Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #5 Daken
By Roger Lee
As the Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy mini-series continues with this fifth issue starring Daken, the depth of what Marvel did in killing off Wolverine is becoming more and more apparent. Logan’s death is serving as a jumping off point for some in-depth examinations of the people closest to him, among both his friends, enemies, and his heirs.
This issue centers on Daken the Dark Wolverine. Daken, for those of you in the dark, is the actual son of Wolverine. Logan conceived Daken with his then-wife, Itsu, a Japanese woman he met after World War Two. To summarize a long story about Daken’s origin, Itsu died before giving birth. Grief-stricken, Logan left, unaware that the unborn child still lived. Logan’s son was retrieved by the bad guys and was raised as an evil version of Wolverine, with the same power set, claws and all. Daken grew up hating Logan, and he has always wished for the chance to kill his dear old daddy.
Death of Wolverine-The Logan Legacy #5 Credit Page
Now that the opportunity for patricide is gone, we get to see how Daken responds to Logan’s demise. Our story opens in Madripoor, where Hydra is interrogating one of their own agents, a Korean Hydra agent named Kim. It turns out Kim (a guy, by the way. We assume Kim is the last name), was assigned to serve as Hydra’s eyes and ears at a high-stakes auction of Wolverine’s remains. As we have seen in Death of Wolverine: Captain America and Deadpool #1, Logan’s DNA is highly sought after by the evil scientist types that inhabit the Marvel Universe.
As Kim recounts his tale for Hydra, we see in his recitation how Daken, dressed in his Dark Wolverine outfit, intrudes into the auction, declaring that he will not allow anyone to buy or sell his father’s remains, upon pain of death. To punctuate that declaration, he then announces that he will kill everyone in the room save three individuals, who will then take word of Daken’s action to others. The three that Daken allows to live are an interesting group. Two are clearly part of the Wolverine Pantheon of foe/friends, but why Kim was spared also, is an interesting detail that is explained at the end of the story. To find out why, you have to read the book. We will just say, that the ending came as a shocking surprise to this reviewer!
Logan Legacy #5-Kim, Hydra, & Daken
This story also featured a sub-context of darker-hued panels that depict traditional Japanese funeral practices that Daken observes in honor of his father. Daken is half-Japanese, and Logan had a deep love for Japan and Japanese culture. The range and depth of emotion that Daken feels for his late, estranged father is seen here and can be the building point for some more intense Daken stories if Marvel chooses to continue on this pathway.
This is a very well-done story, with good art and serves as a good vehicle for Daken. Join us next month as we look at Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #6.