SNIKT!!! – Needing Wolverine Even More Than We Love Him

Wolverine has always been my favorite X-Man.  When I was a kid, it was the costume and the claws.  He was just so cool.  As I grew up, I became fascinated with the depth of Wolverine – not the flashy, badass superhero, but the tragic, near-immortal man struggling to find balance in his life.  I think it’s easy to see why he’s been such a fan and cultural favorite since first appearing in The Incredible Hulk #180-181 in Oct/Nov 1974.  At his core, Logan represents the very human struggle of being caught between who we are and who we want to be.  That resonates with all of us.  Who wouldn’t identify with that?

The Dark Knight Returns…with Misogyny, Violence, and Emotional Abuse

This may be an unexpected admission for someone who teaches a course on popular culture, but there are certain cultural phenomena that I just don’t get.  I’ve never liked a single Quentin Tarantino film…not even a little.  I never saw what was so revolutionary or brilliant about the 2011 return-to-silent-films homage The Artist.  I can’t get into any reality singing or dating competition.  I’ve tried all of the above but I just don’t like them.  The exact same can be said of my relationship with Frank Miller’s 1986 seminal classic The Dark Knight Returns.  But, before fandom begins the crucifixion, let me try and explain why – and it’s not just because I’m not a DC guy.