It is great how you can now experience various stories in physical books and comic books, as well as digitally, along with movies, television, and even scripted podcasts. Wolverine: The Long Night, written by Benjamin Percy, blends the feeling of a written comic with the vibe of on-screen visual storytelling to craft an experience unlike anything else.
Federal agents are led to the fictional town of Burns, Alaska working a serial murder case. Logan is the main suspect. The agents will uncover Logan’s dual identity and the corruption in the small town. Logan is attempting to escape from society and over the course of the series recover some of his lost memories. He is, however, drawn to execute “frontier justice.” Located nearby is the Aurora cult, who may or may not have power or be involved in the murders.
One of the big reasons I read comics is the visuals that come along with the scripted story, but sometimes experiencing the tale with various narrators, sound effects, and a well crafted script tells a story that can only be experienced through audio. Percy crafts a fantastic story taking us back a bit to the more grounded and gritty Logan tales in the wilds of Alaska in Wolverine: The Long Night.
The Long Night is a detective style noir with Logan as the centerpiece but agents Sally Pierce and Tad Marshall as the main characters. It takes a few chapters for Logan to really take the show, a slow build worth the wait. Percy tosses in a few red herrings, twists and turns, and misdirection making for a mystery thriller comic story.
The narration and sound editing is top-notch allowing us to really feel part of the story. Richard Armitage portrayal of Wolverine puts him up there with Hugh Jackman‘s on-screen version. The grit and grime of his deep voice allowed for a real Logan feel. Additionally, Celia Keenan-Bolger as Agent Sally Pierce and Ato Essandoh as Agent Tad Marshall were excellently cast.
Following the success of the scripted podcast, Wolverine: The Long Night was adapted in to printed single-issue comics and later a collected trade by Percy. This allowed artist Marcio Takara to bring the visuals to life and gave us collectors something to put on display.
The Wolverine: The Long Night scripted podcast by Benjamin Percy is a truly enjoyable audio experience. This unique style of storytelling made for trips to and from work feeling like a breeze. Getting to listen to this story was something else.
Wolverine: The Long Night is available now as a complete podcast series as well as a comic book adaptation.
