Comic Book Review: Wolverine: Origins #8

Ah yes, it is that time again to review the latest issue of Wolverine Origins. I have long given up on ever expecting anything that might even remotely be contused with an enjoyable issue on this title. Daniel Way has yet to show me that he is capable of delivering a well written issue. I would be surprised if I liked Wolverine: Origins #8. Let’s do this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Steve Dillon

Art Rating: 4 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 2 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 3 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with Wolverine climbing his way back into the building where Omega Red and his men are located. We see a shadowy figure watching Logan from afar. (His son, I guess.) Logan crawls in through one of the building’s windows and brutally disposes of Omega Red’s two soldiers. A beaten up Maverick tells Logan that Omega Red is already gone and that he took Jubilee with him. Maverick tells Logan that he told Omega Red that a long time ago, Maverick traded Carbonadium Synthesizer to someone in return for safe passage into the States. Maverick then tells Logan who he traded the Carbonadium Synthesizer to. We the reader don’t hear the name, but Logan says that it is bad news who Maverick gave it to. Logan tells Maverick that the ambulance is a couple of blocks away. The men wish each other good luck and Logan takes off.

We cut to Dum Dum Dugan and some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents questioning a merchant seaman who told them that Logan was on their shop that was headed for Barcelona. The containers aboard the shop where designated to deliver via rail to Paris, London or Berlin.

We then shift to Berlin. Logan meets up with a contact person and gets some information on Omega Red and his location. We then zip back forty years ago with Wolverine in Berlin on a mission with Maverick and Sabertooth. Wolverine’s mission objective was to get the Carbonadium Synthesizer. Maverick’s mission objective was to rescue the C.I.A. mole, Janice Hollenbeck. Sabertooth’s mission objective was to “recruit” Omega Red and bring him with them.

Wolverine easily found the Carbonadium Synthesizer. We then see Creed’s attempt to “recruit” Omega Red fail as the two men begin to brawl. Creed tells Maverick and Wolverine that this stinks like a set up. Sabertooth then kills Janice Hollenbeck in order to keep Wolverine in line. (Honestly, this part of the story is really jumbled up and confused and makes little sense.) Evidently, women are Wolverine’s weakness and this was Sabertooth’s way of keeping Wolverine in line since he thought Wolverine and Maverick were plotting something.

We shift back to the present day with Logan in Berlin searching an abandoned warehouse. Logan smells a familiar scent. Suddenly, the Black Widow appears from the shadows. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Surprise, surprise, I found Wolverine: Origins #8 to be a rather unimpressive read. All right, the Revolution’s Rule of Positivity is almost impossible to follow with this title. What in the world did I enjoy about this issue? Umm, well, the weather was nice when I read this issue. Hmm, this issue was a quick read. I appreciate not having to waste that much of my life reading a Daniel Way story that I will never get back. And we didn’t have to put up with Jubilee in this issue. I never liked her character, so the less I see of her the better.

The Bad: Way continues his proud tradition of making Wolverine: Origins an extremely dull read. I keep hoping that Way is going to shut me up and show me that he is a talented writer. I keep thinking that eventually, Way will prove why in the world Marvel has hired him to write two of their titles. I don’t think that is ever going to happen. Instead, just the opposite has happened. I have realized that Way just isn’t a good writer. Period. There is really no other conclusion I can arrive at.

Way lacks the ability to plot a tight story that is interesting and captivating. Way is unable to properly pace his story. Way cannot craft anything that could be confused with quality dialogue. Way seems totally incapable of pulling off anything that would mimic actual character development. Way cannot create any type of interesting or compelling personalities in his characters. Way’s stories are slow and lack focus. Way’s characters all have the same basic one-dimensional personality. Way’s stories are flat, shallow and lack any depth, substance or texture. I’m really not trying to be a jerk. I don’t like to bash any writers are artists. However, I just can’t see any other possible conclusion to draw from the unimpressive product that Way is turning out on Wolverine: Origins.

Once again, Wolverine Origins #8 moves at a snail’s pace. Absolutely nothing happens in this issue. It is so slow and boring. We got more of the same stuff that we got last issue. Omega Red is after the Carbonadium Synthesizer and Wolverine must find it first. Ok, it wasn’t that complex of a plotline. I really didn’t need two issues to keep repeating such a simple plotline set up. So, all we get is Wolverine re-hashing the events of last issue, then going to Berlin and checking out a warehouse where he runs into Black Widow. That’s it, folks. Well, we do get teased a little concerning the Son of Wolverine storyline. I would imagine that the shadowy figure we saw in the beginning of this issue is Wolverine’s son. I could be wrong, but I don’t know who else would be following Wolverine.

We also get “treated” to another fun and exciting flashback scene. Can’t you just feel my sarcasm in that sentence? Way delivers such a poorly written scene that it made my head hurt. There was no reason for Janice Hollenbeck to be inserted into this mission other than as cannon fodder to “shock” the reader and show what a bad-ass Sabertooth is and how women are Wolverine’s weakness. Huh?

The scene was so poorly constructed, that I still cannot figure out why in the world Sabertooth killed Hollenbeck. It made absolutely no sense. Sabertooth thinks that Maverick and Logan are plotting something, so clearly Sabertooth thinks that Logan’s programming is failing. So, logically, Sabertooth kills Janice to remind Logan of his purpose and that he is under the military’s control and to get him back with the program. That makes absolutely zero sense to me. I’m having a hard time following Way’s logic.

On top of everything, Way serves up possibly the most uninteresting Logan I have ever read. Plus, the dialogue is terribly wooden and stiff. It was downright pathetic in the scene between Maverick and Logan.

Dillon’s art is boring. I can’t say it any other way. I have tried to be polite and mention that he is a talented artist. That Dillon is simply on the wrong title for his style of art. That Wolverine is not the kind of comic that Dillon should be drawing. However, the fact is, I just find his art to be dreadfully boring and stiff. Dillon’s art is so terribly static. And every single person is drawn with the same face. And everyone has the same black emotionless look on their face. Dillon draws some of the most lifeless characters I have ever seen.

Overall: Wolverine: Origins #8 was another lackluster issue. This issue read like a filler issue. It was pretty much a totally wasted issue. Nothing happened. Wolverine: Origins boasts the combination of poor writing with boring art. That rarely equals a winning combination.

I can only recommend this title to a person who is a big Wolverine nut like myself who must have every issue of Wolverine or if you just love Way’s writing or Dillon’s art. Unless you fall in one of those three categories, then don’t bother wasting your money on Wolverine: Origins. It simply isn’t worth it.