SLOOOOO-MOOOOO PUUUUNCH!!!!

I’ve been looking forward to this issue since I first made the Hulk/Wolvie/Wendigo splash page as my laptop’s wallpaper. I’ve tried dropping this comic several times when I felt it was an expendable part ot my collection, but every time I get out, they pull me back in! We get a whole lotta coolness in this issue, which I guess is a bit easy when you’re doing a prologue. It’s even easier when you get the amazing Mike Deodato, Jr. to illustrate the legendary battle between Wolverine, The Incredible Hulk and the magical Canadian creature Wendigo.

Not to lose focus on a Wolverine title, but the Hulk becomes the real star throughout this entire flashback story. Daniel Way understands what makes Hulk such a wonderful character. He’s not the childlike gentle giant who only fights when backed into a corner; he’s PURE RAGE. If Hulk is friendly and calm, then he’s no longer Hulk; he’s Bruce Banner. The whole reason he transforms is because Hulk is all the bottled up rage and aggression that Bruce Banner keeps locked inside, and this book GETS IT. Here we get to see an epic battle in all its beauty and glory, and the best part comes when we get a frame-by-frame narration of what it’s like to get punched by the Hulk in slo-mo. That’s a page I’ll remember as long as I read comics.

Besides the flashback, we get some interesting perspective on Wolverine’s past relationship with the enigmatic Romulus. This may be an important ret-con in the making by showing Wolverine’s motivations and activities prior to his first meeting with Professor X. While I read a lot of comics that contain a lot of fluff, this is one of those that makes my brain work overtime with enjoyment and fascination.

ORIGINAL SIN: PROLOGUE
Story: Daniel Way – 4
Art: Mike Deodato, Jr. – 5