OLD MAN LOGAN

I'm not a regular Wolverine comic reader. I do love his character but usually steer clear of all mutant-related comics except for Uncanny X-Men because there are SO MANY X-Men and Wolverine comics out there that I can't keep up...and neither can my budget. Plus, I've always been more of a DC fan than Marvel, mostly because of the writing quality (with a few exceptions).

A friend of mine told me about the "Old Man Logan" storyline that recently ran through the Wolverine comic (issues 66-72) and told me it was a "must read." On his advice, I picked up all eight issues (at $2.99 each, that's a lot of cash to drop on a new series just on the advice of one person). They were all third or fourth variants; I guessed the story was that popular and in-demand, although I had heard nothing about it previously.

The story centers around Wolverine -- now just going by Logan -- 50 years in the future. And what a bleak future it is. The superheroes have all gone away and the US is divided into five parts, four parts being run by a different supervillain. The fifth -- in the middle of the country -- is just overrun with dinosaurs. (Yup, you heard me.) Wolverine is making a home with his wife and two kids in the Hulk Family-controlled part of the country when an old, blind Hawkeye pays him a visit and asks for his assistance. There are also random Marvel characters placed throughout the entire storyline. Not only is this a story about an aged Logan, it's a story about ALL Marvel superheroes (and villains!). We get to see their existence (or non-existence, as the case may be) fifty years from now.

I sat and read all eight issues in one sitting. All I can say is...WOW. That has to be the best Wolverine story I've read since his very first limited series back in the 80s (before he was super-popular and so well-known). It was SO well-written by Mark Millar and so beautifully drawn by Steve McNiven. What I loved most about the story was that there were so few words on the pages. I got to see the beautiful, realistic artwork, yet get a fantastic sense of the story. That's the sign of a great writer. He showed his audience the story; he didn't tell it.

The finale of the Old Man Logan story can be found in the September 23, 2009, release of Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-Size #1. I, for one, can't wait. After this, I would love to see (and buy) an Old Man Logan monthly series. This is one of the best pieces of work Marvel has produced. Ever. I, too, will recommend it to everyone.