Fallen Son, The Death of Captain America, Chapter 1: Wolverine

Fallen Son, The Death of Captain America, Chapter 1: Wolverine
Based on the ideas of: JMS
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Pencils: Leinil Yu
Colors: Dave McCaig


Let's just get this right out in the open. I'm not the biggest Wolverine fan. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I loathe the shrimpy Canadian, but I certainly prefer he remain in the best supporting category of the comicbook Oscars. Ever since the blockbuster X-men films, which on the whole were fairly good, Wolverine, through some impressive scene-stealing by Hugh Jackman, has become a Mega-hero. I'm told his ascent to icon status began well before the films. That's all well and good. All I'm saying is the cinematic representation of Wolverine has stoked a fire that was already closing in on inferno status. Walk into your LCS and take a look around. Wolverine, Wolverine everywhere and not a drop to drink. Before Cap died it was even worse. At least now we have Iron Man and the Avengers taking back some ground. And then there's an incoming Hulk. But not until later this Summer.

I suppose all the Wolverine-mania wouldn't be so bad if so much of it weren't so godawfully written. But terrible plot and characterization aside, people still want to see their favorite hirsute man in yellow spandex, threatening baddies and calling even the most revered figures, kid and bub. So it was inevitable that Logan be culled into the Fallen Son Cap tribute series. Even inevitable-r still, was the decision to have said chapter scribed by Jeph Loeb. For better or for worse (or for way-fucking worse) Loeb currently grasps most of Wolverine's reigns in the Marvel U. So needless to say I was a bit nervous about the introductory chapter of Fallen Son. In fact I can honestly say the only reason I picked the issue up was because one of my favorite pencilers was on the books, Leinil Yu. Yu has his detractors. I'm not one of them.

And I'm glad I purchased the issue because in reality its quite good. It's jam-packed with Marvel star power, from Cap (dead) to Winter Soldier (alive) to Doc Strange (astral form) to Hank Pym (his Giant Man alter-ego) to DD (the genuine article) to Iron Man (er, pre or post Ultron genderbending). Sometimes I feel Loeb writes entire pages just to let Wolverine show off, as when Logan barrels through the parapet wall of a Hell's Kitchen brownstone in search of an ally (I'll give you one guess who). Logan doesn't really need to attack DD, his excuse is BS, sure there have been (and still are?) doppledaredevils around, but Wolverine's nose is as sharp as Murdock's, he'd know the correct answer from a distance and wouldn't need fly at the man claws out Rayden/Superman style. I suppose this might just be Logan playing around, keeping another hero on his toes, etc. But this isn't just another hero. Its the fucking Daredevil. And i know the two have a history (Logan has a history with everyone he grudgingly respects) but this has been done before. To death. But here is a point where Loeb's poor character handling actually pays off because Yu's artwork more than makes up for it. The DD/Logan splash-page is gorgeous. I sorta want it blown up and framed on the wall of my library, er, study, okay you got me, the room where my cats go to drop a deuce. My apartment is small okay? I can't help it if that is where my computer lives.

Loeb uses Doc Strange the way a parapalegic uses a wheel-chair. Even Murdock comments at one point on the ridiculousness of his situation by saying, "no wonder Doc Strange is exhausted!" Unfortunately I can't see another way Logan and DD could get where they needed to go which is Loeb's only saving grace. And the encounters the two men have when they get where their going offer one hell of a payback. Without giving any specifics away let's just say nails are driven into particular coffins while other corners of the Marvel U become shrouded in even darker mystery. All told this is yet another psuedo-Civil War Post Cap's Death tie-in that I am going to have to continue following. For weeks now I've been trying to reach outer space and catch up on the Annihilation Saga. For the immediate future, looks like I'm stranded on planet Earth. All things considered, not a bad place to be.

Over-all Rating: A Gimli, almost a Snake-eyes, but I sweartoGod Loeb this is your last goddam free pass.