Wolverine: Origin

Forgettable.

If you're going to try to create an origin for one of your most iconic characters, that origin had better be (*@#ing memorable. Look at Batman, for example. Or look at what Alan Moore did for the Joker in The Killing Joke. The origin should resonate for the reader.

In Origin, the story kind of lands with a dull thump.

Oh, it's not terrible. The authors clearly tried. They just weren't up to the task, that's all. And so they've created an utterly forgettable, inconsequential, run-of-the-mill...

I'm sorry, what were we talking about again?

Oh yeah. Origin. Sorry, I nodded off.

In a fractional system, Origin would get a 1.8 from me. At best, it was kind of cheesy. I mean, when you've got your character running and howling with show more wolves, it's a pretty good sign that you're in way over your head...unless you're a really, really good writer. Which these guys aren't. And maybe it was a warning sign that there were three writers on this turkey.

Hmm...if they'd had Wolverine running and gobbling with turkeys...now, that would have been memorable! :D

PS - the claws looked stupid to me. Claws should look like claws, not unicorn horns! show less

Finally, an origin story for Wolverine, whose history has been shrouded in mystery up to now - even to him. The story begins in the late 1800's in Canada, as 12-year-old orphan Rose is hired to be a companion for the wealthy John Howlett's sickly son, James. On the estate is a groundskeeper, Thomas Logan (a dead ringer for the present-day Wolverine), and his son, Dog, who is brutalized by the elder Logan. We see eventually that Paul Jenkins has been playing some sleight-of-hand with our assumptions, and this becomes clear when the young mutant's abilities finally come to the fore in a crisis which results in the killing of his father. It's interesting, too, that Wolverine's claws are here portrayed as an integral part of his mutation, show more and not just the adamantium prosthetics that were added on in later surgeries. This is not a spoiler, by the way; the cover is a vivid portrayal of Logan's hand with organic bony claws extending. Rose flees with young Logan, and they eventually light in a Canadian quarry settlement, where Logan finds his true nature, and seems at peace with himself, until tragedy again enters his life. This is an enthralling, well-told tale, with fine artwork too by Andy Kubert that puts me in mind of Richard Corben. And this is how I prefer origin re-tellings: The story expands upon what has already been delineated, and does not just pitch that which the writer finds inconvenient. I love the Ultimate Spider-Man stories, but I have long been troubled by the changes in Gwen Stacy's storyline especially, effectively nullifying a seminal part of Peter Parker's development. No such laziness here. The best Wolverine story I have seen thus far, and I like the fact that the diligent reader is rewarded for a deeper knowledge of Logan's history, parts of which are alluded to in this story. show less

I've never read any Marvel or DC comics so my roommate let me borrow this. It was amazing getting a background on Wolverine. There was a lot of abuse and violence which i hadn't expected. I didn't enjoy the art style as it was very sketch-like and the story moved too fast. However, the ending caught me off guard and now i definitely want to know more.

The story of Wolverine's childhood: rich American family employing local people to work for them. A mother confined to her room due to her mental state, a loving father to a sickly child, a stern and disapproving grandfather, and the three children dealing with life's throws. Good short story, works well as a stand alone story. Great artwork. Slightly reminiscent of The Secret Garden at the start.

This is, debatably, the best Wolverine storyline to have ever been produced.
Although, it would seem, that much of Wolverine's appeal as a Marvel character, is that not much is known about him.
However, the whole plot has been debated in further issues in terms of plausibility, so, in reflection, the storyline is simply another page in the rather confused book of Wolverine's history, that gives us, to be quite honest, more questions than answers.
This is all a brilliant idea, though, and works exceedingly well.
As a long time Wolverine fan, I found this story to be intruiging and very well written.
The artwork itself makes the whole thing worth reading, because it is simply stunning. Very unique.

Overal, it is an essential for any fan of show more Wolverine, or, to be honest, Marvel comics. It was one of their finest hours. show less

Paul Jenkins’ Wolverine: Origin collects issues #1-6 of the comic of the same name written by Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada with pencils by Andy Kubert, digital paint by Richard Isanove, and letters by John Roshell, Wes Abbott, Oscar Gongorra, and Saida Temofonte. Prior to publication, bits and pieces of Wolverine’s history had been revealed in Chris Claremont’s tenure on Uncanny X-Men and beyond, with Weapon X, Department H, Logan’s time in Japan, and some adventures in World War II being the most well-known. Jenkins, Jemas, and Quesada take Wolverine all the way back to the beginning, revealing that he was born James Howlett, the son of a wealthy Canadian family in early-nineteenth-century Albert. His family haunted by tragedy, show more James’ powers awaken the night his family dies with his claws appearing and his wounds healing quicker than normal in the following days. Taking the name Logan as he flees with his companion, a redhaired Irish girl named Rose, Jenkins, Jemas, and Quesada imply that his memory issues partly result from the early trauma of his powers manifesting in addition to whatever Weapon X and Department H did decades later. In addition to his powers and the name of Logan, his experiences on the run with Rose also gives him his nom de guerre of Wolverine as he digs in the mountains and mines of British Columbia’s northern frontier (part V). The story ends with more questions than answers, but it was bold in exploring Wolverine’s earliest years when previous writers had embraced the ambiguity of his past, casting him in a similar mold to the Man with No Name from Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy. The success of this story coupled with Wolverine’s continuing popularity led to a spin-off, Origin II, and an ongoing series, Wolverine: Origins. The story itself is well-crafted and Kuberts pencils with Isanove’s colors perfectly evoke nineteenth-century images like those that accompanied Mark Twain’s writing, Mathew Brady’s photography, or the images in Harper’s Weekly. Origin is essential reading for any Wolverine fan and elements of the story even made it into the opening sequence of Gavin Hood’s 2009 film, X-Men: Origins – Wolverine. This edition also includes afterwords by Jenkins, Jemas, and Quesada, story and scripting discussions, and art breakdowns by Isanove. show less

This isn't a bad story, but I wonder if it would have been better to leave Wolverine's origins shrouded in mystery - it's a big part of the characters appeal.