Wolverine #41 Review There is still hope!
Author: Stuart Moore
Artist: C.P. Smith
One thing before we start this review: Make sure you look at the cover price because it is a double sized issue. For some reason it feels like a normal sized book, but when I went to check out it rang up $3.99 and sure enough it is double sized, so take note. You have been warned.
In this story called "The Package" writer Stuart Moore and artist C.P. Smith give us a visual driven story of survival in a realistic way. This story reminded me of something out of Marvel Comics Presents or Peter David's story Babe' at Sea from Wolverine (Vol.1) 44. This is the same team that handled the Wolverine story in X-men Unlimited a few months back, but this story is different. Wolverine has to safely deliver an infant across the heart of war-torn Africa for the sake of a nation. But this isn't just a fill in issue to me, this story accomplished more of a tangible plot and characterization than this comic has seen in years.
Black Panther calls in the New Avengers for help to rescue President Mayamba's baby from the hands of his opposition. As king of a neighboring nation T'Challa can do nothing but ask for help. Wolverine decides to take the mission Wolvie style: Solo! So, with a baby strapped to his chest and claws popped out (this makes for some really awesome pictures) he attempts to escape from an army of savage killers. By the end of the book he is confronted by children with guns that are working for the brutal general that wants to rule this land. They want the baby and he has to make a choice.
Does he make it alive with the baby at the end? Does he give the baby to the kids and the evil general? Well I'm not going to tell you, because right now that shitty Wolverine Origins is getting all the hype and this book that I am holding in my hands really outshines it. So in order for more stories like this one to be written you have to stop buying both covers of a completely retarded story that makes your IQ drop when you read it and start buying a good story.
To sum up my review this is one of the best Wolverine stories I have read in years! Moore captures Wolverine perfectly, he gives him that mix of viciousness and compassion that makes the character so great. This would have made for a great flashback story, because it did remind me of Wolverine's ronin days when Claremont and Miller worked on the miniseries. Moore even throws a Lone Wolf and Cub element into the mix, which is one of my favorite Mangas of all time. The scene with the arrows reminded me of the last scene from Ying xiong AKA Hero .
C.P. Smith does an amazing job with his pencils, inks, and beautiful colors. It would be like classic Frank Miller having a kid with Bill Sienkiewicz and Mike Mignola. Okay, wait that's gross, but you get the point. His art style is very quasi-surreal, one barely gets to see Wolverine's face, only his eyes and mask given him a stylish kind of noir art that works really well with this particular setting. He is able to capture the atmosphere of this massive forest in the middle of Africa in small panels. This feels more like a movie because of Smith's widescreen storytelling panels. I only found myself saying what the heck is going on in one panel, but after closer observation I realized I'm a fucking moron and it was completely my fault.
Thank you very much Mr. Moore and Mr. Smith for making believe that great Wolverine stories are out there waiting to be told still. After so much bastardization the character has received over the past years I was beginning to doubt there could be any good stories for our ol' canucklehead. Marvel take note, this is how you tell a successful Wolverine story that give audiences what we want! A
