Jackman goes down swinging.

A full seventeen years after X-Men hit cinemas and blew a hole in the very concept of the comic book film, we appear at a crossroads for both the franchise and the superhero genre. It’s been a long road from that moment Wolverine first drew his claws and, in those intervening years, big screen comic book movies have grown exponentially in number and scope, shifting the audience’s expectations in the process.

What seemed perfectly acceptable, or awe-inspiring even, back at the millennium, are now considered old hat; with well-worn origin stories and overblown CGI throwdowns becoming bywords for failure. Whether this shifting of taste is down to audience maturity or pure cynicism is up for debate but the long and short of it is that, for the superhero genre to avoid going the way of the western, it must react…and fast.

As the green shoots of a comic book movie evolution begin to show, however, it looks like the genre has already begun its mutation. While DC are still struggling to get their universe out of first gear, Marvel are already well ahead with evolving their product and, with MCU entries like Captain America: Civil War, they have begun openly subverting things in interesting ways.

Of all the comic book properties in rotation right now, possibly the most intriguing is Fox’s handling of the X-Men franchise. While the messy X-Men: Apocalypse was a clear misstep for the studio, their unexpected success with Deadpool has given them a new lease of life and the impetus to push their own superhero universe into new and fascinating directions. While Logan is a film primarily concerned with finalities, it feels very much like the beginnings of something special.

In the year 2029, the world’s mutant population is on the verge of extinction. An isolated and world-weary Logan (Hugh Jackman) is drinking his days away in a hideout on a remote stretch of the Mexican border, hustling for prescription drugs and suffering from a deteriorating in his healing abilities. Joining him in this remote outpost are the outcast mutant Caliban (Stephen Merchant) and an ailing Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), the latter suffering from a neurodegenerative disease that causes him to lose control of his telepathic abilities to devastating effect. Logan’s attempts at hiding from the world and his legacy are brought to a screeching halt when a mysterious girl arrives on the scene, pursued by nefarious forces. In order keep this enigmatic and volatile young mutant safe however, Logan must finally confront his demons and embrace his destiny.

To describe Logan as one of the most non-comic book, comic book films around would be a fair shout but, simultaneously, a rather denigrating comment on a medium with such huge, boundary pushing potential. Logan gleefully flies (claws out) in the face of perceived superhero conventions, adopting a tone and structure more akin to a noir or a western and choosing to drench itself in blood, sweat, and alcohol; but it’s still every inch a comic book film. If anything, Logan is one of the finest examples of the true potential of this relatively new genre and a great case in point for allowing respect to the medium that spawned it.

While far from a strict adaptation, the film takes a large chunk of its inspiration from the popular Old Man Logan comic series. Dystopic, ultra-violent, and belligerent; the graphic novel quite literally pulled no punches in its attempt to take the medium into exciting and unexpected places and, together with the film it has spawned, work as the perfect counterargument to anyone looking to belittle comics as nothing more than formulaic childhood fantasy pieces. While there will always be those willing to go out of their way to look down on them, Logan is definitive proof that the comic book film shouldn’t be so easily dismissed.

In a clear attempt to right the wrongs of Wolverine’s previous solo outings, writer-director James Mangold has gone back to basics; stripping the entire film to the bone and doubling-down on the character work. While there’s plenty of blood and brutality to quench even the most action-thirsty fan, Logan truly excels when making things a little more personal. For Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart especially, this deep dive into the characters that have come to define their career’s is long overdue and, after seventeen years portraying them on the big screen, it feels truly merited.

The emotional investment the two have put into these characters makes their journey, together with all the pain and bitter-sweet moments along the way, feel earned in a manner few of the previous X-Men instalments could. Considering the combined years Jackman and Stewart have spent as Logan and Professor X, it’s unsurprising to see them pour so much into this swansong. Jackman himself has stated many times that he owes an awful lot of his subsequent career success to Wolverine and it feels particularly cathartic to see him go out in such a fitting and dignified manner.

Above the multitude of themes that weave themselves through the film, Logan a film concerned primarily about inevitabilities and, try as we might to avoid them, how bound we are to their pull. With such weighty subject matter, I defy anyone not to get a little misty-eyed at the sight of Jackman retracting the claws one last time as he turns in his final and finest portrayal of the character he clearly adores.

Having appeared in every film in the X-Men franchise to date (yes, I’m going to count the tenuous Deadpool cameo), it’s baffling to think that, for various reasons, the true essence of what has Wolverine such a Marvel icon a been missed entirely. But here we are in his final hours with the character and it’s a huge relief to report that, at long last, we finally see Jackman nail the emotion, regret, complexity, and uncontrollable rage of the legendary mutant.

With all the attention on Jackman’s send off, it’d be easy to overlook the film’s other claw-wielding hero. With the greatest murderous pre-teen portrayal this side of Hit-Girl, Dafne Keen’s X-23 very nearly steals the show from under her more illustrious co-stars’ noses. Balancing ferocity with a touching vulnerability is no mean feat and, in such a young character, could easily come off as exploitative but Keen delivers on the character with a performance that’s as terrifying as it is endearing. Add to this the fact that Logan is Keen’s first ever movie role and we have ourselves a very exciting prospect indeed.

If there’s anything that holds Logan back from true greatness, however, it’s the film’s clear unease with its superhero origins. While it’s apparent that James Mangold has worked hard to avoid the usual superhero tropes, Logan feels like it’s on a constant mission to prove itself as something apart from its comic book brethren.

For large stretches of the film, all the typical superheroic moments are successfully kept at arm’s length but, as the film enters its third act, some of these elements begin to seep in and the melding of the two distinct tones feels a little out of whack. As the film’s final battle kicks in, we’re treated to a rather vicious mutant showdown but, for all its brutality, some of the more fantastical superhero elements the film has fought so hard to avoid, start to show their face. With a little more acceptance of its roots, these distinct tones could easily sit side by side but, as it is, Logan often finds itself apologising for them, when it honestly needn’t.

Minor quibbles aside, not since Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy has a superhero film been able to set itself apart like Logan. While it’s a high-concept, comic book fantasy at heart, Logan’s deep ruminations on pain, loss, guilt, finality, age, and acceptance are squarely planted in an all-too real world. Dark and gritty may have become superhero buzzwords of late but, in attacking such themes head-on, Logan is the true definition of these terms and is able to truly transcend its comic book categorisation.

In Logan, we have the perfect example of the inherent, unbounded potential of the superhero film. Within this context, the film’s frequent nods to the western are oddly pertinent as a historical parable for what can happen when a genre fails to move with the times. In embracing other genres and folding them into its own, Logan may have just found the key to immortality.

Logan is an astonishing piece of work and one of the finest examples of the superhero genre to date. Bolstered by a talented cast of youth and experience, Hugh Jackman delivers a career-defining performance and a fitting end to a character arc seventeen years in the making. With his Wolverine well and truly put to rest, Jackman can finally retire the character with his head and claws held high.