Wolverine: Enemy of the State - Volume 1

(Let me preface this review by saying I have been maxed-out on Wolverine and most of the Marvel x-books for about twenty years now... and it was a pleasant surprise to finally read one of their stories that wasn't bogged down in mutant politics or techno-fetishistic/alternate reality/Genosha-this, mutie-that/same-old,same-old pretentiousness... This was just a good, old-fashioned *fun* comic book, in the classic Marvel style. Yay. Finally!) The "Wolverine: Enemy Of The State" epic is one of the most thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced, no-holds barred superhero stories I've read in quite a while. Too often nowadays these big story arcs seem to wrap up in a hurry and have a weak ending -- such is NOT the case here: Mark Millar built up the tension, sustained the action and kept the pace just right, from beginning to end. Job well done. Here, Wolverine breaks free of the mind control that Hydra trapped him with, and is thus set loose to slice and dice to his heart's desire. Plenty of zombie ninja bite the dust, and Logan once again reasserts his butt-kicking bona fides. If you're looking for a good, simple, slam-bang superhero story, this is a darn good choice. (ReadThatAgain!)

Probably the best Wolverine story that I've read in a long long time. This is basically a four hour action movie, as many reviewers have said, of Wolverine vs. the Marvel Universe. It's nothing deep or compelling, but it is exciting and a lot of fun to read. Mark Millar captures Wolverine's sarcastic voice and attitude perfectly well, and John Romita Jr's always available art is a pleasure to look at it. The coloring is absolutely gorgeous as well. A perfect weekend's worth of entertainment. A+

"Wolverine: Enemy of the State" by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. is comparable to "Batman: Hush" by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee or "Marvel Knights Spider-Man" by Millar and Terry Dobson. It is a "greatest hits" styled comic run filled with fan-pleasing moments like Wolverine vs. The Hand, S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, X-Men and members of the "Disassembled" Avengers. We also get Wolverine teaming up with Elektra fighting more ninjas and a shark. Finally, we have a new villain in an expert swordsman called Gorgon and his fight with Wolverine is among the bloodiest ever! The story is not terribly cerebral and neither is there much in the way of character-development. But there's really nothing wrong with that. Most comics today are a little too cerebral where every notion of a character has been minutely deconstructed. More often than not, we have books showing the lead character on endless quests to find/redeem himself presented as a "character piece". This story is simple, stupid fun like a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. And in that mold, it is done very, very well indeed with an irresistible dynamism and energy that gets to you. Finally, "Enemy of the State" and the following work by Daniel Way ("Origins and Endings") return us to a Logan that is dangerous and edgy. He makes people uncomfortable and his presence in the Marvel Universe among other similarly colourfully-garbed characters is really tolerated rather than welcomed. For too long fans have been plagued with a Wolverine so cuddly that an irritating kid like Jubilee can climb all over him and call him all sorts of silly nicknames. Go back and read the original Chris Claremont and Frank Miller mini-series in the 1980s. There's a scene showing how rabid watchdogs shrink away from him because they sense that beneath his costumed-exterior, he's a more bestial predator. That is the element that has long been missing in Wolverine comics and we get it here in spades!

Wolverine has long been regarded as one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, and this storyline shows why. After he is captured and brainwashed by the Hand, a mysterious Ninja sect, Logan becomes an unstoppable killing machine, butchering his way across the Marvel superhuman community. Nick Fury and Elektra are the only ones who have even the slightest clue on how to stop the unstoppable machine that Logan's become. After the past few Wolverine storylines- Brotherhood, Coyote Crossing, and Return of the Native- have all focused on non-costumed Logan stories that showcase the man, this storyline throws that to the side and reminds us why Wolverine is feared by all who oppose him. Millar's script is a nice combination of brutality, inside jokes, and character development, while John Romita Jr. returns to a set of characters- Elektra, Wolverine, Daredevil, the X-Men, that he knows well and draws to perfection. This is a comic collector must have! My highest recommendations.

Greg Rucka's run on the relaunched solo Wolverine title had it's share of up's and down's, and upon his departure after signing an exclusive deal with DC, Marvel enlisted Ultimates scribe Mark Millar to take over the book and inject some life into it, and boy does he. Beginning with an investigation that leads to the discovery of an alliance between Hydra, the Hand, and an organization called the Dawn of the White Light. This alliance has a grand scheme, and Wolverine is in the center of it as he finds himself being captured and obeying the voice in his head: telling him to kill. Soon, Nick Fury, Elektra, and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. are on his trail in an attempt to bring him down as a brainwashed Wolverine sets his sights on taking down the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Elektra, and even his fellow X-Men. The surprisingly edgy storytelling by Millar is a welcome addition to the character, while the pencils by the great John Romita, Jr. with inks by Dark Knight Returns inker Klaus Janson give Enemy of the State an awesome look. If you missed out on the single issues and you're a Wolverine fan, definitely pick this up, and by the time you get to the last page, you'll be salivating to see what happens next.