Hunt For Wolverine: Claws Of A Killer #1 Review
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CTG's Take On The Hunt For Wolverine
Marvel's suggested retail price for the issues in the Hunt for Wolverine Event has already hit $70, and that doesn't even include the still-mysterious finale yet.
That is insane. So, as each week brings us a new issue, CTG is gonna deliver a mini-review focused on whether or not the latest chapter is worth your hard-earned dough.
In addition to our regular 10-star rating, we'll give each issue a basic Buy It or Skip It recommendation based on how essential it seems to the overall Hunt.
There will be monthly roundups to rank the four miniseries and identify the must-reads when/if they show up. We'll also deploy a provisional Wait And See recommendation at the series level for those titles that seem promising but not yet essential.
This week: Claws of a Killer #1
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Penciller: Butch Guice
Inker: Cam Smith
Colourist: Dan Brown
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics
WOOP WOOP! We have Logan on-page, people! This is not a drill!
It makes a left-field sort of sense that the villain team would make the most progress on the first leg of the hunt. Lady Deathstrike makes smart calls by recruiting Daken and Sabretooth. They have some excellent friction; it stands to reason these three wouldn't play too well together. But they're also driven and ruthless. They easily get far closer to Logan than any of the heroes have.
Their mission is simple: If Logan is really above ground again, they're gonna put him back under. With extreme prejudice.
As shown in the initial one-shot, Logan's apparently being used by sinister, unknown forces, and the Claw Club wastes no time in getting just a step or two behind those forces. Daken uncovers a dramatic twist in the cliffhanger ending, but this story remains deeply, directly connected to Logan in a way that the other miniseries haven't. Getting to see the man himself in the opening scene certainly helps.
Butch Guice delivers his usual jaw-dropping naturalism; it feels like real people are strolling into real settings where Mr. Guice just happened to be curled up in the corner with a sketchbook. The pencils are perfect for character interactions thanks to their subtle expressiveness. Dan Brown's colours push a little too far into muddy realism, robbing Cam Smith's lines of some of their clarity.
Mariko Tamaki does sterling work characterizing her leads and moving the plot forward. Her pace is a bit jerky, though, spreading our attention widely in the drive to make every part of this story feel thoroughly real. How much detail do we really need on the Podunk, Arizona setting of this first chapter? More importantly, Ms. Tamaki's takes on Yuriko, Daken, and Sabretooth are all achingly strong. They're brutal, clever, and just committed enough to their common cause to make a dangerously effective team.
A winning story, rock-solid characterization, and naturalistic visuals make Claws of a Killer #1 a real delight. While it's not a perfect comic, it's a very strong one both on its own and as part of the bigger Hunt for Wolverine plot. Our recommendation: Buy It for sure.
CTG's Take On The Hunt For Wolverine
Marvel's suggested retail price for the issues in the Hunt for Wolverine Event has already hit $70, and that doesn't even include the still-mysterious finale yet.
That is insane. So, as each week brings us a new issue, CTG is gonna deliver a mini-review focused on whether or not the latest chapter is worth your hard-earned dough.
In addition to our regular 10-star rating, we'll give each issue a basic Buy It or Skip It recommendation based on how essential it seems to the overall Hunt.
There will be monthly roundups to rank the four miniseries and identify the must-reads when/if they show up. We'll also deploy a provisional Wait And See recommendation at the series level for those titles that seem promising but not yet essential.
This week: Claws of a Killer #1
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Penciller: Butch Guice
Inker: Cam Smith
Colourist: Dan Brown
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics
WOOP WOOP! We have Logan on-page, people! This is not a drill!
It makes a left-field sort of sense that the villain team would make the most progress on the first leg of the hunt. Lady Deathstrike makes smart calls by recruiting Daken and Sabretooth. They have some excellent friction; it stands to reason these three wouldn't play too well together. But they're also driven and ruthless. They easily get far closer to Logan than any of the heroes have.
Their mission is simple: If Logan is really above ground again, they're gonna put him back under. With extreme prejudice.
As shown in the initial one-shot, Logan's apparently being used by sinister, unknown forces, and the Claw Club wastes no time in getting just a step or two behind those forces. Daken uncovers a dramatic twist in the cliffhanger ending, but this story remains deeply, directly connected to Logan in a way that the other miniseries haven't. Getting to see the man himself in the opening scene certainly helps.
Butch Guice delivers his usual jaw-dropping naturalism; it feels like real people are strolling into real settings where Mr. Guice just happened to be curled up in the corner with a sketchbook. The pencils are perfect for character interactions thanks to their subtle expressiveness. Dan Brown's colours push a little too far into muddy realism, robbing Cam Smith's lines of some of their clarity.
Mariko Tamaki does sterling work characterizing her leads and moving the plot forward. Her pace is a bit jerky, though, spreading our attention widely in the drive to make every part of this story feel thoroughly real. How much detail do we really need on the Podunk, Arizona setting of this first chapter? More importantly, Ms. Tamaki's takes on Yuriko, Daken, and Sabretooth are all achingly strong. They're brutal, clever, and just committed enough to their common cause to make a dangerously effective team.
A winning story, rock-solid characterization, and naturalistic visuals make Claws of a Killer #1 a real delight. While it's not a perfect comic, it's a very strong one both on its own and as part of the bigger Hunt for Wolverine plot. Our recommendation: Buy It for sure.
A Look Inside
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