TITLE: The Hill

Summary

The setting is unidentified, other than that the story begins at a countryside estate. The time frame appears to be around the middle 1800's, but neither the exact time nor location is specified.

Recently orphaned Rose is moving in to the Howlett Estate, where she meets two young boys from different ends of the spectrum. They are exact opposites of each other in every way.

She first meets "Dog" Logan, the son of one of the Howletts' staff. He first tells her that she is pretty, then throws dirt in her face and runs away. It is obvious that Dog does not come from a wealthy family. Indeed, he lives with his abusive father in a shack on the Howlett estate.

Rose later meets the Howlett boy, James. He is every bit the opposite of Dog. Where Dog is active and athletic, James is sickly and unable to exert himself. Where Dog is poor and unrefined, James lives in the lap of luxury.

As different as the two boys may be, so are the two fathers. Dog's father, who bears a striking resemblance to a certain adamantium-laced mutant, is angry and abusive, while James father, John Howlett, is kind and generous.

Opinion

The first of six chapters, Paul Jenkins sets up the story without giving away much of the details. He introduces the various characters, and shows the dynamics within the two families, the Howletts and the Logans. There isn't a lot of action, but Jenkins succeeds in setting the stage for what looks to be a compelling story.

What I found most interesting is that Jenkins doesn't clearly identify who is, or more accurately, who will become Wolverine. Dog is most likely the Logan that will someday sprout claws, but the father looks very familiar. The elder Logan lacks a certain heroic quality, but Wolverine has a checkered past. If the father turns out to be Wolverine, it's certain that upcoming events in this mini-series will bring out his virtuous qualities.

Visually speaking, the style of art is very different from your average comic book. The panels look more like paintings than pencil and ink drawings, which is a testament to Richard Isanove's digital coloring. The result is lavish and very satisfying.

I have to admit, when I first heard about Origin a few months ago, I was very skeptical. A key component to Wolverine's appeal is that his past was a complete mystery. (The fact that Wolverine was originally created as a hokey opponent for the Hulk, it's amazing that he has become the rock star of the Marvel universe.) The mystery surrounding his past adds to Wolverine's coolness, and this mini-series threatens to take that away from his allure. This possibility made me wary of a definitive origin, but I must admit that I looked forward to reading this series.

Despite my skepticism, I have to say that Jenkins has succeeded in creating a compelling beginning. Again, this issue has very little action, and is completely driven by character development. He provides little beyond introducing the key characters, but offers glimpses into what should be a fine tale.

Conclusion

This is the first of six chapters, and introduces us to Logan in the past. Jenkins delivers little in terms of concrete information, but begins by offering the slightest of clues of the direction the story will take us. He is successful in setting the tone, and giving his readers a reason to look forward to visiting their local comic stores in a month's time.