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Looking back, it's funny to see how so many popular X-Men writers have provided their own unique take on the concept of an elderly Wolverine from a dark, alternate future. Each vision is wildly different. Claremont's "Days of Future Past" Logan is nothing like Paul Jenkins' "The End" Logan, who in turn barely resembles the surprisingly spry Logan of Grant Morrison's "Here Comes Tomorrow." Marvel's writers can't even agree on how Logan's healing factor affects the aging process, much less how life should treat the poor guy decades or centuries after his fellow teammates bite the dust.Mark Millar joins the long line of comic greats with his return to Wolverine . Unlike his last continuity-driven arc, "Old Man Logan" takes place in a far-flung future where the idea of a superhero is but a sad memory. I'll admit I wasn't necessarily hyped for this storyline, especially compared to Millar's other recent Marvel projects. Ignoring the fact that an elderly Wolverine is a seemingly played out concept, one glance at "Old Man Logan" betrays far too many obvious similarities to popular Westerns like Unforgiven. How can Wolverine possibly measure up to books like Fantastic Four?By injecting a dour, morose story with a surprising blast of fun, that's how. Make no mistake - Wolverine #66 is a depressing book in many ways. Rarely have we seen Logan so downtrodden, now to the point where he refuses to raise a hand in violence. Still, freed of many of the restraints of continuity, Millar is allowed to cut loose (no pun intended) and craft a story that revels in its own unusual qualities. A gang of inbred hillbillies who all carry the Hulk gene? Okay. A decrepit, blind Hawkeye who refuses to let anyone else drive his car? Sure, why not? Wolverine #66 is a bit slow going, but once the setting has been established and those wonky, Millar-esque qualities poke through, you might find it hard to avoid cracking a smile.There's no question that Millar is a competent Wolverine writer after "Enemy of the State." That storyline was famous for putting Logan back in costume after several years of rocking the black leather. I'm happy to see him taking the opposite approach now. Wolverine gets more than his fair share of spandex-clad heroics in about a dozen other books. This new, war-torn Marvel landscape is almost a breath of fresh air. I say almost because the "homages" to movies like Unforgiven are too strong to ignore. Wolverine even does his best Clint Eastwood impersonation throughout the issue. Still, Eastwood never fought Hulk children as far as I'm aware.Whatever faults the writing may have - and there aren't that many - I'm ready to forgive all because of the art. Artistically, Steve McNiven made quite a partner to Millar on Civil War. I wasn't quite sure how his incredibly sharp and clean cut style would translate to what is, for all intent and purposes, a dystopian Western. I needn't have worried. McNiven subtly alters his familiar linework, giving everything a more rough-hewn edge and dialing up the violence several notches. This is some beautiful stuff."Old Man Logan" suffers a bit from a derivative feel even as it charts new territory for the character. In the end, it's still a huge improvement over everything we've seen from the Wolverine books since last time Millar was writing. I'm hesitant to add another Millar book to my pile of recommended reading, but I honestly have no choice. This story is already shaping up to be a wild ride.