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x_men_classic2019-03-10 11:33 pm
sheliak) wrote in x_men_classic2019-03-10 11:33 pm
Classic X-Men 10
I remembered this as a story about Logan's terrible birthday. I am not sure where I got the part about it being his birthday, in retrospect; on reading the story, it doesn't seem to be mentioned. (Although in my defense, Logan probably doesn't know what day his birthday is. It could be today! He wouldn't know to mention it!)
I think this page is my favorite part of the whole story. I love the overwhelming sense of noise and light--the signs and people overlapping so that neither can be fully seen, the light reflecting everywhere--it really gets across how overwhelming that kind of place would be to someone with Wolverine's powerset. (Plus, a Phoenix reference in the corner!)
And, in the midst of all of that, someone actually manages to sneak up on Wolverine.
Logan whirls, on high alert--and sees, hears, smells nothing. And as soon as he's had the chance to be rattled like that, he hears someone behind him say "Tag, sucker--you're it!" We see a menacing grin behind his shoulder--nothing else.
Those things are going to be the motifs of the story: Logan's dislike of the city, the limits of his senses, and the menacing figure who's playing with him.
He takes off, running across a street (and possibly causing a traffic accident), taking to the fire escapes, and finally going to ground in an old bar. (He takes a moment to be grumpy about the way the area's been gentrifying, which will likely be the end of this place too.) He looks back on his past as a secret agent, and falls back on that training.
Logan takes a defensible position, and settles in to wait. He's obvious enough that the barkeeper comes over to ask if he's looking for trouble. Logan assures him that he's not--just being careful. The man's still reasonably suspicious.
Logan knows he makes the guy--and everyone else in the room--nervous. He ascribes it to being a mutant, rather than anything about his actions or demeanor, and goes into an internal monologue about his powers, beginning with his super-senses.
I do like the way this story depicts Logan's senses--it's hard to get that aspect of his powers across visually, but this one does it for me.
Logan watches the room, tells the reader about his healing factor. The barkeeper continues to watch Logan, and a female patron grins at him across the room. Logan, oblivious to her, notices the hunter's disembodied grin in the window. He rushes out, knocking over his table--and sees no one.
The lady, annoyed by his behavior, tells him off as she leaves. Wolverine admits she's right about one thing: he's out of place here.
The barkeeper comes out to encourage Wolverine to move along--and they hear a scream. By the time they get to her, the woman from the bar is dead--and her killer, the same guy who's been stalking Logan all night, is out of sight but laughing.
Logan takes off again, this time ignoring his training and running on instinct.
Logan heads to the edge of the sea, changes into costume, and pops his claws for the first time. (I am still not a fan of the way Bolton draws superhero costumes, so I kinda wish he'd stayed in his street clothes, even though I get the character reasons for the change.) He's getting ready for a showdown, he thinks--and the longer this goes on, the more familiar the whole scenario seems.
Once more, the other sneaks up behind him; this time, he's gone bored. Wolverine never even sees him--and he gets the only word during the one-sided attack.
He rips out Wolverine's throat--which we're told, rather than shown; there's no gore--and throws him in the ocean. Logan survives, his healing factor kicking into overdrive, and struggles back out of the water despite the weight of his bones.
Logan finally recognizes his enemy: Sabretooth. They've fought before, and this time--like every time before, he thinks--he made the mistake of facing Sabretooth on his terms, trying to fight like an animal.
For me, the best part of this story is the way it uses Wolverine's senses. I love the way the art depicts his powers, and the way they're focused on makes Sabretooth's ability to evade them that much scarier.
Sabretooth has never been my favorite villain, but he's capable of being terrifying--and in this story, he really is. It helps his case that he's mostly offscreen; the most the reader ever sees is his hands (either gloved or deeply bloodstained), and that disembodied grin. Logan never sees (or hears, or smells) him coming. He might as well be invisible.
I think this was written when the plan was for Sabretooth to be Wolverine's father, which makes sense with the "boy" and "disappointment" lines and casts an ironic light on Wolverine's mention of his "birthright", if his powers were literally inherited from his enemy.
(The woman's murder does rub me the wrong way-- although killing a random person to freak Logan out is definitely in character for Sabretooth, so there's that.)
Any thoughts on this issue? Favorite depictions of Wolverine's powers? Favorite uses of Sabretooth?
Alternately, want to talk about your favorite Wolverine solo stories? I generally say I'm not a fan, but in all honesty, I haven't read many. Maybe I just haven't read the good ones?
Thursday: Wolverine does not believe in leprechauns, and the leprechauns do not believe in talking wolverines.
Sunday: Storm and a writer.
I think this page is my favorite part of the whole story. I love the overwhelming sense of noise and light--the signs and people overlapping so that neither can be fully seen, the light reflecting everywhere--it really gets across how overwhelming that kind of place would be to someone with Wolverine's powerset. (Plus, a Phoenix reference in the corner!)
And, in the midst of all of that, someone actually manages to sneak up on Wolverine.
Logan whirls, on high alert--and sees, hears, smells nothing. And as soon as he's had the chance to be rattled like that, he hears someone behind him say "Tag, sucker--you're it!" We see a menacing grin behind his shoulder--nothing else.
Behind me--
--Nothing!
I heard the laugh-- the guy was close enough to touch--
I was alert-- why didn't my senses warn me?
Those things are going to be the motifs of the story: Logan's dislike of the city, the limits of his senses, and the menacing figure who's playing with him.
He takes off, running across a street (and possibly causing a traffic accident), taking to the fire escapes, and finally going to ground in an old bar. (He takes a moment to be grumpy about the way the area's been gentrifying, which will likely be the end of this place too.) He looks back on his past as a secret agent, and falls back on that training.
Logan takes a defensible position, and settles in to wait. He's obvious enough that the barkeeper comes over to ask if he's looking for trouble. Logan assures him that he's not--just being careful. The man's still reasonably suspicious.
Pays to be careful.
Pays more to be considerate. If you can, m/friend...
... take it outside.
Logan knows he makes the guy--and everyone else in the room--nervous. He ascribes it to being a mutant, rather than anything about his actions or demeanor, and goes into an internal monologue about his powers, beginning with his super-senses.
I live by 'em.
Others die because of what they tell me.
I do like the way this story depicts Logan's senses--it's hard to get that aspect of his powers across visually, but this one does it for me.
Logan watches the room, tells the reader about his healing factor. The barkeeper continues to watch Logan, and a female patron grins at him across the room. Logan, oblivious to her, notices the hunter's disembodied grin in the window. He rushes out, knocking over his table--and sees no one.
The lady, annoyed by his behavior, tells him off as she leaves. Wolverine admits she's right about one thing: he's out of place here.
Too many flamin' rules-- chokin' my soul like these buildings eat up the sky.
The barkeeper comes out to encourage Wolverine to move along--and they hear a scream. By the time they get to her, the woman from the bar is dead--and her killer, the same guy who's been stalking Logan all night, is out of sight but laughing.
Logan takes off again, this time ignoring his training and running on instinct.
I'm playing this wrong, I know-- lettin' my hunter call the shots, dancing to his tune-- but I can't help myself.
My combat skills--knowing how to fight, and when and where-- they're all things I've learned. As opposed to what I know, deep in my bones.
They bind me to the world that built this city.
And made me less than my birthright.
Logan heads to the edge of the sea, changes into costume, and pops his claws for the first time. (I am still not a fan of the way Bolton draws superhero costumes, so I kinda wish he'd stayed in his street clothes, even though I get the character reasons for the change.) He's getting ready for a showdown, he thinks--and the longer this goes on, the more familiar the whole scenario seems.
Wolverine.
Weapon X.
X-Man.
Hunter, become the hunted.
Killer, about to be killed.
I was trained by the best, to be the best, my knowledge and skills honed by a lifetime's experience.
But I ignore that.
I cast my rationality away and let the animal loose.
I trust my senses.
They play me false.
Once more, the other sneaks up behind him; this time, he's gone bored. Wolverine never even sees him--and he gets the only word during the one-sided attack.
Tag again, sucker.
Your're it--
--you're out!
Expected better, boy.
But then again, you always were a disappointment.
He rips out Wolverine's throat--which we're told, rather than shown; there's no gore--and throws him in the ocean. Logan survives, his healing factor kicking into overdrive, and struggles back out of the water despite the weight of his bones.
Logan finally recognizes his enemy: Sabretooth. They've fought before, and this time--like every time before, he thinks--he made the mistake of facing Sabretooth on his terms, trying to fight like an animal.
The berserker-- the "wolverine" in me-- that's no match for him.
Only the man has a prayer.
To survive, I have to change, to accept what I am and grow from it.
I'm not sure I want to.
I'm not sure I can.
For me, the best part of this story is the way it uses Wolverine's senses. I love the way the art depicts his powers, and the way they're focused on makes Sabretooth's ability to evade them that much scarier.
Sabretooth has never been my favorite villain, but he's capable of being terrifying--and in this story, he really is. It helps his case that he's mostly offscreen; the most the reader ever sees is his hands (either gloved or deeply bloodstained), and that disembodied grin. Logan never sees (or hears, or smells) him coming. He might as well be invisible.
I think this was written when the plan was for Sabretooth to be Wolverine's father, which makes sense with the "boy" and "disappointment" lines and casts an ironic light on Wolverine's mention of his "birthright", if his powers were literally inherited from his enemy.
(The woman's murder does rub me the wrong way-- although killing a random person to freak Logan out is definitely in character for Sabretooth, so there's that.)
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9
Sabretooth as Wolverine's father
Wolverine stories should be set in...
View Answers
... the city, so he can monologue grumpily at it.
7 (77.8%)
... the countryside.
1 (11.1%)
.... the wilderness.
0 (0.0%)
.... space.
0 (0.0%)
.... somewhere else, as I will specify in the comments.
1 (11.1%)
Any thoughts on this issue? Favorite depictions of Wolverine's powers? Favorite uses of Sabretooth?
Alternately, want to talk about your favorite Wolverine solo stories? I generally say I'm not a fan, but in all honesty, I haven't read many. Maybe I just haven't read the good ones?
Thursday: Wolverine does not believe in leprechauns, and the leprechauns do not believe in talking wolverines.
Sunday: Storm and a writer.
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And I will have to seek out the Claremont/Miller series! That one is Yukio's first appearance, right?
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I would love a Wolverine-and-buddy-of-the-week series for him.
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(I don't ever find Sabretooth interesting--he can be the cause of interesting stories, as a terrifying obstacle to be faced and overcome, but the guy himself bores me.)
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(I love your icon, by the way!)
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Thank you!
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I've always preferred him in street clothes over the costume too, but I suspect we're very much not alone in that.
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(I like his other costume a bit better than this one--but part of the problem is just that Bolton's costumes always look slightly off. He's very down-to-earth, and so Logan goes from looking great in his flannel shirt to just looking slightly fake in time for Sabretooth's disembodied hands to show up. But down-to-earth works really well for Logan in general, too.)