Warning: spoilers for Demon Days: X-Men #1 ahead.
The X-Men's Wolverine is not a character to be taken lightly, and Demon Days: X-Men has proven that's true even when he's a wolf. Peach Momoko's newest installment in the Marvel comic universe has taken Japanese myth and fused it with the world of modern-day superheroes. In it, popular characters take on new forms and mythos as they fight to protect a small village in feudal Japan.
With Marvel's Demon Days: X-Men #1, the X-Men are seeing themselves reimagined in the style and storytelling of iconic Japanese themes, visuals, and folklore characters. Tales of Oni and Orochi, spirits and demons, clash with modern characters and lore. In this particular instance, one very recognizable X-Men staple has been reimagined with a little extra bite and even more claws. Logan has gone from an indestructible human hero to a protective and watchful attack dog.
The story's introduction provides some backstory as to the mythological characters featured in the issue, as well as their relationship to the humans they share the Earth with. As the main story begins, a small town in feudal Japan is raided for food by a massive red Oni (a large red ogre spirit); and after the creature flees back to the mountains, a sword for hire and her trusty wolf, Logan, wander into town looking for a place to rest their heads for the night. It's here that readers are introduced to this version of Wolverine: a side-kick with a bite and claws to match his human counterpart. After they arrive, a snake demon, an Orochi, comes to feed off the villagers, but the two stand by the humans. Through this battle, it becomes obvious that although he remains a quick healer, Logan's regenerative properties aren't at play in this adaptation, as he loses an eye in battle and is left with a scar, but his virtual immortality seems to have carried over.
Once the village has been saved, the story jumps hundreds of years into the future. It's here, far from what any normal wolf's lifespan would allow, that Logan appears to be watching from the shadows of the forest, scar and all. The same watchful, serious stare he has as a human being equally represented even as a one-eyed wolf. Even more so, wolves are known to have heightened senses, further mirroring his human superhero abilities. Logan isn't the only character reimagined by Momoko for this book though. She's taken Red Hulk and turned him into an Oni by the name of Hulkmaru, Venom took on the identity of the Orochi snake demon, and Jubilee became a Jushi, or curse master.
Seeing how creative she's gotten in terms of character adaptations in just the first issue, it'll be exciting to see who else gets a shoutout in this story and how they will manifest. Considering that Logan has kept his characteristic agelessness, it wouldn't be surprising if he played a role in tying the different time periods together, as well as possibly assisting the main character in whatever issue presents itself to the village in the modern-day. No matter his role in what's to come, it's exciting to see Wolverine in such a different light, style, and species. Demon Days: X-Men has proven to be visually stunning while providing a fresh take on classic folklore and popular characters. It will definitely be one to watch moving forward.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3boYWSg
0 Comments