Wolverine 20 - 25
Enemy of the State

 

Snikt! Snikt! baby… In Enemy of the State, Wolverine takes on the Marvel Universe (under the influence of Hydra no less), sends the heroes into hiding and comes very close to achieving a solid “mission accomplished” until he meets up with a living legend. Just another day in the life of ‘ole Wolvie?  Maybe so, but this particular day framed itself in a great story, outstanding art and made for a really fun read.

 

Okay, yes, the story at times defies logic regarding what the heroes of Marvel can accomplish when pushed into a corner, but in the end embraces a fun seat-of-the-pants attitude which provided this (sometimes jaded) Marvel reader with proof that Wolverine can still take a longtime fan for a wild ride when the story is done right. This tale was certainly done right and proved itself well worth the price of admission.

 

Enemy of the State, in my opinion, will go down as a great Wolverine story arc and a slick way to introduce someone new to the character to what he's capable of doing when he's really cut loose.  It made me excited to turn the page and stood out among other recent reads. When you consider the truly outstanding comic storytelling and art we see on the racks today, making that kind of impression really says something. I left this story satisfied.

 

One major plus for me was the art of John Romita Jr.  I've followed Romita's work from his original six-page backup story in Amazing Spider-Man Annual 4.  I loved his classic work on Iron Man (115 to 153) which dealt with Stark's problems with alcohol.  I moved on with him enjoying his subsequent work on Amazing Spider-Man (a title his father once drew), Uncanny X-Men and so many others.  Romita Jr. is a class act artist and, when I notice his name on a book, I find myself seeking out his work.  His Uncanny X-Men art is among my favorites for the series (though not the best story years for the family of mutants we call "X").  Many of the character interpretations and splash pages in Enemy of the State are nothing short of stand alone works of art and this review wouldn't be complete without a tip of the hat in the artist's direction.

 

Well friends and neighbors, I can’t begin to say how happy I am to see Wolverine return to what he should be; a powerhouse existing on a chaotic razor’s edge often more than willing to do what’s needed to get the job done. As the old saying goes, “he’s the best at what he does” though, over the years, people seem to have forgotten that part of what Wolverine does is leave a path of blood wide in his wake. 

 

Wolverine has become a bit watered down of late. What makes me think this? It may sound a bit harsh, but I’m a firm believer that Wolverine has been prostituted by Marvel for years. He’s been thrown, at times in some increasingly odd ways, into almost any title the powers that be feel might benefit from the visit. No one can deny that he’s a solid comic seller. That much has been true over the years. That said, I think he’s been devalued as a central character through the glut of exposure he receives year after year. What other character has appeared in so many series? I challenge you to name one (though Nick Fury could make a surprisingly close claim to that fame).

 

Over the years, Wolverine has been interpreted and reinterpreted by writer after writer. At some point, the character stopped feeling like the guy you might run into in a rough biker bar and he became much more like your kind, nurturing grandmother. Along the way, he stopped being the scary, turmoil laden killer with a heart of gold (a quality that I feel made him so marketable) and started existing as an overgrown teddy bear with cool claws that never seemed to cut anyone. 

 

To me, this story arc felt a little like the character had a mind of its own, became ticked off from blatant overuse, snapped and struck back at the medium and the Marvel Universe as a whole.  That really wasn't the story at all, but it may have been the one this reader wanted to see.

 

Okay, over-analysis and reinterpretation aside, I hold true to my belief that this was a really good story. Through my comments I’m simply adding that it was a refreshing one.

 

Okay, you can tell I have a few things to say with this review and it doesn’t stop with Wolverine. Let’s talk about Elektra. For this character (who proved in many ways central to the tale), I’m going to need an slightly bigger soapbox than the one I just stepped down from. I’m going to have to bring Frank Miller (as opposed to Mark Millar, the author of Enemy of the State) into the discussion.

 

What does Miller have to do with this story? He didn’t write it… true. He didn’t pencil it… true. It isn’t based on any of his work… kind of true, kind of not so true... Let me explain.

 

I bring Frank Miller up because this story, through its continued use of Elektra like many modern tales, strikes me as just a bit disrespectful of the original basis for the character. Elektra was created by Miller for the Daredevil series and she was meant to die there for a very real purpose. It was a classic tragedy story geared to help offer readers a clear redirection point in the life of the series' primary character, Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil. That series of stories remains an endearing classic and rewriting even part of the tale (as Marvel has done when they dug up and dusted off the Elektra character) is in poor taste. 

 

I know this is a much broader discussion point and doesn't really tie specifically to Enemy of the State, but Marvel continued use of the character amid protests of the original creator and any time I see her used in a series it just strikes me as nothing more than a shadow of the grace from which she fell when they didn't leave her dead and buried. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and on this point, Frank Miller drew that picture best…

 

 

As long as I'm talking about Frank Miller, I need to say a few words.  Miller is a person who I hold more respect for than I can put pen to paper to explain. I was lucky enough to meet and talk with him a few times back when he as a semi-regular at the Mid-Ohio Con. It was after his Daredevil run when he was focused on Ronin, Dark Knight and really exploring the full potential for the comic medium. He’s one of the few whose work and comments I will always read, no matter the topic.

 

Enough ranting and reminiscence, back to the review… 

 

In reading the tale, I particularly enjoyed the espionage style attack plans (and associated plot twists) along with the political intrigue present within the Hydra, Hand and Dawn of the White Light alliance.  I've enjoyed Mark Millar's work on Ultimates and particularly enjoyed his interpretation of the Fantastic Four in issue #22 of this story.  It might be fun to turn him loose on that series for a six or twelve issue run.  In the end, Millar pulled off a surprisingly edgy story that I think will stand the test of time.

 

In an online interview, Millar commented:

"I didn't grow up with Wolverine, but I was always reading about how he was the biggest badass in the Marvel Universe and so I was slightly surprised when I started reading the X-Men and saw, in recent years, how he'd become this paternalistic, meditating whiner. He seemed absolutely nothing like the dangerous Wolverine I'd glimpsed as I'd flicked through those expensive color comics on my local newsstand when I was a kid and I wanted to get back to the feeling that this guy was unpredictable and frightening."

It looks like Millar and I are in agreement on what's good for comic's favorite Canadian claw wielder and I think Millar certainly achieved his goal with this initial six issue run.  Millar is on board with Wolverine for an additional six issues.  I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes the character next.

 

Scale of 1 to 10 ... Enemy of the State: 8
  June 16, 2005