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Prodigal Son: Wolverine 1    by Anthony Johnston & Wilson Tortosa Amazon.com order for
Prodigal Son
by Anthony Johnston
Order:  USA  Can
Del Rey, 2009 (2009)
Softcover
* * *   Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto

With the newest X-Men movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, coming out next month, new X-Men fans will emerge. What better way to delve deeper into the world of the X-Men than in a format new to the franchise – manga. Wolverine: Prodigal Son, written by Anthony Johnston and illustrated by Wilson Tortosa, does just that.

When only a boy, Logan is left outside the Quiet Earth dojo, seemingly protected by a Wolverine. Sensei Elliot takes in the boy, and soon learns of his remarkable abilities, although he keeps these secrets. As Logan nears graduation, he longs for a real challenge. Little does he know that a fight - for not only his life, but also the lives of those close to him - is just around the corner as word of his strange abilities comes to Dr. Mardukai, an evil mad scientist intent on capturing Logan.

Wolverine: Prodigal Son is filled with action, which Tortosa draws expertly. The tones are dark, but that adds to the mysteriousness of Logan and those after him. Johnston's story flows at lightning speed (as any good action manga should) with enough character development to get readers emotionally engaged. The cliffhanger ending adds to the suspense, making readers thirsty for more.

New fans will delight in this manga tale of one of the most popular X-Men. Older fans, though, might have a problem with this format. However, as times change, so do superheroes, and Wolverine: Prodigal Son by Anthony Johnston and Wilson Tortosa is just another step in the X-Men's evolution.

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