Wolverine Epic Collection: Back To Basics (Wolverine (1988-2003))

The Epic Collections circle back around to Volume 2 of Wolverine's adventures, after focusing on his later comics for a while. We're back where we left him at the end of volume 1, hiding out in the lawless port city of Madripoor under the alias Patch, with the X-Men presumed dead by the world.Actually, that's not entirely true - the volume actually opens with two graphic novels, The Scorpio Connection and The Jungle Adventure, which see Logan get mixed up with the family problems of old buddy Nick Fury and investigate mysterious goings-on in the prehistoric Savage Land respectively. They're both pretty fun, and the art is by two heavy-hitters in Howard Chaykin and Mike Mignola.Then we're back to his ongoing proper, under the auspices of Archie Goodwin, John Byrne (layouts) and Klaus Janson (finishes), with Wolverine heading off to South America to tussle with a crazed dictator, a Nazi cyborg, an aquatic killer, an idealistic freedom fighter, a miraculous healer and an insidious drug that might be more than meets the eye. It's a great tale that barrels along, and showcases the inner voice of the character to the full. The remaining stories in the volume aren't quite as good, but it's still a handsome collection.Extras include seven pages of articles from Marvel Age, three posters, cover art for the second printing of the Scorpio Collection, Essential Wolverine Vol. 1 and Wolverine Classic Vol. 5, and original art by Byrne and Janson. It's another great collection from my favourite line of compiled superhero comics.