**Reader BOMC** - Weapon X (Barry Windsor Smith) - SPOILERS INSIDE Thread

mguy1977

The pick is officially announced.

Weapon X by writer/artist Barry Windsor-Smith.

Since there are a lot of books w/ the "Weapon X" branding on it this is the trade I am referring to.

http://www.instocktrades.com/TP/Marvel/WOLVERINE-WEAPON-X-TP-NEW-PTG/JAN092592

It sales for $10.53

If you have orders over $50.00 it is free shipping.


The book will be discussed in depth so if you have not read said book it could likely be spoiled for you. Please read the book in question ie Weapon X first. Thank you.

Thanks everyone.

Matthew

Hex

Rats... unloaded my original issues on ebay a couple of years ago.

mguy1977

Giving this thread a bump.

Matthew

John_Steed

I'm on board - will get book sometime this week (will be my first read....)

fredzilla

Suggestion for renaming the thread title: **Reader BOMC** - Weapon X (Barry Windsor Smith) - SPOILERS!!!

Talk about confusing...

mguy1977

Done.

Matthew

BadDeacon

I really like this book, mostly for the BWS art. I've got the hardcover, and I think I have the original issues, I'll have to pull out the hardcover and read it.

warpangel

The art is absolutely stunning, and the story is probably one of the first 'violent' comics I'd really ever read before. I remember reading it when it was publicised in the old 'Marvel comics presents' title back in the early 90's. At the time Wolverine wasnt quite the franchise he was soon to become, so there was a lot of mystery surrounding him.
On re-reading, I found myself being intrigued by Windsor Smith's delivery of word boxes on the page. they would often swoop around the page in an arc, so sometimes you'd have to read the word box below the one above to make sense of the dialogue, even now I think that's quite unique, but it flowed well with the action. I'd love to see this recolored now, as that's the only thing that feels 'dated' about it reading it today.

ChrisBeckett

@warpangel - I agree with your thought on the lettering. It's very distinct, not at all like your typical comic lettering. And despite it wrapping around in a wide arc below the art of a panel many times, I never find myself confused about where the next bit of dialogue is.

I'm only a few chapters in, but am impressed with how much Windsor-Smith is putting into the story, particularly that prologue chapter. I'm not sure when I read this last (possibly I've only read it once or twice back when it was originally published), but I certainly don't remember taking the time to read all of the background information BWS put into the imagery with the computer screens and police reports. I know I didn't read that stuff when I first read this, because I was surprised to discover, from an interview BWS did, that Logan is portrayed as an alcoholic in the series. And to be fair, I read this early in my collecting history.

Anyway. I am reading the original MCP issues, which I had to hunt down and re-purchase a few years ago when I found myself wanting to add this back to my collection but discovered that BWS was unhappy with the collected edition because he had specifically colored it with newsprint in mind, and when Marvel collected it they put it on glossy paper but didn't recolor it. With that in mind, I'd be interested in hearing what anyone who's reading the collection thinks of the coloring.

chris

Krescan

Agreeing with the word boxes comments. I did get lost the first time but it's something to look out for now. I'm about 40 pages in so far and enjoy it though not really knowing the Dr or the Professor I do have to go back and double check who is saying what when they're just the boxes.

One thing I really like so far is when people interrupt each other instead of cutting of mid-sentence they just overlap the word balloons. Don't think I've seen that technique and it stands out to me.

Still getting into the meat of the story so far but I'm enjoying it.

[Deleted User]

This book is amazing. The coloring, using the same 64 colors we were accustomed to in 80's comics, is flat out excellent thanks to BWS. What a great story, too... I can't wait to reread it.

MikeGallagher

BWS coloring drives me crazy. He has such an odd sense of color.
But it would not work if anyone else colored it.
THe story was strong and interesting. It has so much emotion.
The art carries it successfully.
This, to me, is THE wolverine story. It hits so many beats that form Logan into a complete person.

KyleMoyer

...though not really knowing the Dr or the Professor...

I'm pretty certain neither of them appeared anywhere before Weapon X so you really aren't supposed to know them going into the story.

warpangel

I'm pretty certain neither of them appeared anywhere before Weapon X so you really aren't supposed to know them going into the story.

I remember the characters appearing in the ongoing monthly, around the time of issue 50 of the original run, but I don't think they're long surviving characters in wolvies mythos. I really liked Hines.

KyleMoyer

I'm pretty certain neither of them appeared anywhere before Weapon X so you really aren't supposed to know them going into the story.

I remember the characters appearing in the ongoing monthly, around the time of issue 50 of the original run, but I don't think they're long surviving characters in wolvies mythos. I really liked Hines.

You're half correct. Those characters were in the Wolverine monthly and it was around issue 50, but that was after Weapon X was published. I had to double check comicbookdb on that because I do remember reading them in Wolverine, but I was pretty certain that was after Weapon X because I remember when they showed up in there, it was clear I was supposed to know who they were, but I hadn't read Weapon X yet at the time. And according to comicbookdb, the first part of Weapon X came out the same month as Wolverine 37, which is actually earlier than I thought it was, and definitely well before they appeared in Wolverine. In fact, comicbookdb lists MCP 72 (aka Weapon X part 1) as the first appearance for both of them.

bats00

This, to me, is THE wolverine story. It hits so many beats that form Logan into a complete person.

And yet we barely get any "Logan" in the story. We mostly get just "Experiment X" but I see your point.

I liked Hines as well and Cornelius. Because of that I had to keep on reminding myself that as likeable as I found them, they were still horrible people for working on this. Doing that to another person.

Was it ever revealed who the Professor was working for?

dubbat138

This, to me, is THE wolverine story. It hits so many beats that form Logan into a complete person.

And yet we barely get any "Logan" in the story. We mostly get just "Experiment X" but I see your point.

I liked Hines as well and Cornelius. Because of that I had to keep on reminding myself that as likeable as I found them, they were still horrible people for working on this. Doing that to another person.

Was it ever revealed who the Professor was working for?

The rumor I remember hearing was the Professor was working for APocolyspe. Want to say I read this in some comic magazine. And the article that mentioned it listed a whole bunch of clues that were in various Marvel comics at that time.

Krescan

For a Doctor and assumed educated man, he had an odd accent of whaddaya means? and other slang that if I heard a Dr use I'd probably be looking for another Dr. (not that Logan had a choice)

I don't think I liked Experiment X's ability to have his pain channel through their computer system and I think what I didn't like the most about it was that it seemed like they used it for a short period of time and decided they didn't like it either and abandoned the idea.

John_Steed

finally got the book in the mail today..... :\">

John_Steed

Read it in one sitting today. Love this book. I'm blown away by its violence, surrealism and overall disturbing atmosphere. I find the story extremely well paced. The lettering is outstanding. At the start I had to get used to the (dated?) coloring - but I guess the unconventional use of color adds to the surrealism. Which is a good thing. The book has that indie feel. Wished I'd read this masterpiece when it came out. It was published during that period in which I lost all interest in superhero comics. If only I'd known then...Will read it again. 5/5

ChrisBeckett

I agree with everything you said, John. I read my original issues, and the coloring looks much better on that paper than in the collections. This is a fabulous read, and I'm not even a Wolverine fan. But I love the backstage machinations going on with the professor and whoever is pulling his strings. And all the information that BWS packs into these 8-page chapters is impressive. I know I missed a lot of that when I read back when it was first published. Then, the art blew me away. Now, the combination of art and story - and the lettering, which is as masterful as Dave Sim's if not as emotive as his - is what impresses the hell out of me. Yeah, this one is definitely worth re-reading.

One thing I have to ask though. In the original MCP issues, the final chapter is a triple-sized 24 pages, but the end comes 16 pages in as Wolverine's claws are slicing through the steel door that leads to the room where the Professor, Dr. Cornelius, and Miss Hines are. Is this the actual ending in the collection? Because after it says "the end" there's an interlude chapter that finishes off that final issue's chapter. It was very odd, and was obviously out of place, but I don't know why it was there and not at some point earlier in the story. I'll have to rummage through my boxes again to pull out the issue and scan some pages so you can see what I'm talking about. I'm very curious about this.

5/5

chris

Krescan

I didn't give a rating, I think I'll go with 4/5 I enjoyed it but it is a touch dated. I had no problem in finishing it though so it wasn't that dated.

KyleMoyer

I agree with everything you said, John. I read my original issues, and the coloring looks much better on that paper than in the collections. This is a fabulous read, and I'm not even a Wolverine fan. But I love the backstage machinations going on with the professor and whoever is pulling his strings. And all the information that BWS packs into these 8-page chapters is impressive. I know I missed a lot of that when I read back when it was first published. Then, the art blew me away. Now, the combination of art and story - and the lettering, which is as masterful as Dave Sim's if not as emotive as his - is what impresses the hell out of me. Yeah, this one is definitely worth re-reading.

One thing I have to ask though. In the original MCP issues, the final chapter is a triple-sized 24 pages, but the end comes 16 pages in as Wolverine's claws are slicing through the steel door that leads to the room where the Professor, Dr. Cornelius, and Miss Hines are. Is this the actual ending in the collection? Because after it says "the end" there's an interlude chapter that finishes off that final issue's chapter. It was very odd, and was obviously out of place, but I don't know why it was there and not at some point earlier in the story. I'll have to rummage through my boxes again to pull out the issue and scan some pages so you can see what I'm talking about. I'm very curious about this.

5/5

chris

I don't have the original MCP issue in front of me, but I do remember that it was 24 pages with only one other serial in the book so that probably is correct. If I had to guess, I would say that he wrote the book in 8 page chapters before they decided to make the last issue triple sized (well, the Weapon X story triple sized).

John_Steed

....

One thing I have to ask though. In the original MCP issues, the final chapter is a triple-sized 24 pages, but the end comes 16 pages in as Wolverine's claws are slicing through the steel door that leads to the room where the Professor, Dr. Cornelius, and Miss Hines are. Is this the actual ending in the collection? Because after it says "the end" there's an interlude chapter that finishes off that final issue's chapter. It was very odd, and was obviously out of place, but I don't know why it was there and not at some point earlier in the story. I'll have to rummage through my boxes again to pull out the issue and scan some pages so you can see what I'm talking about. I'm very curious about this.

...

In my collection (Panini Comics, Sept.2009) there is a 5-page epilogue after the abovementioned scene. It shows Wolverine running naked through a snow storm while we follow a dialogue between Miss Hines and Dr.Cornelius - she's questioning the whole matter. And while she's expressing doubts her speech gets more and more labored....and Cornelius' last words are: "Have no fear...it's over soon". The last panel takes us back to the lab, showing a blood-soaked hand, shards of glass and some piece of equipment.

In the back of the collection, after the cover gallery, there is also Windsor-Smith's 5-page sequence created for Wolverine #166 (2001), depicting someone's memory of what happened back then.

I wanted to learn more of Wolverine's escape, googled and found this:

wolverine-escape-from-weapon-x

I was amazed to learn that so many books over so many years have covered Wolverine's escape from Weapon X. Just awesome!

mguy1977

Well, I finally got a chance to reread last night after the first read through upon getting my trade. Weapon X has a very unique art style & in some places "Bendis-like word balloons" that sets it apart from most other comics at the time. The bald professor is indeed "the animal" & Logan is man was the best line even if it was a sequence of a scenario until the real crap hits the fan in the remaining pages & the last few pages after the cover gallery. Barry Windsor-Smith uses the economy of words method & let his art do the talking for him. I was engulfed into each panel & full page layouts something only akin to Watchmen or Dark Knight Returns. If you want the best Wolverine story of his origin you can definitely start here. As for me, I will be buying more Logan focused material & I am a DC guy. Getting the true "origin" of Wolverine has spun neat little niche for Marvel. I don't want the loads of subpar material that is out today but I only want the good stuff the grade A material is what I will be getting in the near future.

Wolverine Chris Claremont Frank Miller 4 part miniseries & Uncanny X-Men 172-73
Wolverine & Kitty Pryde 6 part mini
& give Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine vol. 1 a try as well.

Rating a solid 5 stars.

I will definitely read this again in the future.

Thanks for everyone's comments & participation in this.

Matthew

ChrisBeckett

@John_Steed: Thanks. That epilogue sounds like what I was talking about. I need to go back and re-read it though. I may have read it wrong (I don't think I read Hines's dialogue as labored, but I think that may have just been me at the time, since I was a little confused by this part, and I am sure it didn't say "epilogue," which also threw me). Once I've read it, I'm looking forward to checking out that link you dropped in there too.

chris

mguy1977

@John Steed Thank you for the website link.

Matthew