The Comicologist » Steve Dillon

Wolverine: Origins Volume 5

The Comicologist — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:13:34 +0000

I have to admit, I had been very close to dropping Wolverine Origins up until volume 4 (collecting Wolverine: Origins #16-20 and Annual #1), in which did just enough to maintain my interest, largely due to the appearance of Captain America, Bucky and Nick Fury in the World War II flashbacks. The appearance of Deadpool on the last page of issue #20 had me eagerly anticipating the release of volume 4.

I pre-ordered Wolverine: Origins Volume 5 - Deadpool Premiere HC (Wolverine) from Amazon, fortunately before the value of the Aussie dollar took a nosedive. Wolverine: Origins Volume 5 collected issues #21-27 (even though Amazon only list it as containing #21-25) and begins with Deadpool having been hired by a mysterious third party to catch and kill Wolverine. The action takes place in San Francisco, and basically follows Deadpool doing what he does, running around, wise cracking and blowing stuff up. The running battle spans three plus issues, as you'd expect of two guys that can pretty much heal from any wound. In the end though, it's Deadpool that gets the upper hand, managing to bring Wolverine down.

As Deadpool has Wolverine restrained and strung up over a swimming pool, with the intention of drowning him, Wolverine's son Daken arrives and proceeds to cut off poor Deadpool's hand. Daken flicks the switch that would drop his old man into the water, however an explosion throws Wolverine against a wall and he remains on land. A single handed Deadpool then goes toe to toe with Daken. In the mean time Wolverine is able to free himself.

Once Wolverine regains his composure, he's able to distract Daken long enough, drawing him out into the open, where the Winter Soldier is waiting with rifle and scope at the ready. The Winter Soldier fires a carbonadium bullet, striking Daken in the back of the head. You have to go back to volume 2 or 3 to recall that Wolverine sourced a couple of carbonadium bullets, carbonadium being a substance that dramatically slows the mutants healing factor.

As Wolverine picks up Daken, ready to take him away for 'de-programming', Wolverine turns to a recovering Deadpool to reveal that the whole thing had been a set up. Wolverine had hired Deadpool, through the Winter Soldier, in the hope that the threat of someone else killing Wolverine, and therefore spoiling his chance of revenge, would draw Daken out into the open. This marked the end of issue #25 and the end of Steve Dillion's run as illustrator for the Origins series.

Wolverine Origins Volume 5 Deadpool GN Daniel Way Steve Dillon

US $14.99

10d 22h 40m

Stephen Segovia picked up illustrating duties for issues #26-27, and personally I saw an instant improvement in the series. These issues focused largely on Wolverine taking Daken to a place where he believes they will not be disturbed. A place from Wolverines past that still has a few surprises in store for him. It turns out that in the 1940's, during World War II, and the Japanese internment camps, Wolverine was responsible for recruiting 'volunteers' to participate in experiments for what could have been the beginnings of the Weapon X program. As Wolverine and Daken arrive at what are supposed to be abandoned labs, we find out that not all of the experiments have been destroyed. At the same time we are treated to flashbacks of Daken's past. We learn that he showed signs of cruelty toward others from a relatively early age, and like his father, his mutant powers manifest during a family crisis. Following the deaths of his adoptive parents, Romulus appears, to guide him, and then induct him into a secret society of killers. The key to these two issues is the ending. Daken awakes, but with no apparent recollection of who he is, or what's gone on before. De ja vu?

Volume 5 really was a book in two halves. Although I'm a big Deadpool fan, I felt that the five issues he featured in were a little unnecessary in the context of everything else that's been happening in Origins. The five issues revealed very little about the history the two characters may have shared, so we never really learnt anything new. All up the five issues could have comfortably been condensed into two, although I suppose the same could be said for volumes 1-4 as well. To me issues #21-25 felt like a struggling sitcom that calls in the A List special guest star to lift flagging ratings. Issues #26-27 on the other hand were quite good, and I'd go so far as saying they were the best two issues I've read of Origins to date.

My gripe with this volume as with volumes 1-4 is that the plot can be described as 'plodding'. This seven issue collection could most definitely been condensed into four. Dillion's artwork is really not to my taste so I'm glad he's moved on to other things.

Overall, Wolverine: Origins Volume 5 will not be the worst collection you'll read this year, but by the same token, it probably won't be the best either. I'd give it 6 out of 10.

Cable 1-2-3-10-50-75-86-98-107 Wolverine X-Men New Mutants Deadpool Origins NM!

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6h 25m

Cable Deadpool 1,2-50 Origins New Mutants Wolverine Skottie Young autographs NM!

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6h 25m

Wolverine Origins #45 Deadpool Variant Cover

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21h 27m

Wolverine Origins #45 Deadpool Variant Edition 1st Print RARE

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1d 3h 39m

WOLVERINE ORIGINS #23 DEADPOOL Vs WOLVERINE BATTLE ISSUE!

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Wolverine Origins #25 VF+ - Deadpool

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Wolverine Origins 8 Quesada X-men X-force Weapon X Deadpool NM

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Wolverine Origins #25 NM (9.4) Deadpool

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US $.99

5d 3h 52m

WOLVERINE ORIGINS #22 SIGNED JOE QUESADA & LEN WEIN DEADPOOL

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6d 8h 48m

WOLVERINE ORIGINS #21 SIGNED JOE QUESADA & LEN WEIN DEADPOOL

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US $9.99

6d 8h 48m

Lot of 3 WOLVERINE ORIGINS COMIC BOOKS DEADPOOL DAKEN

US $7.99

6d 16h 38m

Wolverine Origins #21 NM- vs Deadpool / Daniel Way & Steve Dillon

US $3.99

6d 22h 35m

Wolverine Origins: Deadpool TPB Marvel Comics

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Wolverine Origins #25 DEADPOOL Marvel Comics BIG SCAN INCLUDED

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WOLVERINE : ORIGINS #22, DeadPool,Steve Dillon,2006,NM-

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WOLVERINE ORIGINS #21 DEADPOOL APPEARENCE

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WOLVERINE ORIGINS #24 DEADPOOL APPEARENCE GREAT COVER

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Wolverine Origins Vol 05 Deadpool TPB

US $32.94

9d 23h 22m

Bullseye: Greatest Hits

The Comicologist — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:18:36 +0000

Apparently I'm a sucker for an "untold origin story", because when I saw Bullseye: Greatest Hits for $2.99 from the Things From Another World scratch and dent sale, I couldn't pass it up.

The trade paper back, Bullseye: Greatest Hits, collects the five issue mini-series, with the story itself attempting to reveal the origins of the man that became the ultimate thorn in Daredevil's side. The mini-series ran from November 2004 through until March 2005 and was written by Daniel Way and illustrated by Steve Dillon, the same team behind Wolverine Origins.

Bullseye: Greatest Hits opens with Bullseye being held in a top secret underground government facility, where he is being interrogated by two special agents, who are attempting to learn the whereabout of some nuclear weapons that Bullseye was responsible for stealing. This interrogation is used as the plot device through which to reveal snap shots of Bullseye's origins.

Bullseye Greatest Hits 1-5 complete NM/M (2004)

US $9.99

17h 27m

Bullseye reveals that when he was a child he displayed the uncanny knack of being able to hit any target with any sort of projectile, as seen when he kills a bird with a yo-yo. When his family is killed, following a bungled attempt by Bullseye's older brother to murder their abusive father, young Bullseye is put into foster care. He takes up Baseball, but his boredom for the game leads him to kill his opponent, as is depicted on the Mike Deodato drawn cover of issue 2.

This is when Bullseye first gains the attention of the US government, and is subsequently recruited then sent out into the field. It doesn't take Bullseye long before he goes rouge. Following his first battle with the Punisher, Bullseye heads back to the US, where we are treated to various glimpses of his first encounter with Daredevil and the King Pin as well as his murder of Elektra.

All the while, the two agents are attempting to located the nuclear weapons, it becomes clearer that Bullseye is just toying with them. Separating fact from fiction becomes more and more challenging. As the clock ticks down, the only one in control is Bullseye.

One gripe I have with this series is the artwork. Apparently all men have the same face in Steve Dillon's world. The eyes and nose of Dillon dudes really bug me. I can get past it. Looking at the Mike Deodato covers that were included in the trade paper back, I kept wondering if I would have enjoyed this more had Deodato had done the interiors rather than Dillon.

Another issue I have is the conclusion. Daniel Way seems to have left things intentionally ambiguous, which can be ok, except when your talking about an origin story. The whole 'was Bullseye telling the truth' thing is borderline '... and it was all only a dream'. If you've read this one, I'm sure you know what I mean.

What did I learn?

Apparently it's possible to kill a man with his own tooth. That's good to know, in case it ever comes up at a trivia night.

Daniel Way does enough with the story to keep the intrigue levels up, and if like me, you're always interested in seeing where a character has come from, then you'll more than likely get a buzz out of this.

I'd give this series 6.5 out of 10. Not brilliant by any stretch of the imagination, but good enough to keep you interested.