Writer: Brian M. Bendis/ Artist: Andrea Sorrentino/ Marvel
I picked up Old Man Logan at the urging of a friend, a huge Wolverine fan, who wanted me to give Logan a chance. So far, I’m glad I did. Logan fits perfectly into the Spaghetti Western tropes of the man with a past who tries (and tries and tries) to settle down with a woman and some offspring, only to be dragged back to his violent habits. A man can’t find no peace in this world, I tell ya. That’s twice as true if the world is Battleworld, where Old Man Logan is set.
The artist is Andrea Sorrentino, who’s done plenty of comics including both the Uncanny X-Men and All-New X-Men annuals. He is on top of his game here. The art is rooted in a Sergio Leone-style, all shadows and heat waves, with subtle head-nods and bits of irony snuck into the edges of frames. He knows what you know and uses that familiarity to make his images more evocative…
The plot is a whirlwind, which contrasts well with the deadly methodical-ness of Old Man Logan smoothly carving up anyone who stands in his way. This is Logan as he is meant to be, no lingering, no errant love affairs, just guilt and grief and exhaustion and duty.
There are plenty of other characters in the book, Emma Frost, Danielle Cage (daughter of Luke and Jessica), Sabertooth, and even a cameo by my favorite:
That’s the Thor font. You know you’re in trouble when you see that.
By the end of the second issue, the pieces are starting to come together. Logan has hopped into a mess much larger than he thought and will have to fight his way out. In other words, the more things change for Old Man Logan in Doom’s Battleworld, the more they stay the same.
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