What do you think?
Rate this book
Wolverine (2003) (Collected Editions) #15
Wolverine: The Reckoning
His final confrontation with Romulus on the horizon, Wolverine reaches out to a friend to help him put to rest one of the greatest tragedies of his long, long life--the death of Mariko Yashida. And in Dark Wolverine, Daken's moment finally arrives. In one fell swoop, Daken plans to both destroy his father and achieve his destiny. The streets of Ankara run red with blood as Daken faces off against...Romulus!
Collecting: Wolverine: Origins 46-50, Dark Wolverine 85-87
Collecting: Wolverine: Origins 46-50, Dark Wolverine 85-87
144 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2010
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 20, 2015
You know that anything Wolverine with the title The Reckoning isn’t going to end with balloons, party hats and cake.*
Herein you have multiple stabbings with a variety of implements, explosions, gunfire, Skaar (aka Baby Hulk), punches, kicks and half a hug.
The first half features Romulus (don’t know what happened with Remus), a clawed villain who has been around for centuries - who makes it his purpose in life to torment Wolverine. The rest of the volume features poor conflicted Wolverine wrestling with his inner demons. Naturally, he does it grandly because he’s the best at what he does. This includes moping.
The glue that holds this together is the combative relationship between Wolverine and his son, Daken. It could be something right out of Turgenev, except they’re trying to gut each other every other panel. “Hey, Dad, you wanna have a catch?” isn’t something you’ll read here unless they’re tossing around live hand grenades.
Advice to Nick Fury: Don’t hang out with Wolverine when he’s in one of his berserker moods and if you do, pack plenty of band aids.
The artwork, especially the Dark Wolverine stuff, drags down a half way decent plot.
*Unless of course Anne bakes something awesome. https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/...
Herein you have multiple stabbings with a variety of implements, explosions, gunfire, Skaar (aka Baby Hulk), punches, kicks and half a hug.
The first half features Romulus (don’t know what happened with Remus), a clawed villain who has been around for centuries - who makes it his purpose in life to torment Wolverine. The rest of the volume features poor conflicted Wolverine wrestling with his inner demons. Naturally, he does it grandly because he’s the best at what he does. This includes moping.
The glue that holds this together is the combative relationship between Wolverine and his son, Daken. It could be something right out of Turgenev, except they’re trying to gut each other every other panel. “Hey, Dad, you wanna have a catch?” isn’t something you’ll read here unless they’re tossing around live hand grenades.
Advice to Nick Fury: Don’t hang out with Wolverine when he’s in one of his berserker moods and if you do, pack plenty of band aids.
The artwork, especially the Dark Wolverine stuff, drags down a half way decent plot.
*Unless of course Anne bakes something awesome. https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/...
August 6, 2023
This volume concluded the Wolverine: Origins series with a crossover with the Dark Wolverine title. It brought together father and son, Logan and Daken, as they team-up to bring down the mastermind of Logan's misfortunes and manipulations through his long life.
The return of Daken brought full circle the character who debuted in the Wolverine: Origins title, as a result of retroactive continuity by the author.
The last issue of Wolverine: Origins ended on a positive and redeeming note, as much as satisfying ending it could get. If only had a better villain. Somehow, a giant who looks like the illegitimate offspring of Wolverine Sabretooth, with an extra helping of claws, didn't pan out as intended, given that no other writer has used the character beyond this series. I have to admit that using the name Romulus was nice nod to tie it to the legend of the founding of Rome, but beyond that, a letdown after the hype.
The return of Daken brought full circle the character who debuted in the Wolverine: Origins title, as a result of retroactive continuity by the author.
The last issue of Wolverine: Origins ended on a positive and redeeming note, as much as satisfying ending it could get. If only had a better villain. Somehow, a giant who looks like the illegitimate offspring of Wolverine Sabretooth, with an extra helping of claws, didn't pan out as intended, given that no other writer has used the character beyond this series. I have to admit that using the name Romulus was nice nod to tie it to the legend of the founding of Rome, but beyond that, a letdown after the hype.
June 14, 2011
The one-two punch of such bad dialogue in two series shows there's no shortage of tin-eared writers in the Marvel U. The Dark Wolverine (Daken) story is particularly painful to read, so I'm gonna have to lay the lion's share of blame for that on Liu's head. She just tries so hard to channel pompous, aristocratic, seething anger - but it feels more like a child "pretending" those things, trying so hard to emulate what they see in their elders. Even the final wrap-up "emotional closure and rebirth" story rings false, like a bell made from rusted steel.
Ugh, I want to drink some acid to wash that taste out of my mouth.
Ugh, I want to drink some acid to wash that taste out of my mouth.
March 26, 2021
Wolverine: The Reckoning. Essentially volume 9 and the final volume of the series that started as Wolverine: Origins. It feels great to have finally read the conclusion to this series. This run was one of the first comic runs I got into, but I didn’t get around to finishing back in the day.
For me this is a satisfying conclusion to this story arc for Logan. The series has revolved around him gaining his memories and trying to turn his life around. To not be manipulated and let his dark past define him.
Where the previous volume had a lot of guest stars and the formation of that team to help with Romulus, this volume narrows the focus back in on the core story and characters. The Wolverines of Logan and his son Daken, plus the bad guy that has been present one way or another throughout the series - Romulus.
Other characters do show up throughout this volume, but they don’t steal the spotlight away from Logan, this is very much his, and his son’s Daken’s book.
We get decent and satisfying resolutions here. We get an epic blockbuster show down with Romulus, apt for the finale. There is a good twist with this, and it went in a direction I wasn’t expecting.
As well as Romulus we get the showdown between Logan and Daken. Father and son. This series has been building towards that as much as it has the Romulus one. This also has a satisfying conclusion. We get to see how both characters have developed, and if they have been changed by events.
Then the finale itself. What I Do storyline. This acts as an epilogue and wrap to the whole series. We get to revisit key events and people in Logan’s life up to this point. It’s Logan coming to terms with what he has done and trying to forge a new path. I really enjoyed the message behind this. The only thing that lets it down, is it feels slightly rushed to get to the conclusion, and the vehicle for Logan coming to these personal revelations was an odd choice.
The artwork/artists change once again. Not surprising as it’s collecting the Wolverine: Origins series, plus issues from Daken’s Dark Wolverine. The art however is great throughout and a similar style to the previous volume, so it doesn’t feel jarring.
Overall for me, a satisfying and thought provoking conclusion to the series. It has explored different sides to the Wolverine character, especially the ending itself. This for me has certainly helped recement Logan/Wolverine as one of my favourite Marvel characters.
For me this is a satisfying conclusion to this story arc for Logan. The series has revolved around him gaining his memories and trying to turn his life around. To not be manipulated and let his dark past define him.
Where the previous volume had a lot of guest stars and the formation of that team to help with Romulus, this volume narrows the focus back in on the core story and characters. The Wolverines of Logan and his son Daken, plus the bad guy that has been present one way or another throughout the series - Romulus.
Other characters do show up throughout this volume, but they don’t steal the spotlight away from Logan, this is very much his, and his son’s Daken’s book.
We get decent and satisfying resolutions here. We get an epic blockbuster show down with Romulus, apt for the finale. There is a good twist with this, and it went in a direction I wasn’t expecting.
As well as Romulus we get the showdown between Logan and Daken. Father and son. This series has been building towards that as much as it has the Romulus one. This also has a satisfying conclusion. We get to see how both characters have developed, and if they have been changed by events.
Then the finale itself. What I Do storyline. This acts as an epilogue and wrap to the whole series. We get to revisit key events and people in Logan’s life up to this point. It’s Logan coming to terms with what he has done and trying to forge a new path. I really enjoyed the message behind this. The only thing that lets it down, is it feels slightly rushed to get to the conclusion, and the vehicle for Logan coming to these personal revelations was an odd choice.
The artwork/artists change once again. Not surprising as it’s collecting the Wolverine: Origins series, plus issues from Daken’s Dark Wolverine. The art however is great throughout and a similar style to the previous volume, so it doesn’t feel jarring.
Overall for me, a satisfying and thought provoking conclusion to the series. It has explored different sides to the Wolverine character, especially the ending itself. This for me has certainly helped recement Logan/Wolverine as one of my favourite Marvel characters.
August 26, 2022
This was a pretty decent conclusion to the series, although the final two issues felt like a letdown after the big climax in issue 48. Overall they did manage to tie up many of the loose ends, but keep things open for future stories at the same time. The whole Romulus storyline still wasn't my favorite, but all things considered it was well done. I give the series as a whole a thumbs up.
June 1, 2018
Fantastic conclusion to Way's Wolverine: Origin Series.
However.
While the resolution and conclusion were satisfying, I am still left wondering 'why Romulus?' There was absolutely nothing about that character that couldn't have been done with Mr. Sinister. Maybe in that current timeline, Sinister was unavailable (he became a woman and his daughter...huh?). But still, so much history was set up and developed for Sinister and aside from the genetics and bloodline breeding programs, he was no different from Romulus.
Except for Romulus had fashioned himself into a Wolverine-type predator, even to the point that he had fake comic-con like claws. So, living for eons, only now he decides he wants to emulate Wolverine to make Wolverine like him? Huh? What? How does that work?
And his plans are so intricate, it's not the kind of plans that a bloodthirsty alpha-predatory would make. They were the plans that Sinister would make.
Then the general look of him, for most of the series when he was seen in shadows, was reminiscent of Sabertooth. Why?
So I get Way was going for that kind of animalistic menace, but then why some shadowy secretive running everything behind the scenes, out Furying Nick Fury character? Sabertooth and Wolverine, and now Daken, aren't exactly known for being subtle.
So that's my beef with the story, which with the ending being so satisfying, I'm just going to have to swallow.
The artwork is a definite step down from Braithwaite. For the most part, it was good, but there were some very odd angles. There was the unnecessary crotch shot with the POV angling up between Wolverine and Romulus' legs. Then the top down POV shot of boobs. I admit to liking boobs in my comics, but it was pointless, awkward, and distracting in a way that was not helpful.
However.
While the resolution and conclusion were satisfying, I am still left wondering 'why Romulus?' There was absolutely nothing about that character that couldn't have been done with Mr. Sinister. Maybe in that current timeline, Sinister was unavailable (he became a woman and his daughter...huh?). But still, so much history was set up and developed for Sinister and aside from the genetics and bloodline breeding programs, he was no different from Romulus.
Except for Romulus had fashioned himself into a Wolverine-type predator, even to the point that he had fake comic-con like claws. So, living for eons, only now he decides he wants to emulate Wolverine to make Wolverine like him? Huh? What? How does that work?
And his plans are so intricate, it's not the kind of plans that a bloodthirsty alpha-predatory would make. They were the plans that Sinister would make.
Then the general look of him, for most of the series when he was seen in shadows, was reminiscent of Sabertooth. Why?
So I get Way was going for that kind of animalistic menace, but then why some shadowy secretive running everything behind the scenes, out Furying Nick Fury character? Sabertooth and Wolverine, and now Daken, aren't exactly known for being subtle.
So that's my beef with the story, which with the ending being so satisfying, I'm just going to have to swallow.
The artwork is a definite step down from Braithwaite. For the most part, it was good, but there were some very odd angles. There was the unnecessary crotch shot with the POV angling up between Wolverine and Romulus' legs. Then the top down POV shot of boobs. I admit to liking boobs in my comics, but it was pointless, awkward, and distracting in a way that was not helpful.
June 18, 2018
3,5*
A surprisingly satisfying finale.
Once I'll get over the who-the-fuck-is-this-Romulus-guy-anyway? part that nags me I might even find it actually great.
Wolvie finally and astutely deals with both the overgrown terrier and his psycho son. Not permanently of course, that would be counterproductive money-wise, but in a way that doesn't make me feel like I've been cheated of something. The way Daken is dealt with is actually rather well thought and done.
So, would I recommend the whole run?
Yes. It starts really well, deeply sags in the (long) middle but finds a second wind toward the end to a good ending.
We're introduced to Daken- not exactly an interesting character so far, way too psycho- and Romulus, the mysterious behind-the-scenes operator with shadowy origins and motives still unexplained. I'm not convinced with this character; his feral nature goes against his over complicated long-term schemes. I won't even mention his Village People biker looks that somehow don't add much credibility. His ultimate goal sounds a bit feeble, which indirectly undermines Wolvie's own good plan to counter it.
What's to save? A very good beginning, full of action, suspense and mystery. Some pretty good scenes from Wolvie's past, a very dark past. A good conclusion, adding depth to Wolverine who can't deny his past but still can write his own future. Also, Daniel Way writes a pretty good Wolvie for the most part.
A surprisingly satisfying finale.
Once I'll get over the who-the-fuck-is-this-Romulus-guy-anyway? part that nags me I might even find it actually great.
Wolvie finally and astutely deals with both the overgrown terrier and his psycho son. Not permanently of course, that would be counterproductive money-wise, but in a way that doesn't make me feel like I've been cheated of something. The way Daken is dealt with is actually rather well thought and done.
So, would I recommend the whole run?
Yes. It starts really well, deeply sags in the (long) middle but finds a second wind toward the end to a good ending.
We're introduced to Daken- not exactly an interesting character so far, way too psycho- and Romulus, the mysterious behind-the-scenes operator with shadowy origins and motives still unexplained. I'm not convinced with this character; his feral nature goes against his over complicated long-term schemes. I won't even mention his Village People biker looks that somehow don't add much credibility. His ultimate goal sounds a bit feeble, which indirectly undermines Wolvie's own good plan to counter it.
What's to save? A very good beginning, full of action, suspense and mystery. Some pretty good scenes from Wolvie's past, a very dark past. A good conclusion, adding depth to Wolverine who can't deny his past but still can write his own future. Also, Daniel Way writes a pretty good Wolvie for the most part.
April 21, 2016
Finally! I blitzed the whole series...thanks MU! A lot was rereading, but the end was new to me. I'm OK with the Skaar, Cloak, and Nightcrawler was essential, but after that...? Meh.
So are they trying to suggest that Romulus is THE Romulus? Brother who slew Remus, both suckled at the teat of she wolf before the founding of Rome? That would make some sense at least, when he says Logan is a wolf.
The last issue is dumb. Nick Fury poor fella...
On the whole I enjoyed but it went on too long for a payoff that was lacking...though I look forward to reading more Daken and see if anyone does a decent job on him....
So are they trying to suggest that Romulus is THE Romulus? Brother who slew Remus, both suckled at the teat of she wolf before the founding of Rome? That would make some sense at least, when he says Logan is a wolf.
The last issue is dumb. Nick Fury poor fella...
On the whole I enjoyed but it went on too long for a payoff that was lacking...though I look forward to reading more Daken and see if anyone does a decent job on him....
September 6, 2021
Ended with a frazzled and mournful little fart sound rather than a resounding bang. I just got sick of everyone being an asshole. Good riddance.
June 13, 2020
I'm not up to speed on the whole Romulus thing, and frankly I'm not a hunnert percent on Daken, either, but whatever...that's not really the point here.
What's more germane, I suppose, is that I've been with Wolvie from the very beginning, all the way back to Hulk #181 in 1974. Prolly I shouldn't give these things away online, but my son's name is Logan, which I suppose anybody with an Internet browser and a couple of spare minutes could figure out anyway, if they were so inclined. And if my dirtbag cousin hadn't stolen that comic from me in 1989 to pay for hookers or cocaine or whatever the hell he was up to back then in middle school, I'd still have it and it'd be one of my favorite possessions, even if it wouldn't be worth all that much money because I had already thumbed that thing to death long before it was stolen.
A few years ago my cousin wrote me a letter from the big house apologizing for stealing those comics (and no, that's not the reason he was on the inside, but a life of crime starts early, kids), and he may have even meant it, but I sorta doubt it because I think those types of letters are part of the deal you make to get out of jail early. Who knows? I haven't seen him in the last 30 years, and I don't have any plans to see him any time soon.
But all that backstory is kind of relevant to this whole review because I suppose the point here is that The Reckoning (at least in part) concerns itself with the problems created by the people we are related to, especially when they are assholes, and even worse if they are murderous, psychopathic assholes, which thankfully isn't my problem, as far as I know.
But I have to confess, I never really have had much interest in Daken. Maybe I haven't read the right comics yet, but nothing so far has really spoken to me. And as far as messed up families go, the authors just had to work in some Skaar/Hulk family dynamics into the mix, and that feels a bit out of place to me. Liu (I assume it's Liu) is trying to humanize Daken here in these pages; there are a couple of moments in Rome where she's really stretching it, showing a different side of the guy, trying to get me to care about his weirdly conflicted predator nature, but it didn't really work for me.
I guess I liked better the whole sharing a bottle in the Northwoods with Nick Fury more than anything else, but that, too, was a bit of a throw away. And don't get me started with Romulus, because even though I have confessed to not being up to speed with his character, the last thing the Wolverine storyline needs is one more layer of ridiculousness...the Canadian government, Weapon-X, Professor Xavier, the Hand, Romulus...how long before the next convoluted plot development occurs when we learn that what we learned what we learned what we learned about Wolverine really wasn't the case at all, and it was all just one more set of false memories and mental blocks grafted onto the last one masking the real, real, real truth? Frankly, it's just a tad too much.
What's more germane, I suppose, is that I've been with Wolvie from the very beginning, all the way back to Hulk #181 in 1974. Prolly I shouldn't give these things away online, but my son's name is Logan, which I suppose anybody with an Internet browser and a couple of spare minutes could figure out anyway, if they were so inclined. And if my dirtbag cousin hadn't stolen that comic from me in 1989 to pay for hookers or cocaine or whatever the hell he was up to back then in middle school, I'd still have it and it'd be one of my favorite possessions, even if it wouldn't be worth all that much money because I had already thumbed that thing to death long before it was stolen.
A few years ago my cousin wrote me a letter from the big house apologizing for stealing those comics (and no, that's not the reason he was on the inside, but a life of crime starts early, kids), and he may have even meant it, but I sorta doubt it because I think those types of letters are part of the deal you make to get out of jail early. Who knows? I haven't seen him in the last 30 years, and I don't have any plans to see him any time soon.
But all that backstory is kind of relevant to this whole review because I suppose the point here is that The Reckoning (at least in part) concerns itself with the problems created by the people we are related to, especially when they are assholes, and even worse if they are murderous, psychopathic assholes, which thankfully isn't my problem, as far as I know.
But I have to confess, I never really have had much interest in Daken. Maybe I haven't read the right comics yet, but nothing so far has really spoken to me. And as far as messed up families go, the authors just had to work in some Skaar/Hulk family dynamics into the mix, and that feels a bit out of place to me. Liu (I assume it's Liu) is trying to humanize Daken here in these pages; there are a couple of moments in Rome where she's really stretching it, showing a different side of the guy, trying to get me to care about his weirdly conflicted predator nature, but it didn't really work for me.
I guess I liked better the whole sharing a bottle in the Northwoods with Nick Fury more than anything else, but that, too, was a bit of a throw away. And don't get me started with Romulus, because even though I have confessed to not being up to speed with his character, the last thing the Wolverine storyline needs is one more layer of ridiculousness...the Canadian government, Weapon-X, Professor Xavier, the Hand, Romulus...how long before the next convoluted plot development occurs when we learn that what we learned what we learned what we learned about Wolverine really wasn't the case at all, and it was all just one more set of false memories and mental blocks grafted onto the last one masking the real, real, real truth? Frankly, it's just a tad too much.
July 15, 2018
Prelude to Reckoning (#46). One more time, Way goes back to the past with a look at Logan's relationship with Mariko and what her death meant to both of them. It's a wonderful, introspective, and emotionally moving story. It was "Origins" should have been [5/5].
Reckoning (#47-48 + DW #85-86). The fact that Wolverine has a master-plan that involves lies and double-crosses is a little hard to believe, but the fact that it ultimately comes down to punching Romulus and Daken, that's more believable. As is the fact that even that gets foiled. Though the finale of the Romulus story is about as mediocre as it has been since its introduction, Logan's relations with Daken are much more interesting here, and pull this story up a bit [3+/5].
What I Do (#49-50). Wolverine has delusions that make him a new man. There's some nice character relations with all his dead lovers, but otherwise there isn't a lot to this story [3+/5].
And The End is Always Near (#50). Hope and Logan talk about not much [2/5].
Idle Hands (WW #87). A good look at Daken following the loss of all his dreams, now that both the Dark Avengers and Romulus have been taken from him [4/5]. (
Reckoning (#47-48 + DW #85-86). The fact that Wolverine has a master-plan that involves lies and double-crosses is a little hard to believe, but the fact that it ultimately comes down to punching Romulus and Daken, that's more believable. As is the fact that even that gets foiled. Though the finale of the Romulus story is about as mediocre as it has been since its introduction, Logan's relations with Daken are much more interesting here, and pull this story up a bit [3+/5].
What I Do (#49-50). Wolverine has delusions that make him a new man. There's some nice character relations with all his dead lovers, but otherwise there isn't a lot to this story [3+/5].
And The End is Always Near (#50). Hope and Logan talk about not much [2/5].
Idle Hands (WW #87). A good look at Daken following the loss of all his dreams, now that both the Dark Avengers and Romulus have been taken from him [4/5]. (
December 7, 2018
The Daken/Romulus storyline was never very interesting. And, unfortunately, it doesn't lead anywhere interesting.
This is a standard Wolverine story with some nice art, but no passion. Remember that time Wolverine killed someone he loved? Yeup. Remember how he never controls his own destiny and that's why he always ends up killing who he loves? Yeup. But he doesn't kill, he...works around killing? Yeup. And then his Weapon X...sigh...programmin kicks in, and he does something he doesn't remember? Yeup.
While the story acknowledges that this is part of the mediocre Wolverine cycle, it doesn't do it with any panache.
This is a standard Wolverine story with some nice art, but no passion. Remember that time Wolverine killed someone he loved? Yeup. Remember how he never controls his own destiny and that's why he always ends up killing who he loves? Yeup. But he doesn't kill, he...works around killing? Yeup. And then his Weapon X...sigh...programmin kicks in, and he does something he doesn't remember? Yeup.
While the story acknowledges that this is part of the mediocre Wolverine cycle, it doesn't do it with any panache.
November 22, 2019
So it's finally time for Wolverine to defeat Romulus!
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS***
So in order to defeat him, he first takes out his son from the competition by cutting off the claws of his that have the power to kill Wolverine. Then he gets some help from Cloak to stop Romulus for good! I will admit that the final climactic battle between these two adversaries is a pretty big let down, and it's over pretty much as soon as it gets started.
Afterwards Wolverine seems to put his violent past behind him and decides to stop blaming himself for the death of all the people in his life who he loved but lost for various reasons. What is he going to do now? We don't know, but he does have an ending panel where he looks off into the sunrise and declares that he's the best there is at what he does.
***END SPOILERS*** ***END SPOILERS*** ***END SPOILERS***
It's not a bad comic and it's got some good fight scenes in it. The artwork is good and the story isn't bad, but I feel that it could have had a better ending than it had.
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS***
So in order to defeat him, he first takes out his son from the competition by cutting off the claws of his that have the power to kill Wolverine. Then he gets some help from Cloak to stop Romulus for good! I will admit that the final climactic battle between these two adversaries is a pretty big let down, and it's over pretty much as soon as it gets started.
Afterwards Wolverine seems to put his violent past behind him and decides to stop blaming himself for the death of all the people in his life who he loved but lost for various reasons. What is he going to do now? We don't know, but he does have an ending panel where he looks off into the sunrise and declares that he's the best there is at what he does.
***END SPOILERS*** ***END SPOILERS*** ***END SPOILERS***
It's not a bad comic and it's got some good fight scenes in it. The artwork is good and the story isn't bad, but I feel that it could have had a better ending than it had.
May 10, 2017
So this was good but in some ways felt a little light. Wolverine coming to terms with himself is a big deal but in the some ways it feels like he got weaker. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong.
Enlightenment could be his biggest strength. His hardest battle was with himself. Very deep.
Enlightenment could be his biggest strength. His hardest battle was with himself. Very deep.
June 9, 2017
I suppose the Reckoning tale was a great finale to many long running arcs that I am not familiar with, and yet it seemed a fitting conclusion. What I really liked was the back up tale What I Do. That was a great reset for Wolverine moving forward at the time it was written.
September 30, 2020
An epic end to an epic run. I can’t say there was any bad volume on this series, everyone was enjoyable. Most got 5* but there were some weaker points like volumes 4 and 7 IMO. The rest was pure genius and those 2 volumes I mentioned were regular genius. Lol
March 6, 2022
Read for background during The X Lives & Deaths of Wolverine & Live of Wolverine event of 2020.
August 29, 2020
One star for portraying Kurds as if they're ISIS.
May 1, 2012
Well, if I had a job writing reviews, I could write a lot about this one. But I'm fairly certain that almost nothing I write on here ever gets read, so it seems pointless to go too in-depth about it. So let's just say this was a highly mixed bag. Beware, some spoilers are present, although I try not to give away anything major.
The good: there's a nice blowout fight, with some good backstabbing that you don't necessarily see coming. There is a lot of redemption going on in the end, so it seems as if the writer, at least, is willing to let Wolverine actually grow as a person. There are some nice emotional moments bookending the story, first when Wolverine goes to confess his sins to Nightcrawler; again at the end, when he dreams of the women he's loved. The finale of Romulus and Daken itself is nice in one sense--it wraps things up in a way that is emotionally satisfying.
The bad: The finale itself is a trainwreck in terms of wrapping things up plot-wise. As I said, it's emotionally very satisfying. Wolverine deals with both Romulus and Daken in a matter that seems fitting. (In particular, the way he deals with Daken struck me as extremely poetic.) But, in terms of chronology, it's going to be a mess. For instance, by not killing Romulus, it's pretty much guaranteed that he's going to be back in a month or two. And since Daken has no real character wrap-up, he ends up just being...well, a new version of Sabretooth, I guess.
But there's a lot left unexplained, too. Just when the series was doing a good job of explaining what exactly has been going on with Wolverine for all these years, we get a whole new series of mysteries: who is Romulus? Why exactly does he have it in for Wolverine so much? Does he even have any superpowers, or is it just being long-lived and sneaky? (And why is his name Romulus? Doesn't that imply he has a twin brother somewhere? If so, did my passing knowledge of mythology just ruin the surprise twist of the next Wolverine series?)
And I know it's because I was born after Star Wars came out (hence share the same plot expectations with every other American my age,) but I sure thought Romulus would end up being Wolverine's dad / granddad / son from the future / grandson from the future / brother / second cousin ; a time-travelling Wolverine clone ; a time-travelling Wolverine himself ; a twin brother Daken didn't know about ; Sabretooth's brother ; hell, by the end I would have settled for Paste-Pot Pete's time-travelling second-cousin-in-law. (Now THAT is a nerdy joke.) And I would have been happy with a definitive answer either way, I think. But ultimately, we learn nothing about the man behind the curtain, other than that he's a bad guy who wants Wolverine to take his place (doing what?!?) and he didn't love Daken enough.
Also, WHY would you end the previous volume with a glimpse of Wolverine visiting Deadpool if you're not going to show or even mention Deadpool in the remaining volumes? That's just bad plotting.
.
.
.
Extremely Silly Addendum: IF Romulus had been related to Wolverine somehow, think of what cool analogies we could put on the comic book ACTs, like:
Romulus:Wolverine::Cyclops:___________
Where the blank could be filled with characters like Cable, Nate Grey, Marvel Girl, Stryfe, Corsair, Havok, Vulcan,....heck, even Madeleine Pryor? (Am I forgetting anyone besides Jean Grey?)
[Of course, if you take any two random marvel characters X and Y, there will always be a correct answer to X is to Y as Cyclops is to __________.]
The good: there's a nice blowout fight, with some good backstabbing that you don't necessarily see coming. There is a lot of redemption going on in the end, so it seems as if the writer, at least, is willing to let Wolverine actually grow as a person. There are some nice emotional moments bookending the story, first when Wolverine goes to confess his sins to Nightcrawler; again at the end, when he dreams of the women he's loved. The finale of Romulus and Daken itself is nice in one sense--it wraps things up in a way that is emotionally satisfying.
The bad: The finale itself is a trainwreck in terms of wrapping things up plot-wise. As I said, it's emotionally very satisfying. Wolverine deals with both Romulus and Daken in a matter that seems fitting. (In particular, the way he deals with Daken struck me as extremely poetic.) But, in terms of chronology, it's going to be a mess. For instance, by not killing Romulus, it's pretty much guaranteed that he's going to be back in a month or two. And since Daken has no real character wrap-up, he ends up just being...well, a new version of Sabretooth, I guess.
But there's a lot left unexplained, too. Just when the series was doing a good job of explaining what exactly has been going on with Wolverine for all these years, we get a whole new series of mysteries: who is Romulus? Why exactly does he have it in for Wolverine so much? Does he even have any superpowers, or is it just being long-lived and sneaky? (And why is his name Romulus? Doesn't that imply he has a twin brother somewhere? If so, did my passing knowledge of mythology just ruin the surprise twist of the next Wolverine series?)
And I know it's because I was born after Star Wars came out (hence share the same plot expectations with every other American my age,) but I sure thought Romulus would end up being Wolverine's dad / granddad / son from the future / grandson from the future / brother / second cousin ; a time-travelling Wolverine clone ; a time-travelling Wolverine himself ; a twin brother Daken didn't know about ; Sabretooth's brother ; hell, by the end I would have settled for Paste-Pot Pete's time-travelling second-cousin-in-law. (Now THAT is a nerdy joke.) And I would have been happy with a definitive answer either way, I think. But ultimately, we learn nothing about the man behind the curtain, other than that he's a bad guy who wants Wolverine to take his place (doing what?!?) and he didn't love Daken enough.
Also, WHY would you end the previous volume with a glimpse of Wolverine visiting Deadpool if you're not going to show or even mention Deadpool in the remaining volumes? That's just bad plotting.
.
.
.
Extremely Silly Addendum: IF Romulus had been related to Wolverine somehow, think of what cool analogies we could put on the comic book ACTs, like:
Romulus:Wolverine::Cyclops:___________
Where the blank could be filled with characters like Cable, Nate Grey, Marvel Girl, Stryfe, Corsair, Havok, Vulcan,....heck, even Madeleine Pryor? (Am I forgetting anyone besides Jean Grey?)
[Of course, if you take any two random marvel characters X and Y, there will always be a correct answer to X is to Y as Cyclops is to __________.]
October 31, 2012
Marvel makes me happy. Really happy. With every comic that I read by them, I get more and more invested in their work. This was no exception. I first got introduced to Wolverine by my older brother. He's been a fan since he was a kid so I knew some things when it comes to Wolverine and his story. Reading this helped me learn more. Of course, I was confused as to a lot of the back-story but that's only because I didn't read this from the beginning of the series. I need to track down the others... anyway! I understood most of the story so it's not like you won't be able to understand anything that is going on. Logan is a great and complex character... if a bit stupid. (I say that because it's true, not because I hate him or anything. I actually quite like him!) Daken is also a great character! You never know whether you should like him or hate him. (I chose like because he's awesome and he was willing to kiss a man. Now THAT screams BADASS to me.) They did a great job in creating this comic. The artwork is amazing and very detailed. Quite gruesome, too! Ah, I love the blood~ If you are a fan of Marvel or comics in general, pick this one up! You WILL not be disappointed.
November 13, 2012
Discerning comic book readers can ignore and move on. The characters Daken and Romulus drive this story. Both are sigh inducing knock offs of Wolverine and Sabretooth that serve only to dilute those characters and muddy up the waters and continuity of Wolverine's past. Worse, the plot moving them is one boring "surprise" double cross after the next. "I was playing you all along!" "No, That's what I wanted you to think, I was playing you!" repeat ad nauseum. The only positive of this collection is the final story where Wolverine is allowed to move beyond his years of tortured, revenge-focused, wanderings where his whole goal is to find out what his amnesia is hiding. Don't get me wrong, the story itself isn't very good, just the decision to move on. Artwork is actually ok. With better writing, some of it would be worthwhile.
May 3, 2012
The weakest of the Origins series so far, but not too bad.
The spin on Wolverine/Mariko was pretty interesting. I loved the death of Mariko storyline when I was a kid, and I think it's pretty interesting to see how the events of that story are still reverberating within Wolverine's character. And not just echos of the same thing, but a realistic sense of how memory and feeling change over time.
It's a bit part in the story, but the Nightcrawler/Wolverine relationship is deep, real, and evolving as well.
The major pitched battle seems a little out of place in the story line; a little over the top for a series striving to keep it subtle. Conversely, Wolverine v. Daken is visceral and gut wrenching.
The navel-gazing at the end tries too hard to wrap up loose ends and fails.
The spin on Wolverine/Mariko was pretty interesting. I loved the death of Mariko storyline when I was a kid, and I think it's pretty interesting to see how the events of that story are still reverberating within Wolverine's character. And not just echos of the same thing, but a realistic sense of how memory and feeling change over time.
It's a bit part in the story, but the Nightcrawler/Wolverine relationship is deep, real, and evolving as well.
The major pitched battle seems a little out of place in the story line; a little over the top for a series striving to keep it subtle. Conversely, Wolverine v. Daken is visceral and gut wrenching.
The navel-gazing at the end tries too hard to wrap up loose ends and fails.
May 29, 2017
This was a mediocre end to a mediocre title (Wolverine: Origins, which unfortunately had so much potential and yet was never tapped). Wolverine finally faces off against Romulus, and he takes care of Daken in a way that ensures Logan's survival as well as his son's. Even the Dark Wolverine issues were disappointing, and those are usually a better read than Wolverine: Origins. All in all, I'm glad that Origins is over. Hopefully Logan will be written better by someone else.
November 15, 2014
I was sadly unable to locate a few volumes from the middle of this series, but I have to say, I was a bit relieved to have it over. I find all the plans within plans within a doublecross within and back stabbing a bit exhausting. I love wolverine, and his backstory makes him what he is, but I feel like I'm just as weary as he is of the constant rehashing of all the dead girlfriends.
October 28, 2011
That was a wonderful way of wrapping things up. I hope Daken figures out what he wants to do with his life now that he has a choice. Logan seems to have it figured out, which must feel great for him.
August 7, 2013
Every single advancement of character and plot have been replaced with an EARTH-SHATTERING DOUBLE-CROSS. Halfway through the book, I still had no idea what was going on.
September 18, 2013
I just need to read more of these, guys.
December 29, 2013
Individual issues on marvel unlimited
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews