Wanna Get Ficced?

Writer: Kathryn Immonen (with Chris Claremont)
Artist: Phil Noto


So, a while back, during yet another X-Men event (seriously, Marvel, the fuck), Jubilee became a vampire. No, seriously, this is a plot point that has actually stuck around even after the event. Jubilee is a motherfucking vampire, and Wolverine and Jubilee is a four-issue mini by Kathyrn Immonen (with Chris Claremont, apparently) about Wolverine and Jubilee dealing with the aftermath.

Not knowing until I read it that the whole "vampires vs. mutants" (yes, really) thing was actual canon, I was confused at first, but having learned the basic hook and that Jube had been turned and basically locked away so she wouldn't tear out people jugulars, it was a really good read. I've heard lots of good things about Immonen, and I have to say, I felt like she gets Wolverine and Jube and their relationship.

Take, for example, these two pages. Wolverine and Jube are in Siberia because of plot-related hijinks, and they've just had a massive hand-to-hand fight. Jube's not taking well to be all vampy (Look, I'm sorry, I can't do this without going all Whedon-lite on you), and Wolverine--being Wolverine--figures the best thing for them to do is fight. Jube ends up throwing a motorcycle on Wolverine (not included in these scans so that it entices you to buy), and then this scene happens:

From wolverine and jubilee

(By the by, fucking love the sound effect look when Wolverine slices the barstool.)



I love this scene. Love it. It's a great character moment, and it's funny, but it's also sort of heartwarming. Jube is crapping on Wolverine about being all tough love, and his response? Tough love via barstool destruction. Because, come on, it's not like he's ever really gonna talk about his feelings about his protege becoming a vampire (it will never not be weird to type that out). And then there's a bit of plot development, and we get to be reminded that Wolverine is kind of a shit and that Jubilee understands how much he's trying to help her. There's a sweetness to them that's really, really nice that showcases that they've known each other for a good long while at this point.

But it's not just Wolverine and Jube who are awesome! There's also this rock guy, who's name I don't know, and who I don't know outside of this mini (I believe he's in the current crop of X-students, but I don't read those books). He gets tasked with some general snooping, which gives us this fantastic page:



Later, he ends up in the crazy balls dimensional thing that Jubilee ends up in because she's basically in a cosmic pawn shop (yes, really), and they have this fantastic conversation:



I really, really need to work, "I'm revoking your teenage boy card" into my regular rotation. Also, apparently rock guy is actually Rockslide, so there you go. His name is Rockslide.

Like I said, it's a good story. It's fun, and there's character building and relationship building, and there is also Phil Noto on art, whose work I have only seen in single sketches, but who did all four issues, and I fucking loved it. Seriously, look at this Wolverine face:



I don't generally think Wolverine is bangable, but holy shit is Wolverine bangable. What's really impressive is that he looks bangable but also like the grizzly, hairy guy he is. It's interesting; I've heard a lot about Noto being a cheesecakish artist, but I didn't see a lot of cheesecake in this book. There was, it should be noted, a pretty bitchin' bit of beefcake:



(This is, it should be noted, how Wolverine works out when there are students in the gym.)

Um, Wolverine, I'll put my weapons away when you put on a shirt. I am totally okay with keeping my weapons out because hello hairy mountain man. (Take off your tiny shorts.)

What's really interesting about the book as a whole (besides the awesome story and pretty art), is that there's a weird quasi-ust vibe between Jubilee and Wolverine a few times. I can't honestly tell how much of it is Immomen wanting to drop hints and how much is Noto's art and if, perhaps, they worked together to blur the line. I mean, look at this:



That's sort of UST-y, right? I mean, seriously, the tilt of his head, the loaded question, how close they're standing...I'm kinda waiting for them to bang. And the end of the mini includes an awkward conversation between Jube and Rockslide about how Wolverine's not really her father figure anymore. It's really interesting, considering the whole Jube-is-a-vamp thing appears to be sticking around and their previous relationship and the fact that it's kind of unclear how old Jube is. I want to say she says on-panel that she's 17, but that doesn't seem right. However, I'm not up on Jube canon, so what do I know?

(Also, yes, part of my fascination with the stand-close panel is my age gap kink. I will admit that.)