Let’s just get this much out of the way: Yes, Logan is a really, really good movie. And it’s finally the movie the character deserves.
For most superheroes, for your Captain Americas and your Batmans, an explosion-laden PG-13 summer blockbuster is perfect. Most superheroes are best served by stories where they can punch some villains around a bit and then hand them over to the authorities – or watch, angst-filled, as they oh-so-tragically fall to their deaths.
But Wolverine, who first appeared as a villain for the Hulk, who was one of the original comic book anti-heroes, is not that kind of superhero. With unbreakable metal claws and a healing factor that makes him nearly impossible to kill, his power set is better suited to a slasher movie monster. He’s the best he is at what he does, and what he does is hunt people down and murder them, then struggle with the psychological fallout of being what he is.