Two Wolverines: A Cut Above The Rest

by Vince Brusio

Many of you that saw Logan undoubtedly ended your screening experience by wiping away a tear, and getting choked up seeing a toy Wolverine under a kids arm in the film’s closing. An era had ended with that movie. But now an era is beginning. And we’ve got an interview with the guy who’s leading the charge for Marvel’s Generations: Wolverine & All-New Wolverine #1 (JUN170857). For those of you saw Logan, it’s an alternate ending you wish you saw rolling up in the ending credits. For the writer of the book, Tom Taylor, it’s nothing short of an opportunity to create as much carnage as possible with two heroes that are the absolute best at what they do in the Marvel Universe. It's a dream gig that's a cut above the rest.

Generations: Wolverine & All-New Wolverine #1 (JUN170857) is in comic shops August 16.

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Vince Brusio: Tom, you're probably the envy of most writers in your field about now. You're bringing together two characters that traditionally operate in separate venues. No pressure, right? So how many drafts went into the recycle bin before you settled on a script? And what was the deciding factor for you to settle on what was "right" for the story?

Tom Taylor: Mark Paniccia, Christina Harrington, and I kicked around a lot of ideas for this one, but once we’d settled on this, I actually don’t think there was a single redraft done.

In a way, this is a very straight-forward story, but it has a lot of momentum and energy, and Ramon Rosanas weaves his magic to create something stunning. There isn’t a lot of time spent with talking heads. It’s an out-and-out action story which showcases these two great Wolverines side-by-side.

Vince Brusio: We have two of the most popular characters in the Marvel universe, who just recently appeared aside each other in a movie that received critical acclaim worldwide. Both iterations of Wolverine resonate with fans across the board because both Logan and Laura are essentially the same beast. And yet they’re not. How do you portray that kind of dichotomy in your story?

Tom Taylor: I think it’s just clear. While they have the same abilities, they’re vastly different personalities. They have different approaches, different skills, different strengths and even different values. But when you put these two together, as equals, nothing can stand in their way. Sparks will fly... off claws.

Vince Brusio: You essentially have a father/daughter dance being set up in this story. How do you show the family traits on paper so that we know they're 'cut' from the same cloth? And was it important to accentuate close-ups between the two in order to show their connection?

Tom Taylor: This is a hard one to answer without giving too much away. What I will say is there’s a simplicity to this story on the surface with a lot of subtext happening below it. And there’s a bittersweet aspect to it all.

Vince Brusio: With so many eyes on this comic because both characters are such fan-favorites, what was at the top of your list to accomplish in order to deliver the goods to the fans?

Tom Taylor: Honestly, I just wanted to show how good they can be together. Have them fight for the same thing, and have them save the day together. Not as Father and daughter. Not as mentor and mentee. But as Wolverine and Wolverine; the best there is at what they do.  

*To learn more about what’s in store for Marvel’s Generations one-shots, read our previous creator interviews with the books’ writers!

How Heavy Are the Hearts of Hulks?

The Fury and Fallout From Phoenix Times Two

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Vince Brusio writes about comics, and writes comics. He is the long-serving Editor of PREVIEWSworld.com, the creator of PUSSYCATS, and encourages everyone to keep the faith...and keep reading comics.