Old Man Logan #33

THE SCARLET SAMURAI pt III

Written by Ed Brisson
Penciled by Mike Deodato Jr.
Cover by Mike Deodato Jr.
Published Jan 10, 2018
   Many years ago, the X-Man Wolverine gave his crush Mariko Yashida a white chrysanthemum... just a little something to remember him by. 

Wolverine-San.

Today, she holds a sword above him but the slight hesitation gives him a chance to escape. He saves a hostage and immediately heads for the street, ordering her to go the other way why the Hand chase after him.

Plan: I go this way. You go that way.

   Back in the bar, Gorgon criticizes the Scarlet Samurai. Her pause gave Logan the chance to get away. When he gets the news that the mutant has completely evaded his forces, he’s enraged. Later that night, Logan sits in an alleyway letting his severed hand heal. Suddenly he’s surprised by an old enemy, Shingen Yashida.

"Wait - I remember you from the cover of Wolverine #2"

   He explains that Gorgon and the Hand got ahold of Reginex - a pharmaceutical in it’s intended form but a drug in the wrong hands. Using it, they can empower their soldiers even more, and resurrecting his aunt Mariko helps them to put a puppet in control of his corporation. At his former headquarters, Gorgon orders a scientist to make more but she tells him they’re out. He moves to execute her but Mariko stops him. Suddenly a tank of liquid nitrogen comes flying in, and a throwing star ruptures it.

Good thing you found one of those.

   With the Hand soldiers frozen, they can’t regenerate. Logan and Shingen attack. The Silver Samurai is mad at the way they tried to assassinate him, and he takes the fight to Gorgon. At the same time, Logan squares off with former flame Mariko, but handicapped by his now bone claws on his healed hand. Meanwhile the fight between Gorgon and Shingen gets rough, with the Hand leader retreating.

Whoopsie... Time to go!

   The issue ends with Mariko nearing her takedown of Logan when Shingen zaps her in the back. With her down but not out, he tells Logan that he owes him a favor. The Silver Samurai tells Logan to take Mariko to Madripoor to destroy the rest of the reginex before it ends up in the wrong hands. What will Mariko think of her now super old ex-boyfriend when she wakes up? We’ll have to wait as this issue is left to be continued.
   One of the things that has been ever present in this book is a nod to the past. The difference though between it and say... the other X-Men books is that it’s carefully done by a writer who knows how to wield nostalgia. Ed Brisson again pens a masterpiece, playing with a deck of memorable characters but all in the right way. I dig it. I give this one a 9/10.

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