The wait is over, as Del Rey debuts the first volume in a manga series that radically re-imagines the X-Man as a teen rebel…

But is this new version of Logan really as different as all that? It’s a bold but tricky proposition: pick and choose the aspects of Wolverine’s personality and backstory that would appeal to both his fans and manga readers without losing either audience in the process. The result, so far, is a pleasant enough action-adventure read with one or two great and grisly moments near the end. But still, this book probably suffers from presenting a protagonist who's both too similar to and too different from the character as readers already know him.

Too similar: we get the same “shrouded in mystery,” amnesiac approach to Wolvy’s personal history that’s already been done to death. We learn that high-powered, shadowy figures want him and his singular abilities for their own sinister purposes and are prepared to destroy the secluded school of warriors where the cocky anti-hero is odd man out. Sound familiar yet? The key difference here, of course, is that Wolverine is an adolescent bad boy who supposedly has much still to learn, not the set-in-his-ways man (and old man at that) whom Professor X and crew had little chance of changing.

Too different: he closely resembles that generic manga character, the youth-with-special-fighting-abilities. Swap in “magical powers” or “ninja skills” or “cool technology” for Wolverine’s healing factor and other mutant attributes and you might have any number of other manga/anime heroes. By not being grizzled and battle-toughened, this Wolverine is green to the point of almost not being ready for consumption. And I’m guessing that to most readers such a shift will represent either a fascinating alt-glimpse into the character (à la Origin) or a disorienting variation on a favorite theme that could be derided as “Wolverine for Girls” (there are a couple of pinup-like, borderline bishonen images). Indeed, at several points I had to remind myself that this was actually Wolverine, not just a cosplay version of him.  
 
But, hey, for a cosplay version, what artist Wilson Tortosa has accomplished is pretty nifty. Logan’s raw energy and, in a few key places, blazing fury really come across. I just wish the story had kicked into higher gear a little sooner (e.g., don't look for any claws until page 61). In fact, the extended set-up that writer Antony Johnston presents in these pages will be familiar to manga fans while comics readers may find their patience tried. We get manga’s standard school rivalries, tensions, and friendships, complete with the training-to-be-a-wise-warrior theme. Certainly most of the kids are a nice bunch, but their sensei is given to saying the typical “your skill is great, but you must master your feelings” claptrap you’ve heard a million times before. Oh, and there’s also the requisite love interest, but it’s an element that’s so downplayed that you can tell Johnston is saving it up for greater impact down the road.



Which is probably the best way to view this entire volume: as a necessary, but not super-compelling foundation for further adventures. The good news is that the narrative picks up steam considerably, so that by the climax you’re actually looking forward to volume 2. The villains, particularly one called Lady Silence, seem promising, and one senses Johnston, who’s clearly talented, hitting his stride more, going for fewer jokes with forced cutesiness and generally feeling the material more deeply. Similarly, Tortosa’s handling of the action also seems to grow more self-assured, with more dynamic storytelling and less sheer chaos.

Let’s hope these trends continue.