VIZ re-released Wolverine: Snikt! manga by Tsutomu Nihei, bringing an unorthodox X-Men story to new readers. Originally published in 2003, the series blends classic sci-fi plot points with a story that focuses on the iconic X-Men member’s abilities and physical structure. While not a regular comic from many respects, its unique characteristics make it a compelling and engaging work.
Wolverine: Snikt! was published under Marvel’s old Tsunami edition, which aimed to produce manga-like manga to expand the company’s reader base. It was formerly a limited five-volume series, now licensed and collected with a foreword by Nick Dragotta. Wolverine: Snikt! features a creative team consisting of Tsutomu Nihei, GURU-eFX and Cory Petit.
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Blending elements of the Terminator with one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, Wolverine: Snikt! Set the main character in a post-apocalyptic world. He is transported through time by a young girl, one of the last people left in a world where a virus has mutated into a mechanical, destructive enemy known as the Commission. Logan is humanity’s last hope, as his adamantium claw is the only thing that can destroy the cores inside the Commission and is likely what creates all the rest: Primogenitor. The comic’s art style and tone are wildly different from the Wolverine saga most fans know, but those elements are exactly what makes it such a great experience.
Japanese manga artist Tsutomu Nihei created Blame!, then the series, before moving on to Biomega and the Knights of Sidonia. His art style is completely different from Marvel Comics which was released around the same time as Wolverine: Snikt! Smooth, yet gritty, with sharp edges and plenty of explosive action moments, the comic won’t match most readers’ initial thoughts of Marvel comics. Logan is depicted as paler than usual, but his attire is quite typical when he is alone. His design still makes him easily recognizable. Although made by a Japanese artist with a manga-inspired style, the manga is a true blend of Western and Eastern approaches as it doesn’t follow the traditional black and white print. .
The story itself does nothing revolutionary for the media. It also doesn’t showcase any of Wolverine’s mocking tones or Wolverine’s infamous sayings or catchphrases. However, it highlights his strengths as a fighter, survivor, and hero who doesn’t back down from seemingly impossible challenges. It may have had its packaging and unconventional approach, but it’s been a standout success as one of Wolverine’s greatest indie adventures. It takes advantage of the core aspects of the character and places him in a grim hellscape that only he can save in the only way he knows how – tearing everything to pieces. The newly announced Collector’s Trade of Wolverine: Snikt! is now available on VIZ and is a must-read for X-Men fans due to its unique nature and artistic approach.