Wolverine: Infinity Watch #1 Throws Logan In The Deep End
by Tony Thornley
What’s the first thing a recently resurrected superhero do? Well, if you’re Wolverine, you team up with an Asgardian God to hunt down the Infinity Gems before the evil forces of the universe takes control of them. So, for Logan, that’s just business as usual, right?
After almost two years of teases and cameos, the original Wolverine is wholly back in the Marvel Universe. Wolverine: Infinity Watch picks up immediately after the events of Return of Wolverine, by Gerry Duggan, Andy MacDonald, Jordie Bellaire, and Cory Petit. For the continuity conscious, it’s the first official appearance of Logan continuity wise since his return, set before the events of Uncanny X-Men #11.
Logan returns home to the mansion to be greeted by Jean. However, he quickly deduces that she’s an illusion and finds himself standing in the ruined mansion, face to face with Loki. The duo are then confronted by another Wolverine–the Phoenix-Logan who’s appeared in Avengers–who recruits the duo to track down and protect the new Gem-bearers.
I really struggled with the lead-up to Return of Wolverine, and Return itself was an ultimately frustrating story that didn’t feel necessary in the end. That meant I went into this issue skeptical, and maybe a bit fatigued. However, Duggan exceeded my expectations significantly.
Duggan gets right to the core of Logan right away, especially with the two Wolverines bouncing off one another. It’s a very exposition-heavy story, recapping Infinity Wars, and Loki’s recent past, so rooting the story in the character of who Logan is, his feelings towards Loki, and his personal drive is important. It turns a talky story into a story about a character and his relationship with the superhero universe around him, which works so well.
MacDonald won me over last year with his work on the Multiple Man series. Here he shows very similar strengths, with expressive characters, and engaging layouts. His Wolverine is perfect, and actually gives us a very fun take on Loki, filling the character with mischief and glee. With Bellaire’s always great colors, it’s exactly what I needed to hook me.
This issue was exactly what I needed to throw off the Wolverine fatigue I’ve been feeling. I can’t wait to read more!
Wolverine: Infinity Watch is available now from Marvel Comics.
