Wolverine: Origin Review

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Andy Kubert

Origin has been one of the most innovative Wolverine stories in the last couple of decades, but just how good is this tale? Read on to find out. 

The official description from Marvel:

Marvel's best-kept mutant mystery revealed! Before the X-Men, before Weapon X, Wolverine's struggle with his subconscious savagery first flourished in family tragedy. Some of Marvel's most acclaimed creators unite to tell the tale that shaped mutantdom's mightiest misfit.

Origin has had a lot of mixed comments over the years, having caused a spot of controversy, but at the end of the day it is in my opinion one of the most crucial Wolverine stories ever told, as though it may not be the best, it shows how he became the man we know.

Now although Paul Jenkins is the main writer on this story the then Editor-in-Chief of Marvel, Joe Quesada, and the former vice president of Marvel, Bill Jemas had a lot to do with the story’s plot. The overall story was simply amazing, as despite the fact that this isn't your normal Wolverine story, it also had a lot of depth to it, as well as have the perfect tone for a Wolverine origin story. I also loved how this showed Wolverine in a different light, whilst also showing the path that has lead him to the character he is today, with this being a very emotional and impactful tale.

The artwork from Andy Kubert was also spectacular, and with Richard Isanove’s phenomenal colours it made this a visually stunning tale. I especially loved how between Kubert and Isanove they both managed to due the time setting justice, whilst also giving a dramatic and outstanding tone at the same time. Kubert’s layouts also made the story that much more intense, making it flow smoothly as well. I also loved the emotion that Kubert showed in the characters throughout this story, as it was truly needed to not only show the tone of the story, but to show just how much Wolverine has changed over the years.

Overall this is a truly amazing tale, and a must read for any Wolverine fan, especially if you’re considering giving Origin II a shot.

Rating: 9/10

Damian: Son of Batman #1 Review

Writer/Artist: Andy Kubert

This has been a series that I've been looking forward to for some time now as besides the fact that I've been a big fan of the Damian Wayne character, I was especially interested to see how he plays a part in the future of the DC Universe given the fact that he dies in Batman Incorporated #8. I have however been slightly sceptical following Andy Kubert's Joker issue during Villains Month, though I still have high hopes for this mini-series.

Plot

As Batman and Robin investigate a crime involving the Joker things don't end very well or Batman.

Review

This was a decent start for the series, though it was still rather disappointing. Andy Kubert didn't do a terrible job with this issue, as it was much better than the Joker issue. I did however feel that there was a few problems with Kubert's writing, as besides the characteristics of Damian being off a bit the dialogue being rather awkward at times, also feeling very unnatural. Kubert would however do a good job of making this issue flow smoothly, as well as adding mystery and suspense to the story. Kubert did however do a fantastic job of the artwork on this issue, as although there were the odd awkward facial expressions, it was very intense and dramatic, having a brilliant tone throughout. The layout of Kubert's art was also outstanding helping to enhance the excitement of the fight sequences, as well as adding more depth to the story. Added to that the wonderful colours from Nick J. Napolitan and this would be a vibrant story with amazing tone.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THE REVIEW!

Now I usually dislike giving away spoilers, but there's a major development near the start that is hard to avoid spoiling, and comments about other developments could also mention this. Anyway now that you're warned Batman dies in the opening sequence. Now this isn't a shock as he must die for Damian to become Batman. The sequence itself was however very exciting, with some beautiful artwork, as although the dialogue was a bit poor, it would be very intense and overall very entertaining.

This issue would also see an appearance from both Ra's Al Ghul and his daughter and Damian's mother Talia Al Ghul. Now there is a lot of questions about how both Talia and Damian are alive, and whether this is the same universe as the regular DC series'. I did however enjoy the appearance from Ra's and Talia, as although I question why Damian would want help from the person that killed him, it wouldn't be right not to add them in some form or another. The best part of their appearance however would be the dialogue from Ra's which was one of the better pieces of dialogue in the issue.

The rest of the issue would see Damian hunting down anyone that has claimed to have been behind the killing of Batman, whilst looking for Joker at the same time. I really enjoyed seeing these villains added, as although it was a rather short appearance from them all, it would show just how big an affect Batman had over Damian's behaviour, and that now that he's no longer around he will let his anger rule over the lessons that Batman taught him. There would also be some questionable development points to this as well, and although I like the mysterious element of that, I also hope that there is some clarity over the continuity behind these developments.

Final Verdict

This was a decent start to this four part mini-series as although it wasn't as amazing as I hoped it would be, it was still very interesting having a lot of mystery to it. I do however have faith that this will be a good series, and if Kubert improves the dialogue it could become even better. Due to all this I'd recommend this to anyone who's a die hard Damian Wayne fan, but otherwise I'd wait it out for another issue or two to see how good the story is overall.

Rating: 6/10

Batman and Son Review

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Andy Kubert

I have been going through as many of my Batman stories from both comic and graphic novel collections, focusing on the key stories from Hush and on to the start of the New 52. This however was one that I was really looking forward to re-reading as bar the fact it's the first story by my favourite Batman writer Grant Morrison, it is also one of my favourite Batman stories written by him, if not my most favourite written by him. This is also my eleventh Batman review since Hush.

Plot

On a visit to England, Batman has to face a group of Man-Bat's from the League of Assassins, who are sent by Talia al Ghul. Talia would also bring Batman's son Damian Wayne along to meet his father for the first time.

Review

This was a phenomenal story, and a brilliant introduction to both Grant Morrison's run as well as Batman's son Damian Wayne. Morrison does a great job of making this story many things at once, as there are times where it's slightly humorous, times where it's really gritty, and others were it's very emotional. Throughout this Morrison managed to make this a very dramatic and suspenseful story as well, and I loved the overall tone and atmosphere throughout. I also felt that this was a very refreshing change for Batman, as although there were a few interesting stories following Hush, there wasn't really any as unique as this story was, and it would also have very big development points that were handled well. Morrison also managed to keep this very balanced, having a mixture of brilliant action and fantastic dialogue, both of which kept the story very exciting and entertaining.

The art on this book was also amazing, and this was some of the best art that I've ever seen from Andy Kubert. The detail in Kubert's artwork was simply brilliant, as although there may have been very minor imperfections they were very hard to notice. I also loved how Kubert managed to make Damian look both innocent and mischievous at certain times in this story, and the character emotion in general was handled perfectly, adding a lot of depth and drama to the issue. I also loved the action sequences in this issue, as it and the dynamic layouts were the two best things about Kubert's artwork, with the action sequences being very explosive and exciting. I also really enjoyed the artwork from John Van Fleet during The Clown at Midnight issue, as it was simply stunning, and really helped with the telling of that unique story. I did however find his facial expressions to be a bit awkward at times though.

This story would feature the first appearance of Batman's son Damian Wayne, who would eventually become the fifth Robin. Damian was a character that grew on me over the years, as although I always enjoyed him, I used to find him slightly annoying. I am however happy to re-read his introduction now that I enjoy him as a character more, as his characteristic shines through more as the child that wants his fathers approval and respect rather than the annoying character he appeared when I first read this. I also loved the way that Damian wanted to assert his dominance in this story as well, as well as the interaction he would have with Batman, and the way Batman reacted to his sudden arrival.

This story would have an interlude that would feature the Joker called The Clown at Midnight. Now this short story stems back to the start of the book where Batman appeared to have shot the Joker in the face. This story would then see how Joker has managed to recover from this. The short story itself was very interesting, and one of the most unique ways of storytelling that I've seen in a comic book, as although a lot of people will feel that this isn't a proper comic book I enjoyed the uniqueness of it. I also felt that for a short story that it was very well paced, managing to have excitement and suspense at certain points. It was however still much overshadowed by the rest the main story.

The second half of this story would see Batman worrying over three ghosts of Batman, showing three different possible Batman, two of which have came to life with one being the Batman who shot the Joker, and another who resembles Bane. Now this part of the story wasn't as good as the first, as it would have been much better if Damian was involved. I did however still really enjoy it loving the mysterious nature as well as the way it caught the dark nature of Batman perfectly. I also enjoyed that we saw an injured Batman, as this reminds us how human he is, and that although he's very well prepared he can still make mistakes.

The last issue of this story would see a glimpse into a possible future seeing Damian as Batman. Now with the Damian: Son of Batman series out this month I was very interested in re-reading this, the original tale from Damian's possible future. The story itself was simply amazing being very unique and interesting, as well as being very exciting. I also loved the dark tone and how it played of the three ghosts storyline, being some what of a continuation of it. It was also a brilliant teaser leaving the question of whether this is the actual future or not, and what else Damian has done as Batman, something that I look forward to seeing in the upcoming Damian: Son of Batman series.

Final Verdict

This was a very interesting book that would change Batman's world forever, being the start of a seven year run from Morrison, as well as introducing Damian Wayne. The story itself was also very exciting and entertaining being very dramatic, and unique. It also had some marvellous interactions and one of the most unique interludes that I've ever seen. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this book, and especially if you've read the more resent stories in Morrison's run.

Rating: 10/10

The next Batman book I'll be reviewing will be Batman: Death and the City.

Batman #23.1 Joker Review

Writer: Andy Kubert

Artist: Andy Clarke

Villains Month is here, and everyone will have their favourite villain that they are looking forward to reading. Mine personally is this man, the Joker, and although I was sceptical about Andy Kubert becoming a writer, I had a lot of hope that he would do a good job. So did he?

Plot

Following his troubled childhood Joker takes a gorilla from a zoo, and helps it to become his sidekick, Jackanapes.

Review

This has to be one of the worst comic book issues that I have read in a long time, and it's such a shame as I was really hoping for something brilliant here. Andy Kubert doesn't do a terrible job of writing this issue, as to be honest it's a fun story, and I liked how he was going for a fun Joker story. I did however feel that it didn't suit the Joker, and the story in itself felt too silly, as although I was hoping for something much darker, this goes to far in the opposite direction. I did however get the feeling that Kubet understood Joker, but at the same time he didn't appear to be able to execute that into a brilliant story, and if this is a sign of what he'll be like as a writer he should stay as the amazing artist he is.

The best part about this issue was the art, and Andy Clarke did a phenomenal job. It would have been nice to see Kubert himself on art, as I love when artists who turn to writing do their own artwork. Clarke however is a much better artist, and I'm glad he worked on this issue, as it makes it almost worth the purchase. The detail in his artwork is simply outstanding, and I really enjoyed how he managed to show Joker's expressions throughout the issue, as although some of them aren't what I'd expect from the Joker, they had to follow the story, which needed this. I also loved the layout as it really helped give tone to this story. Blond's colours were also amazing, helping to add tone, and vibrancy to the issue.

Kubert took an extremely risky move at the start of this issue by showing Joker's childhood, and it didn't pay off. Now I understand that with Joker you can put him in nearly any kind of situation, as he's that unpredictable. There is also the fact that his origin is that mysterious that even if you told it there would be the question whether it's real or not, as although this comes from Joker himself, does Joker really remember? Besides this it didn't do much for me, as although it showed symbolism of his character, and how he's possibly been shaped, also helping lead into this story, it just didn't feel right for the Joker, and after this I'm happy that it's questionable about what's real or not with Joker's past.

This wasn't entirely centred around his childhood, as it'd quickly jump forward in time to Joker, and his gang at the zoo, with it apparently being the reason for the flashback. During this sequence I found Joker's expressions to be rather odd, as it didn't seem like the Joker, even if he was being serious. I did however find his gang interesting, as although they weren't spectacular, being far from a Harley Quinn, they added some humour to the issue. I especially loved seeing Max Roboto again, as given his limited history it was nice to see him added.

The main centre of this issue would be Joker bringing up a gorilla from a baby to an adult, calling it Jackanapes. Now those keen Batman fans will already have spotted that Jackanapes is already an existing character, being a foe of Damian Wayne during the possible future that was shown in Batman #666. Now the tie to this title is the only thing I liked about Jackanapes in this issue, as along with Max Roboto this shows that Kubert may be leaving some teasers for his upcoming Damian: Son of Batman limited series, which is set in that possible future.

Final Verdict

This may appeal to some people, but it certainly didn't to me, being too ridiculous. It also felt very rushed, and didn't have a lot of character interaction. It was however fun to a certain point, and showed that Andy Kubert understood the character, but at the same time also showed that he couldn't execute it into a decent story. Due to all this I wouldn't recommend this, as it's not worth the gamble to see if it's for you.

Rating: 2/10

Batman #18 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Andy Kubert

This has been my favourite series in the New 52, and although it's not always been outstanding, it's always been good. With Batman being my favourite character I expect good stories from the main Batman title, and Scott Snyder's been doing that, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do now that Death of the Family is over, and Year Zero's about to begin.

Plot

Harper Row is worried about Batman, as he doesn't seem to be acting normally, so she tries to help him out.

Review

Although not as good as all the Death of the Family issues, this was still a good issue, and to be honest I wasn't expecting it to be any better than it was. Scott Snyder has done a brilliant job on this series, but there have been the odd things, like the introduction of Harper Row that haven't appealed to me, but I'll talk a little more about that later. I did however like how Snyder handled this part of the Requiem month by showing you the change in Batman through Harper, as he wanted to leave Batman's perspective for Peter J. Tomasi's Batman and Robin #18. I did however like that this issue like the other Batman issues of this month focused on the aftermath of Batman, Incorporated #8, as I feel this needed more follow-up than Death of the Family, which I felt ended brilliantly, not needing an aftermath.

Andy Kubert is no stranger to Batman, having drawn him alongside Grant Morrison on Batman and Son, and Neil Gaiman on Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?, but this was not his best work on the character. Don't get me wrong, his art was still brilliant, and I love the way he draws Batman, actually preferring it to Greg Capullo's art on Batman, but the rest of the comic wasn't as good as his other work, and I prefer Capullo's art much more as a whole, as it suits the darkness of the series much more, and is much more consistent throughout. The main thing I didn't like about Kubert's art this time round was the way he drew Harper, and that's a big problem considering she's the main focus character in this issue. I also didn't like how he drew her nose piercing as it looked like she had a runny nose instead. Besides that his art was fantastic, and had ton's of detail. The character expression, and emotion's were also very well drawn, and if nothing else he drew a phenomenal Batman. Alex Maleev also worked on this issue doing the art for the second chapter. Maleev's an artist that I've been torn about in the past as I like his art on some series, but hate it on others. This was one of the times that I loved it though, as it was brilliant, and really suited the lighter tone in the section of story he worked on.

As I said earlier I've not been the biggest fan of the introduction of Harper Row, but I always like to see new characters, and you never know she may grow on me. What I like about new characters to well known comic book series' is that they are full of mystery, and give the writer more creativity, which should lead to a better story. Although I'm not a fan of her as a character yet I liked how Snyder has used her, as he's shown her determination, and made her very unique. Whilst doing that he's also given her the same desire that every other member of the Bat-Family's had before joining, and I would be surprised if she doesn't become a member. At the same time I don't want her to be the new Robin, as she doesn't fit the role in my opinion, and in a recent interview from Snyder it looks like she won't be Robin, but I still expect her to have some role in the Bat-Family.

Batman was brilliant in this issue, and although it didn't show as much emotion from him than Batman and Robin #18, it still showed that there was a change in him. Again I liked that this was mainly seen through the eyes of Harper, as Batman and Robin #18 showed the full emotional change in Batman perfectly, and duplicating it in this issue would spoil this issue, as well as lessen the affect from the Batman and Robin issue. I did however like that he was mad, and that he had a much more viscous side to him, as although we've seen Batman angry before, we've not seen it quite to this extent, and that's natural as he's lost his son. It was also interesting to see that at one point it appeared that Batman didn't care whether he died or not, which was something new for Batman.

I've already talked a bit about Harper, but seeing as this issues mainly centered around her I though that I'd talk about another aspect of her character, which is her relationship with her brother, Cullen Row. The sequence at the start when they both visit their father, Marcus Row is probably the sequence that showed there relationship the most, but there were other sequences that also showed this. What I liked about this was that we get to see more of Harper's characteristics, as she shows humility, loyalty, and bravery, as she stands up for her brother, and what he is, as he's not brave enough to do it himself. This shows more signs that she would be a good fit as a member of the Bat-Family as she also has determination as well, but it's these traits that shine out through the Bat-Family.

The second part of the story was also interesting, and although I won't talk too much about it to avoid spoilers, I will say a little. Basically it's a continuation to the main story, but at the same time has a very different tone, and is in itself unique. What I liked about it was that it was a much more lightheartened story, as following a very dark, and slightly depressing story, it's nice to see one that's a bit more cheerful, whilst also showing the right emotion. It was also nice to see Bruce at Wayne Enterprises for a change, as we haven't seen that much in the New 52.

Final Verdict

This may not be the best issue in this series, but it's still very good, and shows the right kind of emotion following Batman Inc. #8. Although I'm not too fond of the character it was also nice to see more development of the Harper Row character. I would recommend this issue, as besides Batman and Robin #18, this has been the best issue in the Requiem month so far (although to be fair there has only been four so far).

Rating: 4/5