Wolverine and The X-Men (and Michael Allred's) #17 Review

Marvel Comics
Wolverine and The X-Men (and Michael Allred's) #17 Review
By Andy Frisk
September 26, 2012 - 22:12

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Jason Aaron
Penciller(s): Michael Allred
Inker(s): MIchael Allred
Colourist(s): Laura Allred
Letterer(s): VC's Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist(s): MIchael Allred and Laura Allred
$2.99 US

Recently guest starring as artists on Daredevil, Michael and Laura Allred bring their considerable talents to issue #17 of Wolverine and The X-Men and get to illustrate, not only a great and fun story about Doop's role at the Jean Grey School, they get to bring Howard the Duck back to the pages of a Marvel Comic Book! Okay, maybe that's not that exciting in hindsight, but a Michael and Laura Allred illustrated Howard the Duck, even if he only shows up for a few pages, is so perfect an event that it defies description.

Everybody wants to know just what exactly it is that Doop does for the Jean Grey School since he's always seen sleeping at his desk or in the hallways. Everyone from Deathlok to Bobby Drake/Iceman wants to know why he's even at the school. Logan/Wolverine won't reveal anything beyond the fact that he asked him to and that his role is very important. It turns out that Doop is "Wolverine's Secret Weapon." (Not so coincidentally that's also the title of this issue.) Doop is sort of the one man...uh...thing...X-Force of the school. He battles everything and anything that crops up to threaten the school while the others are battling the more exciting threats. Doop takes on everyone from The League of Nazi Bowlers to a guitar slinging and soloing Devil himself...and wins. He even keeps tabs on Sabertooth by eating up his food and spitting fire at him (you gotta read the issue-its a classic). He even faces down "hordes of bloodthirsty robo-barbarians from Dimension ZZZ" with Howard the Duck. Each and every episode (including the hilariously recounted story of Logan's recruitment drive of Doop) is classic Jason Aaron humor and satire and classic Michael and Laura Allred pop art with a punch.

There really isn't anything else that can be said that will add to the already glowing description of the Allred's now instantly recognizable, highly influential, and highly creative pop-art style. Their knack for interpreting every single character they've been asked to draw over the years reinvents each one's look while rendering them as exactly recognizable as they ever were. If only the Allred's could draw more than one book at Marvel Comics regularly (they are confirmed as the artistic team for the re-launch of FF).

Sill one of the best, if not THE best X-title currently publishing monthly from Marvel Comics, Wolverine and The X-Men #17 is an extra special treat for its readers. Definitely worth checking out and adding to your collection of classic X-Book single issues.

Rating: 10/10