With the trailer for Logan taking the net by storm, you may be interested in reading the story that inspired the movie. If so, then you are reading the right article! The final movie featuring the Canucklehead is based upon one of the best stories Marvel Comics has published in the past 10 years, Old Man Logan.
Back in 2008, writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven (the creative team behind Civil War) teamed up for the ongoing Wolverine series. Set in an alternate timeline in a dystopian future, the savage Wolverine is a shell of his former self, a tame pushover who doesn’t pop his claws anymore after a tragedy. After owing rent money to the Hulks (The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk have a love that dares not speak its name in this timeline…. and children) Logan decides to drive with the now blind Hawkeye across country and deliver a mysterious package. Their road trip takes them across America and we see what the future holds for this version of the Marvel Universe.
Honestly, this is one of the standout stories Marvel published in the last decade. Millar and McNiven truly shined with Old Man Logan. I’d go as far as saying this is the best work from each of them to date, and they haven’t done anything as excellent as this since. The best way to describe this would be Mad Max: Fury Road meets Unforgiven.
Millar gave this story a western vibe, which I didn’t really read before in comics. Maybe it was the use of a barren wasteland or the fact Logan kinda looked like Clint Eastwood, but the western aspect absolutely worked. That, combined with Millar’s signature dialogue, made this Millar’s best story to date.
While Millar did an outstanding job, the true star of this story is McNiven. His artwork is amazing. The way the panels are laid out and drawn, it’s like McNiven envisioned it as a movie. You get wide shots, close-ups and establishing shots. Plus, the character designs are outstanding.
When this came out, it immediately felt like you were reading an important story. There was something different with Old Man Logan that I didn’t sense when I picked up other books that week or month. I immediately knew I was reading what would probably go down as a future classic in the comic medium.
I absolutely recommend this book for everyone. If you like X-Men stories, violence, character exploration, westerns or redemption stories, pick it up. I can’t recommend it enough.
Old Man Logan is available on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble, and should be at your local comic shop.
