Review- WOLVERINE- OLD MAN LOGAN VOL. 7: SCARLET SAMURAI

WOLVERINE- OLD MAN LOGAN VOL. 7: SCARLET SAMURAI (Marvel, First Printing, 2018; Softcover)

Collects Old Man Logan #31-35 (cover dates January- April, 2018)

Writer: Ed Brisson

Artists: Mike Deodato and Ibraim Roberson

Colorists: Frank Martin and Carlos Lopez

This title continues to surprise me. Maybe it's because this series is an anomaly in terms of continuity. While we are in the main Marvel Universe, Old Man Logan is actually Wolverine from an alternate future timeline, so his past and future are irrelevant to the jigsaw puzzle that is the Marvel Universe (or 616 as the kids like to call it).

Brisson's run is nowhere near as heady or trippy as Jeff Lemire's timeslip rollercoaster ride, being more rooted in traditional superhero fare. Gorgon has gotten his hands on Regenix, an experimental pharmaceutical drug that can regenerate body parts. Gorgon wants it to give to the ninja clan The Hand so that he has an unstoppable army.

You get lots of ninja carnage and bloodshed this time out. This is certainly not all ages reading, but kids today probably play video games with more violence than this. This is a pretty straightforward superhero adventure and was just what the doctor ordered.

I am a big fan Deodato's panel layouts, as he takes what are actually widescreen panels and chops them up into three parts, forcing you to stop moving on each. It tricks the eye into thinking it's a camera pan. It's a neat trick. Roberson steps in and the series doesn't miss a boat. I am still digging what is going on so I will come back for Volume 8.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Paper stock: Glossy coated stock. It's a bit on the thin side.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback. This book is pretty thin and feels like a big fat periodical.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.