All-New Wolverine #7
“Father Lost”
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Marcio Takara
Colors by Jordan Boyd
Letters by VC’s Cory Petit
Review by John Dubrawa
Still living in the shadow of her fallen father, Laura Kinney has had a rough go of it playing the part of the Wolverine. Recently she discovered her multiple “sisters”–clones created by an evil corporation (aren’t all corporations evil?? #realtalk) that were programmed to be deadly killers–and now Laura finds herself caring for the last surviving clone, an impressionable girl named Gabby. Having very little experience with her own father, Laura is seemingly doomed to repeat his mistakes with her own ward unless she fights against her natural loner mentality and in the process learns to carve out her own identity. She needs to be her own Wolverine. But first…
SUPER IMPORTANT SQUIRREL GIRL TEAM-UP ISSUE! Yes, while it seems like a strange transition to be making, All-New Wolverine #7 takes a turn toward the downright absurd, but here’s the thing: writer Tom Taylor absolutely makes it work. Not only is this issue the picture-perfect example of a riotous good time, but the narrative manages to move Laura forward in a significant way, which was something I didn’t see coming given this issue is all about Laura and Doreen rescuing a lost squirrel for pete’s sake. There are some sublimely hilarious circumstances in play here–Doreen literally brings a wolverine over to Laura’s apartment!–but the issue never stops being about Laura and her continual growth as a new hero under the old mantle of her late father. Squirrel Girl’s delightful demeanor manages to make a significant impact on Laura, and a new page seems to be turned for the all-new (and in my opinion all-better) Wolverine by the end of the issue.
Marcio Takara takes over art duties from series regular David Lopez and the transitional is as natural as all of Squirrel Girl’s curves. Seriously, this issue looks spectacular, with Takara’s breezy art style playing well with Taylor’s mostly silly script. When the emotions come out, the very animated facial features that Takara puts into each character really shines, especially in a very strange heart-to-heart that Doreen, Laura, and a rescued squirrel have toward the end of the issue. Takara’s bolder splash pages nearly jump off the page thanks in part to Jordan Boyd, who imbues the book with even more color and brightness.
THE VERDICT
If you’ve been hearing great things about All-New Wolverine but don’t know where to jump in, this issue is the MUST BUY gateway you’ve been waiting for. The recap page at the front of the issue provides the sufficient backstory, and then it’s just a straight shot into Fun Town from there. Tom Taylor wrings a lot of emotion out of what seems like a silly setup, but the issue never loses its careful balance between having fun and the importance of moving Laura along as her own unique character. Not to mention, Squirrel Girl! #bestteamupever
