Writer: Tom Waltz
Penciler: Bruno Büll
Inker: Wayne Faucher
Colorist: Marcio Menyz
Letterer: Cory Petit
Cover Art: Whilce Portacio & Alex Sinclair
Punisher Showdowns: Wolverine #1 is kind of what you’d expect from a team-up book with the two most brooding and angsty characters in Marvel Comics, Punisher and Wolverine, who are also two of the biggest names. I liked it, but maybe I was hoping for a bit more conflict before the team-up. Neither Wolverine nor Punisher could afford to look weak because that goes against their coolness factor. So it was pretty interesting having them team up to maximize those points.
SPOILERS AHEAD
History Lesson With Professor Wolverine
We open in Little Tokyo. Frank is out of his usual territory, but he’s tracking a lead on a new drug called Shinrai. As he roughs up the Yakuza, the last survivor takes a hit of the “poison”. Logan appears just in time to kill the guy, just as he was about to stab Frank. Logan knocks out Frank with a “Yer a royal pain in my ass, Castle. Blasted trigger-happy idiot,” to go with it. As Frank comes to, Logan interrogates him as to why he is encroaching on his business. Frank tells him about Shinrai. Logan tells him about the drug when it was called Raiden. I really liked the inclusion of Japan in this story.
Sure, Marvel could have made this about any other drug, with Logan and Frank getting in the middle of it, but Wolverine and Japan just go together so well. Long story short, Shinrai was made by a Yakuza Chief, Dai Kumo, a long time ago. Logan killed him and his operation, or so he thought. Dai Kumo had a daughter, Shirohana, who wanted revenge on Logan. Logan made her see her father’s ways. She backed off. The plot thickens when she reveals to Logan that she has a half-brother, Kumo Kenji. He wants to continue his father’s legacy with an even deadlier strain of drug.
Same Fight, Different Battle
The biggest moment in this issue is when Logan and Frank realize they have a different method of dealing with Kenji. Frank has no skin in the game. It’s black and white with him. Bad guy does bad thing. Bad guy dies. Logan, however, has a different motive. Shirohana wants Logan to bring Kenji back to her alive. This is the only real conflict between the titular characters. They both create a bloodbath that only they can do. When it comes down to what to do about Kenji, Logan actually tries to talk to him. He gets a shot a few times, but that’s to be expected when you destroy a man’s drug business.
Logan tells him all about how Shirohana wants the best for him, to protect the family legacy, etc. Things get dicey when Logan ends up in the middle of Kenji and Frank, who wants to tie up loose ends. We get a really cool “make your move” type of moment between the two, but before anything can happen between them, Kenji jumps into a vat of his own supply. He becomes a big rage monster. The two work together to kill him and blow up the rest of the drugs.
Unstoppable Force Meets The Immovable Object
As much as I'd wanted more of a physical confrontation between Frank and Logan, I'm really glad Waltz took time to detail the characterization of both characters. Hearing Frank narrate a book again is great. Not only because that's what's missing in his current solo series, but Frank is very knowledgeable about his extracurricular activities. He thinks as a soldier would. He knows how to assess a threat, and it's so cool to see that play out. Now Logan gets to shine, too. Whether Frank is assessing him in his head or Frank's actually talking to him, he is definitely talked up!. I really like the added detail of his speed and sense of smell. Logan's claim to fame is his healing factor, but he also has enhanced senses that make him that much more of a threat.
Bringing The Chaos To The Page
The art is awesome! It has just about as much mayhem as you’d expect from either character, let alone both. My favorite scene is obviously the big grand finale. That battle shows both characters doing what they do best. My favorite panel in that scene is of Logan reacting to Kenji shooting at him. It’s almost as if Logan was annoyed that Kenji would waste his bullets and Logan’s time. The spread of carnage around Logan in that panel is awesome. It’s just how I want my Wolverine books to go. Büll did well bringing the art to life. Logan looks so cool.
I really like that shot of him moments after killing someone. The claws still in the guy’s chest, the sword sticking out of Logan, his suit being bloodied and ripped—it’s all so good. It’s awesome that Büll has the dead bodies scattered around Logan, but I thoroughly enjoy the severed hand with the gun still held. It’s a different type of violence, aside from blood and bullets, that I appreciate from the art team. Faucher does well with the inks. The foreground (Logan and the dead guy) is easily readable. Menyz does great with what he has to work with. Logan’s suit is the brightest piece on the page. It is a great contrast to the darker colors of the blood, clothes, and weapons.
Final Thoughts
Punisher Showdowns: Wolverine #1 is an exciting read. It slightly dips into the trope of “enemy of my enemy is my friend,” which is my most loathed trope, but the characterization of the titular characters and the art both do a good job of keeping my interest high. Although it may seem like a book you turn your brain off for and just admire the art, the added element of Wolverine and Japan goes a long way for readers like me. Match that with an awesome art team, and you get your money’s worth with a book like this.