TITLE: Wolverine #1
AUTHOR: Jason Aaron
PENCILLER: Renado Guedes. Cover by Jae Lee, variant covers by Steve McNiven and Marko Djurdjevic.
PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: September 1, 2010

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

If there’s one character in comics who’s got some demons, it’s Wolverine. And he’s going to kick off the fourth volume of his ongoing series by facing them. All of them.

Nice lead, huh? See what I did there?

The character Wizard Magazine once called “the best comic book character of all time” (which I’ll debate for all time) starts this issue talking to Wraith, on the steps of the church which the latter presides over. Logan talks about how things appear to be looking up in the world, even for him, though he’s naturally cynical. Wraith asks him what he’s truly afraid of…his faith being broken, or rewarded?

Then all hell breaks loose…perhaps literally. Wraith’s church is attacked by Wolverine…or at least something controlling Wolverine’s body. Logan’s girlfriend Melita is then attacked at her job at the San Francisco Post, only to be saved by, of all people, Mystique. She tells her Wolverine is being hunted by a group that hates him even more than she does. We get a shot of this group, and apparently they’re being led by a very old man. Their other targets appear to include Cyclops, Jubilee and X-23. The issue closes with a shot of Logan in the depths of hell.

The concept of Wolverine in hell is a little cheesy. But I think it can work. Especially if Logan is confronted by some (if not all) of the countless people he’s killed over the years. What’s really interesting to me is the idea Wolverine’s hope and faith being tested. Considering he’s likely one of the most cynical characters in American comics, it’ll be interesting to see how Jason Aaron plays with that idea, especially with Logan in the fiery depths.

Renato Guedes does a commendable job on this issue. His work is so detailed. It suits Wolverine well. And if the story somehow turns to crap, fans can at least enjoy his renderings of Wolverine slashing up demons.

We also get a nice back up story featuring the Silver Samurai (who oddly enough is also on the mysterious groups hit-list), illustrated by Jason Latour. It’s a surprisingly touching story about legacy, and courage in the face of death.

I’m not the most avid Wolverine reader, but I enjoyed this issue. I’m interested to see where they go with it. I’m not salivating over it, but they’ve got my attention.

***

TITLE: Freedom Fighters #1
AUTHORS: Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti.
PENCILLERS: Travis Moore, Trevor Scott. Cover by Dave Johnson, variant cover by Shane Davis.
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASED: September 1

I’ve seen the Uncle Sam character appear around the DC Universe before, but this is my first real foray into one of his monthly books. I wasn’t disappointed.

The book kicks off with Black Condor and Firebrand taking on a group of meta-human neo-Nazis at a casino run by Native Americans. Then we get The Human Bomb trying to stop an asteroid from colliding with Earth, only to realize it’s inhabited by a primitive race of…hairy things. At the same time, The Ray and Phantom Lady take on Plasmodia, an otherworldly being that has taken control of a small town in West Virginia. After all this wraps up, the team is summoned to the White House, and the President tasks them with finding pieces to a weapon of mass destruction the Confederate army apparently developed during the Civil War. They go looking for the first piece, and are attacked by a strange group of creatures, which leads us into our cliffhanger.

I found myself really enjoying the “American spirit” aspect of this title. The ties to the Civil War, World War II, American bigotry mixed with American pride. It’s got a nice feel to it. And I’m naturally curious to see what kind of WMD could have been developed by the Confederate army. My guess is it’ll be something mystical or magical in nature.

Travis Moore commands the pencils well, especially during the opening brawl with the neo-Nazis. It’s been awhile since I enjoyed a comic book fight like I enjoyed that one.

Money is understandably slim these days, but Freedom Fighters is definitely worth consideration. If you didn’t pick the issue up, flip through it the next time your in a comic shop. You might be surprised.