Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
How times change!, December 17, 2004
When this story was originally released in four issues, way back in the `80s, it was called HAVOK/WOLVERINE: MELTDOWN. The fact that Wolverine shared billing with a third-tier character like Havok (even to the point of being named second in the title) shows that Wolvie, while a popular character at the time, had not reached his current "heavy hitter" status. Over the years, unfortunately, Wolverine has grown from a likeable underdog to perhaps the most overexposed character in comics. This is reflected in the fact that this story is now collected under the title WOLVERINE LEGENDS: MELTDOWN.
To be honest, this IS a story that equally showcases Havok and Wolverine, as they try to determine who is responsible for ruining their Mexican vacation. An assassination attempt separates the two X-Men, leading them around the world through a web of deception and danger, matching wits and power with the Russian villains Quark, Doctor Neutron, and General Meltdown. Walter and Louise Simonson construct a story that, while a bit heavy on the melodrama and cheesy dialogue, is nonetheless entertaining. They give us two heroes with very distinct personalities: Havok/Alex Summers, the cool customer, and Wolverine/Logan, the head-buster. Regardless, they are shown to be true buddies who care for one another. The real stars here are the artists, John J. Muth and Kent Williams, who couldn't have styles that are more different; however, their pairing works excellently, based upon a distribution of duties. Muth handles the segments with Havok, portraying Alex Summers as a sort of James Dean type rendered in soft watercolors, with jarring plasma energy added for occasional effect. Williams handles the segments with Wolverine, giving us a Logan that is, in my opinion, the all-time best representation of the character: short, stocky, rough, hairy, ugly, and altogether unappealing... the exact opposite of how Wolvie is depicted these days, and he was better for it. Picture Harvey Keitel with claws, and you'll have it.
The lesson is this: don't read this as just a Wolverine story. It is a Havok/Wolverine story, from a long-forgotten time at Marvel when a lesser character like Havok was treated with respect, and Wolverine was less than he is now, but actually something more. And most importantly, it's a story of friendship.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Story... Great Artwork, May 10, 2004
I read a portion of the meltdown series when it was first published back in 89 but never got a chance to pick it up. That was in high school, for some fifteen years I avoided superhero comics altogether, that is until spring 2003 when I decided to check some stuff out and risk a full on collectors relapse. Well this was the first trade I snagged, and was subsequently blown away. Meltdown is a cold war adventure teaming a vacationing Wolverine and Havok against a bunch of scheming Commies looking to exploit the secondary properties of Havok's powers. There is subterfuge, romance, and an amazing Wolverine spaz out. The artwork is fully painted and although sometimes rushed, is almost as good as Dave McKean's work in Arkham Asylum (which came out around the same time). I especially like
the artists rendition of wolverine, which strays from the zero body fat archetype, depicting the feral hero with a powerful working class hero look, popeye forearms, and a much more realistic hairstyle. One of the finest images in the book depicts him standing over a gravestone in his white wife beater and radar shades, he looks gritty and awe inspiring. Havok, on the other hand looks like a hybrid between james dean and lance hendrickson, his romance a red haired double agent produces some beautiful images of it's own. Oh yeah, there's a good dose of action as well and it's a damned good yarn to boot. This book got me back into comics after a long break from them. After a year of collecting it remains one of the best works I have come across.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
bringing balance, May 23, 2009
this isn't a real review, per se, as much as it is my attempt at briefly sharing my opinion on the book to try and offset the heinous one star rating that someone gave the book.
even as a young teen, reading this series when it originally came out, i was absolutely dazzled by the artwork in this book. it's beautiful. it transcends the page and becomes palpable almost to the point of being able to touch the characters. the amazing thing about the art is that it was done by two separate individuals, with one artist painting wolverine and one artist painting havok (who is still one of my favorite x-men), yet the art seems cohesive, as though it was the product of one person.
the story was especially mature for the time and for marvel comics, hence it being originally published under their Epic comics line that was not restricted by the comics code (a rating organization which based the comic's age category on violence, language, and sexual content at the time; no longer applicable). the dialogue was more than standard super hero quip fare, and the story was highly appropriate for the time, touching on both the subjects of nuclear power and the 80's cold war (though, admittedly, not very deeply).
what begins with a mexican vacation by two of marvel's mutant super heroes, plain-clothed, even, for much of the story, ends on a satisfying note. it was one of my favorite wolverine books growing up, and features some of the most dynamic art to ever grace the character.
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