Written by: Steven DeKnight
Art by: Ibrahim Moustafa
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 15, 2021

I loved the original Old Man Logan series by Mark Millar and was even in an issue (Old Man Logan #43) of Ed Brisson’s Old Man Logan series. I enjoyed the other “Old Man” books and read all the Dead Man stuff. What I am saying is this is my jam! So when I first heard about this issue, I was immediately interested. However, after reading it, I was left confused. Not by the story, which is straightforward enough, but why this is even a thing. Let’s dive into it…

The reader gets thrown into the Wasteland with a tiny bit of explanation. The story is taking place shortly after the original Old Man Logan series, and if you haven’t read it (it’s so worth picking up if you haven’t), you will probably be a bit lost. On the other hand, it’s easy enough to get trucking if you have read it.

The gist of the story is that Logan is worried that Baby Bruce hasn’t fallen too far from his father’s gamma tree and will eventually finish his father’s job. That’s it. Seriously!

Without a lot of page space, Steven DeKnight tries his best to give you some Wasteland flavor, but what could have been a cool encounter feels more like filler here. DeKnight has to lean heavily on Logan and Bruce’s relationship, and it’s nice to see the softer side of Wolverine here.

It does lead to some payoff by the end, but it’s a twist that most will see coming a mile away. It also comes after the second fight of the issue and while this is the showcase battle of the issue, the setup, reveal, and resolution feel more like “What if…” fan fiction than a comic you’d lay four bucks on.

It’s a quick read, but that’s not a good thing here because when I turned the last page and saw “The End,” I almost laughed out loud! This didn’t feel like a complete story at all.

The ending did have a few feels, but I already mentioned that it was hardly a twist. At least the art looked good.

We will be talking more in-depth about Wastelanders: Wolverine #1 on this week’s Marvel Podcast, which comes out every Thursday Night. You can search “Weird Science Marvel Comics” on any podcast player to find us!

Final Thoughts

Wastelanders: Wolverine #1 is not a necessary read for Old Man Logan fans, and while that’s disappointing, the issue also wasn’t very good. The paper-thin plot only serves to set up an obvious twist at the end, especially if you are an Old Man Logan fan. The art was good, but that’s about all the positives I can give you.

4.5/10