Wolverine #301
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Billy Tan & Jason Keith [Art for Chapters 8, 11, 12], Steve Sanders & Sotocolor [Chapters 9, 10]
The newly-renumbered Wolverine #300 ended with an all-out war between the Yakuza mobsters and Hand ninjas in a Buddhist temple, coupled with a fresh-from-the-dead Sabretooth, a new Silver Samurai, and Wolverine’s adopted daughter caught in the middle.
And that was only the first seven chapters of Jason Aaron’s epic kung fu B-movie of a final story on Wolverine’s solo book.
The over-the-top action and ultra-violence continues this month in #301 with the limbs of Yakuza and Hand members alike flying everywhere and an obligatory Wolverine-with-all-of-his-skin-burned-off sequence.
Ever wanted to see tattooed Yakuza armed with chainsaws on motorcycles? Jason Aaron’s got it here.
What about torture administered with flesh-eating beetles? Check.
Sabretooth taking three claws to the throat? Say no more!
Aaron is taking everything ridiculous you love about Wolverine and packing it into a single storyline. That’s not to say this blood-soaked saga is devoid of any plot, though.
Remember, Logan’s reason for returning to Japan was to prevent a war between the Hand and Yakuza from breaking out in the wake of the Silver Samurai’s death. That plotline remains in place, and is coupled with the underlying drama of a father meeting his daughter’s boyfriend for the first time (but on an extreme level) in the fight between Wolverine and the new Silver Samurai, Shin.
Despite having two art teams here, the interiors remain consistent throughout, though Wolverine does appear a bit Danzig-y in a couple of panels.
As much as I could go on about this issue, you have to see it (and possibly enjoy kung fu movies or b-movies) to truly appreciate it. If you like Wolverine, this is highly recommended.
STORY: 8.5/10
ART: 8/10
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