Wolverine: The Long Night Adaptation #1

Writer: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Marcio Takara
Colorist: Matt Milla
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramanga
Cover Artist: Rafael Albequerque
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Review by Nico Sprezzatura

Wolverine has dominated pretty much every form of media outside comics—film, animation, video games, just to name a few—but earlier this year, he ventured into a medium rarely utilized for superhero stories these days: the audio drama. Based on the hit podcast of the same name, does this week’s Wolverine: The Long Night Adaptation #1 translate from the airwaves to the page?

Adapted by Benjamin Percy, who also wrote the podcast, The Long Night feels very much like a Wolverine story that would’ve originated as a comic book. When Logan becomes the prime suspect of a serial killer case in rural Alaska, it’s up to him to clear his name and help a team of federal agents get to the bottom of the murders—and maybe learn more about his foggy past in the process.

Because it (ostensibly) takes place in its own continuity, this version of Wolverine isn’t burdened by decades of continuity, instead portraying a “classic” version of the character, i.e. a gruff, amnesiac loner who wanders from place to place. It also helps that The Long Night is less of a straight superhero story and more of a snow-covered Western, which should appeal to those who prefer their Logan as an Eastwood-type.

Percy is quite good at writing work-for-hire superhero stuff, but you could very easily imagine this story existing as a creator-owned joint as well. Like many Wolverine stories, it’s certainly not for kids, perhaps because it originated in a medium that isn’t particularly suited for younger fans. Logan himself is barely in this first issue, framing him less as a protagonist and more of a force of nature who bursts into the scene.

Comicbook adaptations of existing stories from other mediums live or die on the strength of their art; if the visuals aren’t particularly interesting, then why bother? Thankfully, Marcio Takara’s interiors justify the jump from podcast to page. His style here is a little rough around the edges and scruffy, which sounds about right for a Wolverine story to me. Colorist Matt Milla’s palette only enhances Takara’s work, ranging from the icy blues of Alaska to the deep, bloody reds you expect from Wolverine’s carnage.

The Verdict: Buy it.

If you happened to miss Wolverine’s podcast debut earlier this year, then Wolverine: The Long Night Adaptation #1 will serve as a pretty good catch-up.

Nico Sprezzatura
nicofrankwriter@gmail.com
Nico Frank Sprezzatura, middle name optional. 24. Schrödinger's writer.

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