Thoughts

Anyone reading the regular ongoing titles of Uncanny X-men and New Mutants would have been aware that Wolverine had his own mini-series. Both titles have made a point of stressing that Wolverine is absent because he’s off having his own adventure.

It’s pretty clear from the focus that the title has been giving him, and the response in the letters page, that Wolverine was already the character from the relaunched X-men that’s struck a chord with comic book reading audiences. He’s a tough loner, underestimatd by many, seemingly surly and antisocial but ultimately a great friend to have. With all theses factors you can see why teenage boys latched on to the character.

Despite that obvious success, the striking feature of the mini-series is that it seems to be leaving nothing to chance. This is a series that seems designed to land with that target demographic. It has ninjas and sumo wrestlers and Japanese gangsters, all ridiculously cool even then. Frank Miller was already a hot talent in the industry, bringing a grim and gritty earnestness to his work. These aren’t comics for kids. They are a teenagers take on adult.

And Claremont writes perfectly for Miller’s strengths, perfectly in tune with this teenage level of adult seriousness. It’s a love story – but there’s nothing sappy or girly about it. It’s about a woman who must deny her love for our hero due to her obligations. And the suppressed sacrifice of the hero to respect that. Domestic violence is clumsily dropped into the story to up this grim n gritty seriousness quotient.

And yet, despite my issues with the tone – this is still strong inventive storytelling – both in terms of Miller’s pages of gorgeous art and Claremont’s approach to Wolverine’s first solo adventure. I loved it as a teenager when I was clearly slap bang in the middle of its target audience, but its still an engaging ride today.

Fun Panel

A neat follow on to yesterday’s full page New Mutants punch-up. Miller’s dynamic take on Wolverine fighting is influential stuff.

None More Claremont

The introduction of Wolverine’s “the best there is…” line was clearly one of the key moments in Claremont devising who this character was. A take that becomes so insanely popular, and a catchphrase that still resonates.