Review: Logan #1

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Colorist: Dean White

Let's set some things straight - Wolverine is awesome (if perhaps overused). Brian K. Vaughan is awesome. So what could a BKV-penned series about Wolverine be other than awesome?

That answer is nothing, and the three-issue Logan miniseries is just about as cool as it gets.

Hot off the finale of his hit series Y: The Last Man, Vaughan takes a look at Logan's past as a WWII soldier in Japan. This is only a three issue series, so BKV doesn't waste any time in this first issue. We're with Wolverine in the present before being presented with a flashback that takes over the rest of the issue. Everyone knows Logan's a badass, and this setting is the perfect place to show that as he mows through a few Japanese soldiers. However, his tough-guy attitude has always overshadowed a hidden soft side that he shows to very few people in his life. We get to see this, though, and the warrior is perfectly juxtaposed with a man looking only for peace.

The dialogue is pitch perfect in this issue. BKV captures the voice of Logan perfectly - he's someone who's experienced but still hopeful, and this is at a stage before all of the Weapon X mess, were we can see the future Wolverine at his purest. Other characters, such as a fellow POW and a young Japanese woman are also portrayed incredibly, with just the right amount and type of dialoge to give them unique voices.

This writing is complamented greatly by the art. Eduardo Risso seems to be able to draw every situation. Brief superhero antics, wartime battle, serene countrysides - this book has everything, and the pencils are both clean and edgy at the same time. It works in conjunction with Dean White's moody colors which perfectly set every scene. The pale winter landscape, dark and moody prisoner camp, and beautiful Japanese sunset each have their own feel and emotion that, with the writing and art, make for picture-perfect panels throughout.

If you've read anything by BKV, you know how character-driven his stories can be. With someone as deep and complex as Logan, it was only a matter of time before Vaughan got his claws (pardon the pun) into him, and it was well worth the wait. Get on the ride for these three issues. You won't be disappointed.