TITLE: Inner Child

Summary

Several years have passed from where we left off from Part I. Rose is working as a chambermaid in the Howlett estate, and observes the pain within the mansion. Each member of the Howlett family suffers in their own way: John, the father, struggles to raise his remaining son; Elizabeth, his wife, is reclusive; James, their son, is constantly sick and frightened.

As Rose is making her rounds inside the mansion, she accidentally barges in on Mrs. Howlett. Mrs. Howlett is in the middle of dressing, and has three scars on her back that appear strangely familiar. Rose runs outside in shame and horror, and bumps in to Dog outside on the lawn.

Dog begins to force himself on Rose, clearly against her will. As things are about to get ugly, James appears to check on Rose. James runs away to alert his father, but the surprise was enough of an opening for Rose to escape Dog's clutches.

After receiving word of Dog's behavior, John Howlett goes to Dog's father, Thomas, a farmhand on the Howlett estate, to warn him about his son. Howlett promises to hold him responsible if Dog continues his behavior. The older Logan apologizes and promises to control Dog.

Later, Dog sneaks up on James and attacks him as payback for ratting. As the two are fighting, James' pet dog, Callie, bites Logan on the leg. In a fit of rage, Logan pulls out a knife and kills the pet.

This time, John Howlett makes good on his threat, and throws the Logans off his estate. Thomas Logan approaches his cowering son, who is expecting a beating for causing their predicament. Instead, Thomas blames the Howletts, and takes Dog along to exact their revenge.

As they sneak back onto the Howlett estate, the Logans attack and presumably kill several employees. Thomas' plan is to steal as much money as he can find, and take Mrs. Howlett along with them. As he is about to kidnap Mrs. Howlett, John enters her room to check on his wife.

Logan attacks John and points a rifle at him. At that moment, James walks in and witnesses the horror of Logan shooting his father in the head. He rushes to his father's lifeless body, and Dog points his rifle at James. As he pulls the trigger, Rose pushes Dog enough to miss his target. James turns around and punches Dog in the stomach, who hunches over in a pool of blood?!

James launches himself at the older Logan, yelling that he'll kill him. Logan takes a hit, but smacks James with the back of his rifle. As Logan takes aim to finish off James, he notices that his stomach is a bloody mess, just before he dies.

The final panel, a full page splash, shows James on his knees screaming, with his bone claws extended and bloodied. James Howlett is Wolverine.

Opinion

With Part II, Origin's story begins to emerge. Part I set the table, as one would expect with an opening chapter, but was a slow read. The latest issue moves along at a much faster pace.

The surprise twist was well done, although not completely unexpected. This was not the fault of Jenkins and Kubert not setting it up properly; in fact, they did a fantastic job. The surprise ending was slightly ruined because there was a strong rumor going around the Internet that Wolverine was really James Howlett.

And so it is. James is Wolverine. That would suggest that Dog will grow up to become Sabertooth. The connection is there: Sabertooth and Wolverine shared some sort of history together, even going as far as believing that they are somehow related. James and Dog did grow up together as brothers of sorts. Dog also possesses a feral appearance, and is already displaying nasty personality traits. And Dog survived the gutting he received from James, unlike Thomas. Could this be the first signs of Sabertooth's mutant healing factor?

Like Part I before it, Part II's art is thoroughly enjoyable. Andy Kubert has truly developed into a top flight artist, with an excellent eye for layouts. Richard Isanove's digital painting effects adds a special touch to the mini-series. All in all, the visuals are very pleasing.

Conclusion

With Part II: Inner Child, Origin begins to pick up speed. The initial revelation of Wolverine's true identity emerges in an explosive and tragic event. In the aftermath, both James and Dog's fathers are dead, leaving the boys with an uncertain future.

While we may know how the boys turn out today, as Wolverine and possibly Sabertooth, there are still many details to unfold. If Dog is indeed Sabertooth, when will the rest of his mutant abilities manifest themselves? Why does James assume the name Logan? How does the Weapon X program fit in to Wolverine's origin?

If Origin Part II is any indication, Part III should be another exciting chapter. Jenkins and Kubert has shown that they can throw their audience a curveball or two. The remaining chapters should be just as entertaining and surprising.