Wolverine: Soultaker #1 Review

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(When the issue came out, Danielle begged that to be the tagline.. there you go sweetie.)

Title: The Mark of Mana
Published by: Marvel Comics

Writer: Akira Yoshida
Artist: Shin Nagasawa
Colors: Guru Efx
Letterer: VC’s Rus Wooton
Cover: Katsuya Terada
Editor: Nick Lowe
Publisher: Dan Buckley

Hey, shocker, Marvel put out a limited series revolving around Wolverine. This written by Marvel’s new ‘put him on stuff fast’ guy, Akira Yoshida. Not to sound a little generalized, but with Akira Yoshida writing and Shin Nagasawa doing the art, I wasn’t altogether shocked to see that this was a Wolvie in Japan story. The question is, is it good?

Akira in my book is 1 out of 2. X4 was crap, but I am enjoying the Age of Apocalypse.

Story!

Wolverine is in Japan. Wheee.. of course a story involving Logan in Japan means hanging out with Yukio and Amiko. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly why he’s there – to hang with what his ‘adopted kid’ for Japan’s Girls-Day. (I assume there is such a holiday as Akira has gone out of his way to make sure that Japanese traditions are pointed out left and right).

Well, Deadbeat Dad Logan sees Amiko for two or so panels, and then off on an adventure he goes. It was so nice seeing her, no? I bet that kid is going to turn into supervillain one day because of the lack of love she received as a result of Logan’s negligence. Then in the crux moment where Wolvie has to decide if she lives or dies, she can fondly remember those times he would show up for a few days to see her, get embroiled in some kind of highstakes adventure, and forget all about her.

I also predict the last issue features him hanging out with her on Girls Day, but little else pertaining to her.

SO – past my diatribe, Yukio is in trouble. She’s hearing voices, and has ever since she got some feathery, jewelery thingy. Well, thankfully, Logan knows just the expendable character to research it! He brings it to his friend. Ninjas show up. His friend dies. Logan has a mission.

Bleh.

ART!

I get that they are going for the Japanese culture / Anime thing here.. but the fact is – they don’t do it well. Yukio looks like a boy. No sexyness. No curvaciousness. No diggity. No doubt. She looks like a bondage-geared anime boy.

Also, if you pay attention close enough, you will see that Nagasawa is really bad with spacial proportions. Arms reaching forward become nubby. Heads aren’t proper for the body.. the only time the art looks perfectly styled is when he is drawing the huge layout scenes of the ‘visions’ that the characters are having. That’s it.

Overall!

Okay, so there you – Akira is 1 for 3. This book is just boring and isn’t bringing anything to the table that we haven’t seen a thousand times. Wolverine has a friend from his past who dies, so he must avenge him. It just so happens that this is under the backdrop of Japan and his Team-Up partner is Yukio.

I swear it reads like a Wolverine Mad-Lib.

Wolverine and (INSERT FRIEND) are in (EXOTIC LOCATION) because of (CONVOLUTED REASON). (FRIEND) has discovered a (ADJECTIVE) (OBJECT) which causes (STRANGE AFFLICTION). Logan brings it to (RANDOM EXPERT) who tells them it’s backstory and is killed by (RANDOM THUGS ie: pirates or goons). Logan gets revenge.