Wolverine #9 – Review

by Jason Aaron (writer), Daniel Acuna (artist), and Cory Petit (letterer)

The Story: Logan begins his bloodthirsty quest for revenge.  First target: Mystique.

The Review:  I’ve been waiting months, and it finally happened: Wolverine’s out of hell.  And by out of hell, I mean no more demons, no more demonic possession, no more fire and brimstone.  We’ve gone back to basics:  Wolverine is out for blood and will kill anyone who gets in his way.  That’s often when Aaron’s Wolverine has been at its strongest, so this alone is good news.

Thus, unsurprisingly, we get an issue with a lot of action.  First and foremost, Wolverine himself is awesome this month.  He is a bad, bad dude.  No more regret, no more deep introspection.  Logan is a one man wrecking crew and an absolute animal.  He’s scary and he’s on the hunt.  A particular favorite of mine this month is when, on a car chase with Mystique, Logan sticks his arm out a window in an attempt to deliver a drive-by clawing.  That’s the kind of Logan you get this month, and it’s very fun.

Speaking of fun: Jason Aaron’s Lord Deathstrike.  From a design stand-point, the guy oozes cool.  Who can say no to a guy dressed in a full suit and a creepy Japanese mask who happens to pack a huge assortment of guns and tech.  The feats Aaron has this character pull of this month are completely and utterly ludicrous.  So much so, that it’s impossible not to like the character.  The scene that first introduces us to him is singularly one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen a character do in a comic book.  It actually had me say “no freaking way” out loud.  Honestly, even if you don’t buy this book, I recommend reading just those pages (2-3) the next time you pop into your comic shop.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Rocketeer Adventures #1 – And…I’m not even a Rocketeer fan.  But, I do love seeing three anthology stories with art by John Cassaday, Mike Allred and Michael Kaluta.  That’s some hot art, right there.  The stories are fine, but with art like this the stories really don’t matter.  Dave Stevens, the creator of the Rocketeer has been dead for ~3 years and it’s nice to see that top-notch creators still have a passion for his character.  I’m not in favor of seeing Rocketeer be launched as an ongoing series with some C-list talent, but if IDW can keep bringing this level of creator to the table, they can publish Rocketeer stories for as long as they want.  Runner-up: Li’l Depressed Boy #4

Most Anticipated: Strange Adventures #1 – I’m a complete sucker for anthology series because you always have the possibility of catching lightning in a bottle.  Featuring work by Scott Snyder, Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso, Jeff Lemire and others this should be pretty hot.  It is also really nice to see Vertigo launching something new as they haven’t put out a new piece of intellectual property since I Zombie last summer.

Other Picks: American Vampire #15, Detective Comics #877, Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker #3, The Walking Dead #85, Hack/Slash #4

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: DMZ #65 – It was a bit of a breather last week as far as the number of books went, but that doesn’t mean there was a lack in quality.  DMZ #65 took it this week, for me, showcasing everything that has made the series such a success for Vertigo. Everything you’ve ever liked about Wood’s DMZ was right here.  Good stuff.

Most Anticipated: Strange Adventures – I don’t think I can remember the last time I had such a huge stack with one book so clearly ahead of the rest of the pack as my most anticipated.  The concept for Strange Adventures excites me so much.  A big anthology of retro sci-fi, with creators like Paul Cornell, Jeff Lemire, and Peter Milligan?  The first chapter of the new comic by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso?  The first comics work of science fiction author, Lauren Beukes (whose two novels, Zoo City and Moxyland, you should really check out)?   There’s even a cool Paul Pope cover.  What more could you ask for?If there was ever a comic I really want to succeed, it’s this one.  $7.99 is a high price, but a bargain for an unbelievable package like this.

Other Picks: Action Comics #901, Detective Comics #877, Green Lantern Corps #60, Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #10, Green Lantern #66, American Vampire #15, Amazing Spider-Man #662, Captain America #618, FF #4, Iron Man 2.0 #5, Mighty Thor #2, Secret Avengers #13, Secret Warriors #27, Venom #3, Wolverine #9