Wolverine #300
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Adam Kubert, Paul Mounts, Ron Garney, Jason Keith, Steve Sanders, Sotocolor
Can you ever have too much of a good thing? I think so. Especially in comic books. It’s easy to overindulge. We see it all the time with Wolverine on a few different X-Teams, the Avengers, crossing over elsewhere. Sure, he’s a cool character, a Marvel icon, but the overexposure can wear thin. And with stories, it’s easy for a writer to be a fan and want to respect the history while bringing all the cool stuff they grew up with to their readers. It’s a fine balance. Done poorly, and the fans are left wondering just why someone tried to throw every single reference and tie to the character all in one blender in a massive overindulgent potpourri that pushes the boundaries of even the most suspended of beliefs. Done well, it’s the kind of tale that stays with the fans for a long time, and leaves them slack jawed over the issue, flipping back and forth mouthing “That’s so awesome.”
I’m happy to report Wolverine #300 is that kind of tale, and would be Jason Aaron’s greatest single issue to date if I hadn’t read his Incredible Hulk opener. But that’s besides the point; I admit I fell off of the Wolverine wagon and found solace in X-23 around the time Daken and Muramasa showed up, and while Wolverine going to Hell was cool, it still didn’t resonate with me. I was handed Wolverine #300 as filler, actually, a joke by one of my editors. I came away with one of the most entertaining issues I’ve read in months, and a new expense on my pull list. This is the Wolverine I was missing, and one this is the sort of comic geek mash ups that demands an instant re-read. And re-read again.
Wolverine in Japan with ninjas, Yakuza, Silver Samurai, and Yukio is the stuff of classic Wolverine, but it also runs the risk of just being tired or inciting eyerolls, as it’s been tread so many times. That’s the risk with writing comics. Fans want new ideas, but they really just want old nostalgic ideas, but then you don’t do it right, and now you’re a terrible writer. Jason Aaron doesn’t need to worry.
As a mob war brew between the Hand ninjas and the Yakuza, Wolverine heads off to Tokyo, sure that his complicated past must be a factor. It’s practically Marvel law. Sure enough, his old girlfriend Yukio and adopted daughter Amiko have a part to play, but that’s not even the hook.
We open with an in-flight battle royale that is sold and executed with cavalier cool. It’s almost ridiculous, even for a comic book, but for Wolverine it can’t go down any other way. The Yakuza follow that up with another ambush, keen to find the Silver Samurai’s heir.
As Wolverine puts the pressure on the underworld to find out what exactly is going down, the Hand execute a plan to remove themselves from beneath Wilson Fisk’s thumb and restore honor as they return to their true roots. As if being caught in the middle is bad enough, Wolverine is also taken unawares by Sabretooth.
And even as it all boils over in an insane and visceral action sequence, the players all reveal they’re true hands…
I shan’t spoil the cliffhangers, but while a shirtless Wolverine and Sabretooth brawl would normally be all you need to want the next issue, another classic X-Men villain reveals themselves (though you might see it coming if you know your Marvel), and another wild card gets thrown in. It’s truly epic and made me giddy. I’ll find out next month in #301, but this is one of those books where I want it now.
Jason Aarons wrote an action packed, story heavy script and executed it wonderfully. Every character has a unique voice, and Aaron made amazing use of of pacing action sequences with some great cuts, perfectly balancing what we want to see on the pages and what we can fill in with our minds. With all of the key characters introduced, you’d think it would be overwhelming, but it all plays out just right, never crossing the line into overkill that other writers have fallen into. It’s a compelling story with all the great hooks unique to Wolverine, and yet it’s easily accessible to even the newest fan.
As I said earlier, this book goes on my pull list, thanks to this issue.
Adam Kubert and Paul Mounts share the art duties with the teams of Ron Garney and Jason Keith as well as Steve Sanders and Sotocolors. Taken on the whole, these were great art team choices, as there’s never a jarring transition in style that takes you out of the story. Everyone stands on their own, but it’s not a wild change in style like other multi-creative team issues tend to do. Raise a glass of beer to Jeanine Schaefer and her assistant editors Sebastian Girner and Jody Leheup for keeping this project streamlined and focused.
Individually, Adam Kubert is one of the definitive Wolverine artists thanks to the 90s, and it’s awesome to see how far his style has come since those days. Paul Mounts is, as ever, one of the greatest coloring compliments an artist could hope to have. His colors pop off of the page and add to the flow of the story as much as Kubert’s pencils.
Ron Garney’s chapters are amazing. There are so many little camera angle tricks and subtlties in each scene, it really makes the chapters seem longer. His Sabretooth is simply cruel, and the aftermath of the Sabretooth and Yakuza fight scene tells more than ever drawing it on panel ever could. Jason Keith brings a more subdued mood with his palette, but it certainly suits the script and pencils. I’ve always been a fan of Kieth’s coloring, and I really enjoyed what he did here.
Steve Sanders has done some awe-inspiring tech drawings. His early sequence is a high-tech robbery with holographic ninjas and he makes it look real. His other chapter is a quiet scene on a farm that really shows his range. The colors on Sanders’ work do a mix of the above, mostly by nature of the story. The robbery scene explodes in your retina with holograms and lasers and Tokyo lights, while the farm has a moody “impending storm” feel to it. It’s a really subtle sequence, and the artists do it justice.
The bonus sketchbook of some returning character designs is a neat extra, too.
All in all, I’m a convert based on the script alone, and I can’t wait to see where this leads. Jason Aaron has already established himself as one of more fun writers in Marvel, and now that he’s thrown all of Wolverine’s toys on the floor, I really want to see where he takes all of this. Some of the implied set-ups just make it a good time to be a fan of Wolverine and the X-Men.
Do yourself a favor and buy this issue.
