I haven’t read an X-title in years, but the promise of future Gordon Liu action prompted me to give the first issue of Wolverine: Manifest Destiny a try. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the very worst martial arts comics I have ever read.

Two things that are almost mandatory in the execution of a decent martial arts comic are placing the characters in relation both within their environment and to one another. Wolverine: Manifest Destiny fails on both counts, with angles skewed without thought across mostly featureless backgrounds. It gives the impression that San Francisco is still suffering from the effects of the earthquake of 1906. And where other reviews have made comparisons to Leinil Yu, Stephen Segovia’s haphazard fight choreography reminded me more of Rob Liefeld’s work.

The Drunken Mantis’ magic window, from three non-linear panels.

It’s not as if decent martial arts comics haven’t been published by Marvel in the past few years, with both The Immortal Iron Fist and House of M: Avengers as recent examples. But right now the only thing that would make me consider purchasing the next installment of Wolverine: Manifest Destiny would be to find out how Lin Sun of the Sons of the Tiger became Caucasian, Gordon Liu be damned.