By Kevin Mahadeo
Writer Daniel Way goes snikt one last time with the release of WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #49, the first of a two-part story that brings to a close the long-running series starring the Marvel Universe's most popular multi-clawed mutant.
Launched almost exactly four years ago, WOLVERINE: ORIGINS followed the clawed Canuck as he attempted to resolve his past and defeat his elusive and ancient enemy, the mysterious Romulus. The title also introduced the character of Daken, Wolverine's son, who quickly became a major player in the greater Marvel Universe landscape. The recent arc "Reckoning" finally tied up a number of threads running throughout the entire series, bringing to a close Logan's troubles with Romulus for the time being but driving an even deeper and more deadly wedge between him and his son.
Issue #49 hits stores on June 23 with the final issue #50 following a month later in July. Way took some time out from preparing the beginning of the end to talk about what's left for Wolverine in the final arc, what the future holds for the Dark Wolverine, Daken, and teases readers on popping his claws once more sometime soon in the future.
Marvel.com: I guess the big question is, with both Romulus and Daken taken care of for now, what is left for these last two issues of WOLVERINE: ORIGINS?
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #49 cover by Simone Bianchi
Daniel Way: Well, this is the part of the story where [Wolverine] addresses himself. Nothing is going to change for him if he doesn't change the way that he thinks. A big part of that is resolving, internally, with himself, his past. We saw some of that when he finally forgave himself for being a victim. That's something he's never done. First, admitting that he was, and then forgiving himself. He was set on this path at a very, very young age, back when he was basically powerless. It's kind of snowballed from there. That doesn't change where he is now, but now he recognizes it. He is going to have to sit down and deal with what's in his head. With Wolverine, so much of what he does is that he's been stuck in this pattern, this vicious cycle, for a really long time. What we're going to see in the final two-part story arc is him at least attempting-the question will be will he succeed or not-in breaking that pattern and going in a new direction. That's really one of the most important goals to me with the ORIGINS series: to take the character who can't stop looking at his past and turn him around so he can consider his future.
Marvel.com: You just touched upon this and I wanted to ask if you always kind of knew this is where you wanted to end the series, with this moment.
Daniel Way: Actually, no. This story right here, the title remains the same, but this moment was supposed to happen a bit earlier in the series. It had to do with elements from the "Reckoning" story arc and this one put together. But the Marvel Universe is a shifting, constantly changing thing, and with Daken taking off on his own as a character, it didn't seem like the right thing to do to have that storyline that was originally plotted. So, instead I took some of the elements and put them into two different storylines. And I think really this two-part story arc that we close out with, this is a nice end cap or epilogue to what we did in the "Origins & Endings"
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| WOLVERINE: ORIGINS: BORN IN BLOOD |
Marvel.com: Taking a look back at those past 48 issues that you've done, is there an arc or moment that you've done that you think, "Man, I love that story beat."
Daniel Way: Nothing really. I don't really have much perspective on it yet. I can't think of any one moment. There we some happy surprises along the way. The Deadpool arc kind of sticks out, but that's probably because I'm writing two or three different Deadpool arcs right now. It's one of those questions I'll have a really good answer for in a year or two when I sit down and read this thing as whole. [Laughs]
Marvel.com: What's it been like working for long with Wolverine, who is easily not only the most popular Marvel characters, but also one of the most popular characters in all of comics?
Daniel Way: It's been really, really incredible. I don't want to sound cheesy and say that it's been honor, but it really has been an honor to spend with this much time with a character, which is pretty rare in modern comics. You don't stay with a character or a title for 20 issues, let alone 50. It's been huge. And I've gotten to know a bunch of incredible people along the way, both artists and editors. I really can't comprehend the scope of it yet. [Laughs] So, this has really been something. And I'm not done with Wolverine, by any means. There [are] several things that are lined up in the future. But this story in particular has been an incredible ride.
Marvel.com: Well, I wanted to hit on another project you have coming up, which is the new DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE series. What can you say about where you'll be taking the character in that series?
DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #1 cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli
Daniel Way: Well, it's really taking what we've done in DARK WOLVERINE and using that to lay a foundation. Now that Dark Reign is over, this is Daken out in the world, no longer hiding behind his father's mask, but still the same incredibly manipulative and deceptive and surprisingly effective character. We've been doing in this in DARK WOLVERINE, but these are the kinds of stories you're not going to see in other Marvel books because this is a character unlike anything else that's going on in the Marvel Universe. It's tough to call him an anti-hero because at this point any heroic notions have been inferred by readers and not the character. [Laughs] He's more like an anti-villain. We just want to keep pushing that and pushing the boundary.
Marvel.com: He's also not as whole as he used to be because at the end of the recent ORIGINS arc, he lost his underclaw from each arm.
Daniel Way: Right. Well, he had been upgraded. He had been holding the ultimate weapon in his hands and that was cool while it lasted, but the fact that he got it taken away was so much cooler. I don't like really, really overpowered characters because it takes away their need to, I don't know, maneuver. And that's really where Daken shines: in that cat and mouse type of thing. But yeah. He got screwed over by his dad and lost two of his claws. Now, they'll grow back. But now he has to be a lot more calculating and scheming to get what he wants because it's no longer "easy" for him.
Marvel.com: To close out, you mentioned that you will be working with Wolverine in the future. So, what's the deal? What do you have lined up?
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #50 cover by Gabrielle Dell'Otto
Daniel Way: I can't. [Laughs] But I think it's something you might be hearing about in San Diego. It's something big and something I'm really excited about.
Marvel.com: You know, along with finishing up ORIGINS and starting DAKEN, you have DEADPOOL and the HIT-MONKEY limited series. Now there's another project. You've got yourself quite the full plate.
Daniel Way: Yeah. Luckily, I'm not too fond of sleeping. [Laughs]
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one of my favourite comics ever
Awesome read & Origins has been fantastic & a great read but im glad that Daken gets his own solo book as hes the best character outta the last few years .