched faces. Everyone looks down their nose at Logan in the first cover. In the second cover Wolvie has a dowager’s hump and has lost a lot of weight. The third one has Scott straining way too much. But all of them do have great anatomy and beautiful coloring. So it’s a give and take situation.

The story is a single issue entitled Get Mystique The Final Repose. It sets us up for the five book arc of Wolverine’s Revenge. Stay tuned after the cut for spoilery scans with my comments. If not until next friends!

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July 30, 2012
Comic Comments – Happy

This is something new to me in comic numbering. It’s Wolverine Volume 4 Issue 5.1. Yeah that’s a point one on the issue number it came out between 5 and 6 but the story doesn’t fit there. Really this is a one-off put out as a stand-alone interruption of the whole title’s over arching story line. Why it was done like this only the secret Star Chamber of Marvel knows.

Any way, the issue title is Happy and here’s the credits: Writer: Jason Aaron, Art: Jefte Palo, Colors: Nathan Fairbairn, Cover: Palo Rivera, Letters: VC’s Cory Petit, Asst. Editor: Jody Leheup, Editor: Jeanine Schaefer, Group Editor: Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada, Publisher: Dan Buckley, Executive Producer: Alan Fine.

All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

This is a a really simple sweet story. Melita throws Logan a surprise birthday party and invites all of his friends. However, Logan is distracted by saving a truck driver from cannibals on his way to meet her (can’t tell you how many times that’s happened to me). We see Melita learning the Marvel superhero crowd. To me the stand out stars of this are Jessica and Luke Cage. Very good couple interaction there and funny side comments.

Second we get some growth from Logan. Instead of following his instinct and dispatching the cannibals he turns them over to the law. That’s improvement, he’s doing what a Howlett would do not what a Logan would do. However the result might not be what he intended, read the issue to see what happened.

As for the art I’m of mixed feelings. First off I don’t dig the cover, that’s a fanboy cover right there for a sweet story of girlfriend throws a party and meets his friends. Fangurl cover would have Logan in his civvies like he is in the story, maybe a bit dirty from the fight.

The internal art runs from good to awful depending on the panel. So over all it left me blase about it. I’ll point out the good, the bad, and the ugly in the spoiler panels after the jump. I’ll whine again that I miss Sean Chen. I know, I know, it’s been years since he’s done Wolverine but he’s my favorite it was pretty, pretty art.

In the end I liked the story it gives us more reason to adore Logan and Melita together. She’s so good for him. We learn more about James Howlett that even Logan had forgotten despite having recovered memories. All is well that ends well and this one ends well for the couple. So PTI (Pardon the interruption) of the point one issue and we’ll return to the over arching story arc that follows the story line of what happened after Wolverine Goes to Hell. It’s told in a three issue arc entitled Wolverine Versus the X-Men.

NOW FOR THE SPOILERY BITS

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July 29, 2012
Comic Comments – Wolverine Goes To Hell

This starts Volume 4 of the Wolverine comic. I’m not sure why they started a new volume with new number just until they got to what would be the 300th issue then went back to Volume 1 numbering but kept Volume 4 designation. They didn’t consult or explain this to me. Any way, the arc takes the first five issues of the volume.

Here’s the credits for the arc: Writer: Jason Aaron, Pencils: Renato Guedes, Inks: Jose Wilson Magalhaes, Colors: Matt Wilson, Covers: Jae Lee with Jun Chung, Letters: VC’s Cory Petit, Asst. Editor: Jody Leheup, Editor: Jeanine Schaefer, Group Editor: Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada, Publisher: Dan Buckley, Exec. Producer: Alan Fine.

A bit of the legal disclaimer – All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique.

Let’s start with the art. The covers are pretty but honestly they don’t do it for me. There’s something about the faces I don’t like, covers 3 and 5 especially. Also the hair doesn’t do it for me either. Yet I appreciate the anatomy and colors of the pieces. Over all I can say they are great art. Yet I still have to say they aren’t to my liking either. I appreciate the talent but don’t enjoy the image as a fan.

As for the interior art. I like it. I’d rate it as some of the best. It’s not cracked into ‘OMG this is awesome’ but unlike the first issues of Wolverine and the X-Men I don’t cringe and force myself to read the comic either. I enjoyed this art, it did what comic book art does – support and tell the story. It did distract with unpleasant art or unique art techniques. It supported and made itself part of the story telling experience which is what I’m looking for when I pick up a comic.

I have to admit when I learned about the basic premise of this arc I wasn’t thrilled. I was left very cold. I don’t like aliens, magic, supernatural stuff in my X-Men. I love it in my Dresden Files, Fables, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. but I don’t like it in my X-Men. Often I reimagine it to a more mundane explanation – they aren’t aliens they are other mutants, it’s not magic it’s a mutation, etc. Nothing wrong with making a story to my liking. Given that take I went into this arc reluctantly.

The basic concept is an unknown group has spiritually kidnapped Logan’s soul sending it literally to Hell. Since his body is vacant it is taken over by demons from the pit. In the tradition of the Enemy of State arc. Yeah basicly the same plot premise rewarmed with demons and a shadowy group in control instead of HYDRA and The Hand, or Weapon X, or his beserker rage, or what ever mind/body control flavor of the month. Been there done that got so many t-shirts I don’t want one that says “Possessed Wolverine Attacked Friends.” I was so bored with this part of the story I found myself flipping forward to the scenes back in Hell. I’d seen this type of story too much to care about what happened.

While he’s in Hell Logan must face his past. Yes like so many arcs where we see inside his head while he’s healing from being almost dead. Except this time he’s not in his head he’s in Hell. Again I declined the t-shirt as we visited an overused plot device.

I have to say that after reading the arc I came out with mixed feelings. Thinking about it I told Aaron what I thought and he summed it up best “bad premise good execution.” Yeah, not something you see often really. However I’m reading the arc with the knowledge of how it plays out many issues later. This is a growth for the character of Logan, something he’s been needing for some time. He’s been treading water in regrets and pining for Mariko for years. It’s also been years that he’s had his memories. He need to put to rest his daddy issues of Thomas Logan, biological father, versus John Howlett, father figure that raised him. All these agonies were moving at first but like the friend that won’t get over being dumped eventually you want to shout at him “DEAL WITH IT ALREADY.” This arc provides the answers for Logan to those things very well. He literally faces and defeats his demons. A very heavy handed way of turning a metaphor literal. That’s another thing I don’t like about it. I like finesse in writing but I admit it’s done effectively.

Let’s face it Logan’s 130 years old. It’s about time he grew up and dealt. He’s in a stable relationship with a good woman. Melita fights for him in this arc. He’s got a good moral compass and he has more experience that any other mutant on his various teams. So it stands to reason this well trained warrior take on leadership despite being some what of a lone wolf in aspects of his personality. What endears him to me is that he is the romantic that despite this hard life he has he still aspires to love, to goodness, to right winning even if that doesn’t mean he gets those things. He’s willing to make the most noble sacrifices of all, self sacrifice. He’ll do anything for a friend and that is what’s used as a turning point in this story. Which is what sells it to me. That and the fact that to reach all of Logan you gotta beat the answer into him, and trust me the Devil is the one to do that. He’ll enjoy beating bitter lessons into a reluctant hero.

The final selling point for me was I knew going into reading this arc that what happened here and followed made major life changes for James Howlett. I hope we don’t ever have to endure another possession arc (Yeah I know Dr. Rott is out there and in the current arc) or another confronting demons in alternate reality (be it in his head or in Hell). That is what would make this arc more powerful. It ended all that and opened a new era for the character. Did it? Well only time will tell.

Now for the fun part – individual pages or panels from the issues with my comments. WARNING THESE ARE SPOILERY

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July 27, 2012
Why Superman Isn’t My Hero

Giant Superman by J. Stephen Conn on Flickr. Image used under Creative Commons 2.0 Attribution Non-Commercial License.

I’ve never liked goody-goody heroes. I don’t find it interesting to see a perfect person do perfect things saving schmoes like me from the problems and troubles we find ourselves.

I prefer my heroes to be relatable. I want them to have dents, bangs and scratches from real life. I want them to be tempted to do what’s easy, to go for revenge, or to be self-serving. Sometimes I want a hero to act not necessarily from noble motivation but do what’s expedient. C’mon the rest of us do that would a hero at least be tempted? at least dismiss those thoughts?

I’m a fan of the reluctant hero. The one that rises to the occasion because there is no one else to do so. The one that doesn’t want to be there and if Superman or Captain America swooped in to take over my hero would gladly let them. Yet since the goody-goodies aren’t there and my hero is, they do the best they can to do the right thing even if they regret it the whole time. The old “why did I get involved” or in Die Hard John McClane’s “come to the west coast…” line.

I can relate to a hero like that. I can’t relate to a hero that doesn’t have a devil on their shoulder. One that isn’t always doing the right thing. I guess that’s why I loved Batman first. Yep my first word in this life was Batman. Tell me I wasn’t destined for the darker heroes and to read comics. I still like Bruce Wayne but I’ve fallen hard for James “Logan” Howlett aka Wolverine. Heck I like Josey Wales, ” I ain’t got nothin’ better to do.”

As a writer I know good characters aren’t one dimensional but multidimensional. I strive to make my villains be antagonists not purely evil but the one my lead character is struggling against. I want the reader to sympathize with both characters but their loyalties ultimately fall with my lead character, the hero, the protagonist. Now my lead won’t always do the right thing he’ll have flaws because those are challenges to his growth in the piece as is the confrontation with the antagonist. He has to deal with himself to deal with his opponent and that to me is not only interesting but more realistic. In the end neither my protagonist or antagonist are the same people they were at the beginning. If they were confronted with the same situation again they’d act differently because of the experiences in my story. To me those are good characters, they grow, they change. A story is getting a big change in their lives but if I read another story later down the timeline I can see they are changed from their experiences. That keeps me reading. Goody-goodies don’t change they just go about doing good for good sake.

Perfection bores me. I won’t read it very long. It’s predictable. It’s something I’ll never be. BUT I’d like to think if I was forced into the right situation despite my wishes to be rescued I’d do the right thing until someone more qualified or better at it came along. Then like John McClane I’d kiss their dalmatian for saving me. I can relate to having to rise to the circumstances, or doing what’s right despite the desire not to do it. I’m just human and that’s what I want my heroes to be at heart- human.

You are going to get tired of reading this but as always I’d love to chat with you. Tell me what you think and you are welcome to disagree (politely). You can comment here, it’ll show up when I get it. You can reach out to me on Google+, Flickr, or Twitter (@marylouiseklund). You can e-mail me at marylouiseelund @ (with two e’s unlike Twitter) gmail.com or yahoo.com.

Until next time!

January 27, 2012