Wolverine Giant-Size Old Man Logan #1

YES!  I cannot wait to see what they do with this. 

Ahhh Yeah :)

Took 'em long enough, and yet I'm still excited for it. Odd...

DAMN...$5.  That's crazy.  I could do without the extras and just have an extra long story for $4, but whatever.  Either way, I can't wait to see how this ends.

This should be good...

I'll wait forever for this book.  But this week works for me.

McNiven got to draw almost everybody in the universe in Civil War, and now I will (probably) be able to see how he draws Hulk-type characters.  So far, every issue has been good times, I see no reason to think that this will not continue the trend. 

I'm not gonna groan or complain. Not going to overbear anyone with this, except maybe with my review if I don't like it.

I just know this isn't going to end good for me and that's fine. As long as everyone else enjoys it then we can have an adult conversation on it. But man I am really upset how I went from loving this to hating it within over a year of this being published.

Finally. I've realised my mistake when I decided to wait for the trade on this series. At least it will be collected soon.

@Zeppo - The trade will probably be here very very soon.

I didn't mind the wait at all.  Well I did, but in a good way.  I'm super excited to see how this story comes to a close.  Better pull out the old issues and get caught up...

@TNC-not trying to be a jerk, or paint you as one, but 1) how do you know that it isn't going to end good for you, and 2) if you are confident in said projection, why buy it? 

If it has to do with the delays, which at this point you are completely justified in being upset about, why not just divorce that from your feelings about the story?

Last issue was amazing, can't wait to see grandpa wolvy kick some redneck hulk ass.

"the most brutal battle in the history of comics", huh? F--- Marvel and their exaggerated hype about this series, which was considered "The Best Wolverine Story Of All Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" since the first issue. Stop insulting my intelligence.

That said, I have been really looking forward to this, and will appreciate the fight scenes for what they are--I'll appreciate 'em like crazy. This should be an awesome time, and I don't mind paying $5 cuz I am interested in behind the scenes sketches and the like.

'bout time!  So excited for this book's conclusion!

I could have sworn the trade came out last week...

FINALLY.

I am extremely eager to see where this book goes.  I feel like I'm at the very peak on a roller coaster.  I'm along for the right.

The trade's coming out in November. I missed most of Old Man Logan, so I'll wait for the trade.

I already pre-ordered the hardcover that comes out in November.

This will be a fun issue.

Really can't wait for this, but that price is horsepoop. I do not need a gallery cover or any other behind the scenes extras, save that for the hardcover where it belongs and take the price down.

YES!!!!

Keep in mind there is probably extra story as well.

The BEST comic of the year, in any company is here.

@KickAss - You already read it? Lucky devil.

I just need to pick this up for two reasons:

A) It's for the completest in me.

B) I love torturing myself

what just happened?

Shit just got real here

That completist line is a bunch of malarky.  Save yourself the $$ and don't support something that you don't like.  Nothing good comes from enabling behavior that you find unacceptable.

I actually forgot about this title. But Now that I remembered it, I am excited to read the conclusion.

bout time... can't wait to get this!

Really looking forward to this...slightly soured by the very odd way it's been published...why not a mini? Delays I can deal with, but If a story like this is started on the regular ongoing series I don't know why it has to be concluded in some weird overpriced one shot thing?

Very glad this is finally coming out.

Cool beans. I'm going to get out the other issues out first and re-read it all in one sitting.

@Garrett - Excellent idea.  I will do the same.

This series has been great so far, where are people finding fault with it besides in the timliness?

@Ruo21: Everyone is gonna point at me so I might as well come out and say it. lol

My big problem for this is the lateness, I'm a stickler for it so I gotta bitch about it. But also, I find the story went from 'real promise' to 'medicore' within a a couple of issues. I believe it was when we finally learn what made Logan a pacifist that made me start feeling a bit indifferent about the series. There was no reason for that to be a whole issue, especially considering it's a lot of pages with no dialogue and bloody death after bloody death. Then i am upset at the art because, and while I can't deny it looks beautiful, there really seems to be no reason for lateness by McNiven. It feels like he has OCD and he's focusing more on the little individual hairs or bloodspots on a character then the actual progession of the story.

Those are my main beefs on this entire thing. But who knows? Maybe when I can read it all together in one sitting it might be better. Or I'll see the story progression for what it really is.

@TNC - I agree that you should try reading it all in one sitting.  That should lessen the impact of the delay and free you to evaluate the content and not the circumstance.

@TNC-There is no problem with the story not meeting your tastes, but from the beginning it has always been Bruckheimer-esque Marvel porn.  At no time did the series even attempt to veer off into a character study.  It has always been 'Unforgiven' without all the character moments. 

The action sequences are all drawn out as long as possible because that is the point of the story.  We are here only to see Logan get dragged back into the life that he was trying to leave, and all the repercussions of that action.  Again, if this type of thing isn't your bag, that's cool, but it has always been like this.

I would disagree that it was necessary to have an entire issue devoted to what happened at the X-mansion, because the story said that what occurred on that night was the deciding factor in the bad guys winning.  

The art is the reason for the lateness, your statement answers the issue it proposes.  When they rushed out the last issue or two of Civil War people bitched that the art regressed.  Now that they are letting him get out his vision of what he wants to accomplish we are bitching at that?  Just unfair. 

These companies have no contract with you get anything out at any time, ever.  If you don't like it, vote with your wallet.  Otherwise you are just reinforcing this type of behavior.

Well I'll shut up until I get this issue. Until then I stand by my issues with this series.

how did this story go from “real promise” to “mediocre”?

If anything the catharsis of wolverine’s inevitable release was build up to a final dramatic effect though out the series. The justification behind logan’s pacifism had suitable gravity. The marvel universe was explored in an interest and exciting way by appropriating the tropes of the road trip story. what are you talking about exactly?

YAY!

It's still pencils by McNiven? *checks* ok, no wait that's covers, *checks again for "pencils"* OH GOOOOD. For a second I thought I was gonna end up like some people who bought Batman & Robin #4 and thought they were getting Quietly art. I reread all of them last sunday so I'm fresh with what happened and you know what? It reads really well like that. I wonder how it's going to end. If it turns out to be a dream sequence then I'll be sort of disappointed... actually that's a lie. I like everything Millar does, and come to think of it, Morrison too. I hope this issue makes me laugh, if anything else.

This better one of the best comic fights ever or I will be disappointed.

@theegreatone: you mean "this better be" right? =)

I can't believe no one has mentioned the fact that this story seems to be shaping up to basically be wolverine vs hulk but they are both ancient. I am supremely excited about this.

Fingers crossed hoping for a great story and nice art.

I was so mad about paying five dollars for reprinted covers to issues I already own. I thought the story was ok though I'm going to read it all in one sitting now.

I hate how Marvel's idea of "extras" is a gallery of covers I've already seen.

It's hard to believe they haven't felt compelled to put some kind of Parental Advisory on any of this. Especially this issue.

I agree, the "Giant size" was weak in terms of extra content. I liked the story though

How is it that this read as fast as a regular issue (i.e. about 10 minutes)?

SPOILIES!
It was... good. When I saw there were extra pages, I thought maybe we'd get some vignettes through the following years of Logan and baby Banner trying to do as they set out to, like the end of Thy Kingdom Come in JSA, but less touching and more gorey, but then those pages turned out to be covers. Whoopty. Fuckin'. Doo.

I can't fault the art much in this other then the lateness. Ridiculous we have to wait this long but I gotta admit.....McNiven did some amazing things in this finale.

As with the story; it's exactly what I thought it would be. Barebones with story and just nothing but Logan killing everything in sight. Although I am curious how he can slaughter these Hulks when they should all have healing factors. I think even if I read this all together this would still be a disappointing ending. Plus if Marvel/Mark Millar is thinking I'm going to waste more time and money on a pointless sequel then they got another thing coming.

Nothing ground breaking as a story, but I thought it was well executed and I was definitly entertained.  I definityl agree that this was the poorest excuse for a "giant-size" I've ever seen.

Ended like preacher. I thought it would have been a bit more shocking of a confrontation.

MILD SPOILERS
I enjoyed the art in this issue and the story was exactly what I expected it to be, but some of the dialog was simply awful ("What's the matter Banner? Something you ate?" and "People piss themselves when I'm angry.")  This story began with incredible promise and fulfilled much of it, but I don't consider it as great as I had hoped it would be.

I'm not going to complain about the price, because it cannot be changed and is essentially irrelevant ex post.  However, the bonus content left a bit to be desired.

@stuclach Well I think that is a great reason to complain about the price. All of this wait and we get a little bit of a bigger issue. The only extras we get is something that should be in the hardcover collection of the story and not the final issue.

Actually I don't think I ever addressed it in my review. So yes, boo for Marvel for giving us the worst reason to have a Giant Sized issue.

@TNC - I said I wasn't going to complain about the price simply because I can't get my money back, but that doesn't mean I have a problem with anyone else complaining.  Feel free.

Giant sized my asshole. Marvel can suck it.

Hands up who gave the art a 5/5?

Did anyone not like the art? I’m interested in hearing why people did really dig it

@Edward - Loved the art. Certainly 5/5.

I'm sorry to bring it up, but every time I look at the thumbnail cover on the 'Your Comics' page, it reminds me of the awful, awful 'goatse' meme. If you don't know what it is, DON'T look it up!! I only know because I have asshole friends... no pun intended.

wait... did the Hulk not have regenerative powers too?  

I liked the arc ok.  While the story started out very intriguing, a bleak future timeline where the "bad guys" won, but somehow it ended with logan doing his "ninja" thing and easily wiping out an entire population of imbred hulks.

The way that the Hulk was killed... can we give the hulk a little more credit?  He was reduced to just another blob character... yeah I'm gonna eat a man with adamatiium skeleton... with RAZOR-SHARP claws.

What about, the "madder hulk gets... the stronger hulk gets."  I mean that was what make Hulk such a destructive and unstoppable force... a personification of human's savage nature.  Here, when the showdown finally happens... the hulk is a hill-billy that would ingest RAZOR SHARP claws... and is killed when his guts exploded/hacked by logan.   

I'd like to know why Banner had such super strength in just his human form.

"Oh but no time to tell that my boy!", says Mark Millar stealing my post. "We gonna show him stabbing him in a gruesome fashion. What do you think I look like, a storyteller?"

Hard to believe he'd go ahead and swallow the metal skeleton. I've eaten a lotta chicken, but not so many chicken bones.

Maybe he was senile.

If you actually want to enjoy yourself and/or think for a minute and a half, you'll find your brain can write some pretty No-Prize-worthy explanations for the unexplained "flaws," which used to be called "giving the reader credit for some imagination and intelligence." Maybe Banner's kids and grandkids were "diluted" second/third-generation Hulks, and hence killable. There are some injuries you just don't heal from. After 50 years of being the Hulk, Banner had "integrated" his strong side and his green side like we've seen him do in so many other ways over the years, so he was strong even as a skinny ol' man. Maybe after 50 years, nobody's healing factor's what it used to be. Or, maybe we should sit here and bitch that part 7 of a story was exactly like the previous 6 chapters that we willingly bought before willingly buying it. If you enjoy bitching, then you still had a good time, and you came to the right hobby!

My definition of "fan" really should be in the dictionary.

@Jimski: Judging by that reaction I'm gonna say you rated it........3 stars.

*checks* Damn! So close!

 I loved this.  It continued exactly what it was doing the previous issues.  Fun, hilarious and bloody gorgeous.  5/5 for the story and art, 1/5 from Marvel for overpricing this just because they can.

Also I forgot to mention:

Thank you for thinking of me on here and on twitter Mr. Jimski :)

What's the deal with making the Hulks a bunch of rednecks? I admit I haven't actually read the Hulk books before, but that just seemed weird to me.

Aside from that, I got what I expected out of it. It wasn't groundbreaking, it wasn't spectacular, it was Marvel/Wolverine porn. And I enjoyed it, but I think the series could have been just as well ended with the last issue.

@s73y3r-I'd like to think that in 50 years, we'll all be rednecks

Plus, all the inbreeding didn't help them

PLUS, it's not like his children were in private school. They lived in a desert

@captbastrd - You have now ruined the cover of this issue for me.  Thanks.

@drakedangerz - Don't you watch the news?  We are already rednecks.

@edward - What do private schools have to do with anything? 

I didn't make the goatse connection, but i definitely got a strange anal vibe (did I really just type that?) from the cover.

This...was....THE GREATEST COMIC OF THE YEAR!!!

@ captbastrd , I just came in here to cite the obvious lookalike contest they must've had with the goatse website.......

Also, say whatever you want about lateness, but my first thought when this issue concluded was, "I wonder what McNiven is working on next."

So I only picked up this issue in the series and am very confused as to why it's issue #1 if it's the conclusion to the story.... 

I liked it but whay did this have to be giant sized?  It could have easily been part 9.

@SteenAR
Yeah, you've been victim of the horrible publishing problem Marvel had with this title. The story started in the main Wolverine book in issue 66, but with the untimely fashion with which Millar and McNiven put the book out, Marvel needed to take their title back to the regular continuity and so they released 73 before 72, for example, which was months ago and lead them to put the conclusion out separately so as to not screw up the numbering any further.I may be wrong and they might've intended to end it in a Giant Sized issue all along (though I doubt it from how short a Giant Sized this was).

Either way, comics tend to label one shots "issue 1" even if there is never intended to be an issue 2. The same is true of the Whedon/Cassiday run of Astonishing X-Men; it was numbered 1-24 and it ended in Giant Sized #1. It's confusing, I think it's kinda dumb, but that's how they do it. 

I've loved this story and I loved this issue. I love the team of Millar/McNiven and this is probably my favourite Wolverine story now. I'm interested to see if they do a sequel they mentioned.

@stuclach:i'm saying he's kids were rednecks, or as we say in australia "Bogans", because they grew up in a shitty mountian landscape. They didn't go to a finishing school to learn about manners. Hence, the red neck-iness

@edward - I get you.  I think private schools in Australia must be a bit more comprehensive than they are here.  I know many, many individuals who attended private schools and they are not any more or less well behaved than their public school peers, generally.

Great issue.

 anyone whining about lack of story should just read something else.  this is an action movie in comic form that's it and it was a hell of a lot of fun.

Everything I wanted, I literally exclaimed and laugh at nearly every page turn from the insane splatterfest that kept on increasing. Got a 5 from me.

No, no, no. This was not good.

Forget the lateness, the price, the hype. This was anticlimatic and pretty much pointless.

I stand by the fact that Wolverine should have never killed Red Skull. It takes away from the character as a pacifist. Who gives a shit if he "pops" his claws. He has already killed someone. The series should have ended at the end of the last issue or Red Skull should have taken a beat down and Wolverine should have gone after him after being driven over the edge.

The series was very good up until this finale.

That being written, I liked the last few pages and I want a sequel (hahaha). The art was also awesome. I gave it a 2 for the weak story.

Thank God mark Millard never found therapy

Over on CBR their review said that 'if you're familiar with Millar's work you know where the story goes" refering to the end with Logan and the Hulk-baby.  Did I miss something?  Does anyone know what the hell that means?  And if you do, I would love to know.  I know Millar said something about tying in FF, 1985 and Old Man Logan, but as far as I can remember there's nothing about an old Logan and a baby Hulk in those stories.

@DarthDuck-Ahh, I didn't remember until you brought it up.  In his FF run when he had the future heroes come to the past, one of them was Bruce Banner's grandson and I believe he referred to the Hooded Man (AKA Logan) as dad or something like that.  So I suppose it is safe to assume that they live on for who knows how many years and eventually join future Sue Storm and her group in trying to come to the past and save their world.

@ScorpionMasada
I disagree. I think it worked as it was just fine. Frankly, if he killed Red Skull in the end instead of Hulk, it would have held a little less meaning. Hulk was the one who ordered Logan's family to be killed, in spite of any ties Logan had to the other heroes who were killed 50 years before, who were killed by multiple enemies other than just Skull (including the Hulk, I would assume since he lived/got a chunk of land in the end) and Skull having Hawkeye killed Logan's truest connection is to his family. Granted, we didn't spend much time with the wife and kids, but it's a connection that we should acknowledge as being far above Logan's friends and colleagues.

I found this to be really disappointing. Good, but disappointing. 3/5.

Ergh. Gave it a 2. Impressive art, Millar violence but... 'giant sized', seriously? No. Full marks for style, minus ten for execution.

@DarthDuck & @drakedangerz - I don't follow Marvel, but I think I remember someone mentioning the Fantastic FORCE linking to this story.  Did it include Wolverine and a Hulk kid?

I can't believe people actually liked this. I gave this series a chance after I did not think much of the first issue. By the 4th I felt I was locked in and had to see it through. Utter crap.

@drake: good answer. you can be a clever man when you're not being extremely catty.

So the connection between Millar's fantastic four run and this actually means that there may not be a direct sequel....

or maybe there will be. what do i know

"I found this to be really disappointing. Good, but disappointing. 3/5." -Kwisdumb

100% agreed.  This issue was superfluous.

Does the issue number 1 on the cover indicate that Old Man Logan is going to become a new on-going?

@stuclach-Yeah I haven't read it either, but assumed it connected more to his FF run than to this.  No idea though

@OnASunday-Nope, one-shot.

Ah yes, I forgot about that.  Thanks for the reminder guys.

Does lateness really matter for this story? It's a revenge story and that's all we need to know. The quality, or lack thereof, doesn't really have anything to do with when it came out. Did it lose momentum? I don't think so, considering it would still have been 1 month between issues. Is 5 weeks too long? 6 weeks? 2 months? 3 months?

 Why are we so crazy and so personally insulted when something we are willing to pay for is what it is?

@edward There is a sequel, it's called Lone Wolf and Cub. :P

Just because you criticize something you are "crazy and so personally insulted"?

My feelings about what I consider a botched ending to Old Man Logan has nothing to do with lateness.

I actually wanted Wolverine to stab the Hulk baby and rip his guts to shreds.  Is that bad?  just being completely honest.

There is a sequel to this, as drakedangerz mentioned above, it's FANTASIC FOUR.

@conor However, Millar also asked if people would like to see him and McNiven do a direct sequel - presumably taking place before the stuff that happens in FF.

@ProjectX2: Sure.

So why should we care about direct sequel to this story when we know full well what the outcome of these two character will be?

I read that trade that has the Wolverine/Hulk Jr of this timeframe. So that makes it even a better bet I will never get if/when this sequel is made.

Wouldn't Millar's Fantastic Four run be more of a prequel?

 And when you really think about it Marvel 1985 must be the original story in a trilogy. (just don't think that hard) 

@edward: Nope, FANTASTIC FOUR is a sequel. It takes place after Old Man Logan. Hulk Baby is all grown up.

@edwrd: Specifically, the one storyarc where they went into the future and met Huk Baby and Old Man Logan. Not the entire series.

I forget the ending of that particular FF arc.

Are those two still technically in our time? Or were they forced back to go into their own universe again?

@TNC-If you use the threshold of knowing what will happen to the characters as a tool for deciding whether or not to "care" about a story, you need to swear off all property titles (including most long running 'indies') as every major character in all of them is going to turn out okay, even the villians. 

They are PROPERTIES not actual characters.  They must be okay and endure and survive (even beyond 'death') because that is the nature of the business, they must keep printing.

Enjoy the story for what happens during that particular story, not for what will happen later.

@Conor: a-ha! but it takes place before Old Man Logan.....  but baby hulk is grown up?

what a fantastic mind puzzle. and they said millar's work lacks depth. he just invented zen continuity

@edward: No, the Fantastic Four go to the future after Old Man Logan.

@Conor: No, Old Man Logan comes from the future to the present with baby hulk in Fantastic Four... Duh! (sorry)

I loved it.

I enjoyed the arc as a whole but was slightly disappointed with the ending. I'll be reading the new FF for more though..