Dead Man Logan #10
Sabretooth’s plan is revealed in Dead Man Logan #10, by writer Ed Brisson, artist Mike Henderson, colorist Nolan Woodard, and letterer Cory Petit. This issue is full of balls to the wall action, as Sabretooth and his army attack Forge’s compound. Are they there so Sabretooth can get revenge against Logan or do they have something more in mind?
Logan joins Forge and his wife as Sabretooth’s attacks- an army made up of hundreds of Sabretooth clones. Their healing factor is weak, but there are so many of them that the odds are against the heroes. Sabretooth breaks into the compound and grabs his actual quarry- Bruce Jr. Logan and Dani race after them and Forge realizes there is no hope against Sabretooth’s forces. He orders everyone else into safe rooms and asks a hyper-charged Speedball to bounce one last time- a bounce that kills everyone, not in the safe rooms.
This issue hits the ground and never lets up. Brisson sets a blistering pace and keeps with it. That said, he’s able to keep it up while giving readers explanations they need to realize what’s happening. Making Sabretooth’s army a bunch of his clones is a fresh idea, and it will be fun to see who exactly had the resources to give him said army. At first, the idea that Sabretooth has been after Bruce Jr this whole time and not Logan is a little disappointing, but if one goes back long enough, they’ll see that Sabretooth has always been a mercenary. This action fits his character to a tee. It’s just a plus that he gets to go after Logan again.
The biggest triumph of the issue, though, is the amount of feeling Brisson injects into the end of it. Readers have only been introduced to Forge’s compound in the last chapter. The only connection they would have to it is Forge, and he’s not exactly a huge fan favorite. His wife is introduced, but readers know little to nothing about her. His second in command, Dwight, was last seen guarding a toll bridge with Ant-Man’s helmet on Millar and McNiven’s Old Man Logan, but there’s not much else to the character. Speedball is there, but he’s so addled that he’s unrecognizable. However, Brisson makes readers care so much about these people and the life they are losing in this attack. Forge and Elinore’s last moment is beautiful, and the feeling of it leaps off the page. The heroes give their lives so the ones that they protect can grow into the next group of heroes. It’s such a powerful moment and sacrifice.
Mike Henderson’s art makes everything work. A script as fast-paced as this one needs an artist that can match it and he does in spades. His action scenes are lively, and he fills the panel with action. His detail flags a bit in places, but he makes up for it in other places. As usual, he’s able to inject a lot of emotion into the pages. His faces are expressive and make the big drama moments work that much better.
Dead Man Logan #10 starts fast and never slows down. Brisson makes this work perfectly, giving readers a great mix of action and exposition, keeping the breakneck pace. It wouldn’t work as well without Henderson’s art, which gives the whole thing a more kinetic feel, although there are a few places where his detail suffers, mostly in long shots with a lot going on. The two of them gel, giving the issue the right amount of pathos to make the ending work. This issue sets up a collision course between Dani, Logan, and Sabretooth and seeing as how the series has been fantastic so far, and it will be great to see where it all goes.