2 screenshot limit

It’s a rare occurrence that it’s taken me more than a couple of minutes to figure out what to write down about this manga. Usually, I either really adore the book, or I really got bored with it. This one, I’m not sure how exactly I feel. I know that I’m not over the moon about it, but I can’t exactly dismiss it so easily either.

The majority of the OEL (I hate that term but for this purpose, it’ll have to do for now) series that have been released by the various manga publishers have either been original works or manga-style reimaginings of series with firmly established fanbases. Wolverine obviously falls in the latter category, with this new take on his origin story, wherein a teenage Logan is abandoned at the steps of an isolated martial arts school in the middle of the Canadian woods. Writer Johnston makes sure that we ‘get’ that it’s still Wolverine: he uses the same catchphrases and expressions that we’re now all familiar with, thanks to the comics and movies.

So, what’s my problem? There’s nothing wrong with a new take on the Wolverine story, and Tortosa’s art maintains the same grittiness that would be expected from a Wolverine comic. It sounds like a perfectly okay manga, right?

That’s the rub. By calling it a manga, or by citing how it’s influenced by shonen manga conventions, Del Rey has limited the potential of this work and has pretty much relegated it to be an inferior product. It feels like the writer was given an odd volume of Naruto, and told to retell the story of Wolverine with a similar feel. Let’s see… cocky teenager with attitude? check. impossible physical challenge that only the hero can solve? check. plucky female sidekick/love interest? check. mysterious secrets in hero’s past that could possibly change the course of human society as we know it? check! Let’s not leave out the Childhood Rival and Wise Teacher either.

I think Del Rey really wanted to draw in the hardcore comics crowd and make them realize that ‘manga’ isn’t so bad. After all, this is Wolverine! As Manga!

I can’t say whether this attempt would succeed or not, but as a manga reader, I think this book makes me want to pick up the original Marvel comic, only to overwrite the image of Wolverine that this work has instilled in my brain.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 at 5:30 pm and is filed under del rey, manga & manhwa. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.