‘Wolverine: Origin III — The Dark Age’ Reveals Logan’s Deepest Secrets In December
by Tony Thornley
Twenty-five years ago, writer Paul Jenkins reveals the earliest part of the story of how sickly James Howlett became the ferocious hero Wolverine. In December, Jenkins returns with superstar artist Cafu to continue that journey Wolverine: Origin III — The Dark Age.
Wolverine: Origin is widely considered a seminal work in the history of Marvel Comics, chronicling how a young boy barely healthy enough to get out of bed discovered his mutant healing factor, and eventually lost his first love to a cruel killer. In this third chapter in Logan’s journey to Wolverine, Jenkins and Cafu tell the tale of a Wolverine who’s found peace, just before being dragged into the darkest moments of his life…
From the press release: “After years of trauma and back-to-back tours of duty fighting in the first two World Wars, Logan has found his new mission … peace! With his berserker rage and violent tendencies somehow behind him, Logan enjoys a new life of tranquility and service. Logan will meet new friends and allies, and with the help of an impassioned young doctor, discover what makes him tick. But what is the cause of this newfound happiness … and how long can it last?”
“Wolverine: Origin was foundational. It did not simply tell us how, why, and where a young, frail Canadian named James Howlett became the super hero we know as Wolverine, it also showed his loss of innocence and his understanding of a cruel and difficult world,” explains writer Paul Jenkins. “Now, after 25 years, I’m privileged to present this story I have waited over a quarter of a century to tell. Where did Logan go? Which parts of his story were lost to history? What led to the events of Weapon X? The answers are not going to be what you expect.”
“I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say this is the most important project I’ve worked on in my entire career,” Cafu shared. “Origin is one of my all-time favorite Wolverine stories, and I’ve loved Paul Jenkins’ work since I was a teenager, so becoming a part of the continuation of that story and being able to tell a little more about Logan’s past is a dream come true.”
I’m of two minds here. We keep mining the well of Logan’s past, and that well is going to run dry soon. But Jenkins’ recent return to Marvel with both a character he created and one he’s not written before (The Sentry and Captain Marvel: Dark Fate) were both a return to form for the writer. I definitely am interested in what he’s working on next.
Check out the covers to the debut issue from Wes Burt and Josemaria Casanovas, and watch for more information about Origin III soon.