Ever since the comic book movie genre really kicked off in the early 2000s, we have had three different actors play Spider-Man, two different guys playing Batman and a few who have played Superman. But for the better part of two decades, there has been one and only one Wolverine. Now, after all of that time, Hugh Jackman is saying goodbye to his iconic role with Logan, his final turn as the beloved mutant. As sad as it may be to see him go, Logan serves as a love letter to X-Men fans everywhere and is truly a perfect way to say goodbye.

Fox’s Logan takes place in the near future of 2029 and sees an old, ailing, retired Wolverine simply trying to make his way in the world and take care of Charles Xavier, who is also suffering and isn’t what he once was. It is a dark time for mutants as their kind seems to be going extinct. But all of that changes when a young, new mutant named Laura comes into Logan and Charles’ life. Now, they must go on the run and try to protect from some very bad and mysterious men.

Director James Mangold and the entire creative team behind Logan pulled absolutely no punches with this movie. Knowing that this was going to be Hugh Jackman’s last turn as Wolverine, they didn’t want to leave anything on the table. It is pretty safe to say they accomplished that goal. With that said, they did have to sort of step outside the established, but very messy X-Men movie timeline in order to do so. At the end of the day, that doesn’t really matter, because fans are ultimately treated to the Wolverine movie they have been waiting for and the movie they deserve. They make very good use of everything they have at their disposal, including the R-rating. Lots of cursing. Lots of blood.

I would hesitate to even call Logan a superhero movie, because it really isn’t. While it is most certainly a comic book movie, this is the kind of movie that proves just how much can be done in the genre without having to resort to senseless destruction of cities and convoluted, needlessly confusing storylines. Hugh Jackman‘s final gift to longtime fans is a very personal, intimate, character-driven action movie that is touching and beautifully made, as well as incredibly effective and entertaining. It is hard to compare it to anything that has come before in terms of comic book adaptations, especially in the X-Men universe. It is unbelievably fresh and that is pretty impressive when you consider that he has played the character in eight movies (and one small cameo appearance). He and James Mangold have not only sent Wolverine out in style, but they have provided a roadmap for others to follow. They have proved you can do something different in the world of comic book movies and make it work.

One of the purest delights of Logan is getting to see Patrick Stewart return as Professor X alongside Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, knowing full well it will very likely be the last time we see both of them on screen in that capacity. At times in the X-Men movies, it has been easy to forget just how fortunate we were to have an actor like Patrick Stewart in that role, but he makes that impossible to forget in Logan, easily turning in his best yet in the franchise. Hugh Jackman does the same, which has a lot to do with the fact that we are seeing a very different and very vulnerable version of the character. It is truly compelling and something that will leave a lasting mark. There are at least a couple of moments where die-hard fans may need to look over at their friends and have the, “I’m not crying, you’re crying” moment.

The rest of the cast also deserves a lot of praise as the movie really turns out to be a great ensemble piece. Stephen Merchant is great as Caliban, even if his character is maybe a tiny bit underused, but that is a very small gripe. Boyd Holbrook and Richard E. Grant both do a fine job as the villains in Logan, even if they aren’t the most beautifully developed and physically menacing villains we have ever seen, but they suit this movie perfectly. The real standout, though, is newcomer Dafne Keen, who plays Laura, aka the mutant X-23, who is basically a female version of Wolverine. She is absolutely outstanding and if what she does in Logan is any indication, she will have a very long and promising career ahead of her.

There are few characters in the world of comic books that are more iconic than Wolverine. Thanks to Hugh Jackman, he is now one of the most iconic characters in the world of movies as well. Sure, in the comics he is short and wears a yellow costume, but even without the yellow costume and even though he is very tall and may not fit the bill in terms of what fans would have originally pictured, there is no doubt that he is Wolverine. From now until the end of time, he is who we will picture when the word “Wolverine” is uttered aloud. Before Logan, it would have been damn hard to imagine anyone else ever taking on the role in a future movie, which will surely happen someday, but now, it will be near impossible. I do not envy the man who has to try and fill those shoes when that day comes. Logan is Hugh Jackman‘s way of saying, “You’re welcome” and “Thank you” all at the same time. To him, I say thanks, bub.

A Farmer’s Misplaced Hammer Led to the Largest Roman Treasure in Britain

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November 16, 1992 was the day which changed Suffolk-resident Eric Lawes’ life in a huge way. What he thought would have been an innocent search for a hammer he had misplaced on his farm in Hoxne Village, Suffolk, England ended up bringing him much more than he had bargained for — namely, uncovering the hiding spot of a long-hidden treasure. Based on the Guardian’s coverage of the story, Eric Lawes had been previously gifted a metal detector upon his retirement as a parting token. He decided to put his retirement gift to good use in order to locate the hammer which he had had some trouble finding. According to a 2018 Smithsonian Magazine article, when the device started recording that there was a strong signal coming from the earth, he knew that he was about to discover something big. As he started digging, it soon became clear to him that he had unearthed a treasure trove.

The Guardian reports that, when Lawes saw that his preliminary digging had yielded a few gold coins and silver spoons, he immediately contacted both the local archaeological society and the police department. Archaeologists came to the property the following day and had the area of earth holding the treasure carefully sectioned-off and removed. Their hope was that at a later stage, in their laboratory, they could examined the items in order to identify both their age and how they were stored.

When all was said and done, close to 60 pounds of items made from silver and gold were found on the site. These included more than 15,000 Roman coins, 200 gold objects, and several silver spoons. For archaeologists, this find — which later became labeled as the Hoxne Hoard — was an incredible discovery. AP News reported that archaeologist Judith Plouviez was over-the-moon about the discovery, saying that it was “an incredibly exciting and amazing find.” What’s more, another archaeologist, Rachel Wilkinson, told Smithsonian Magazine that this discovery was “the largest and latest ever found in Britain.”

Ordinarily, archaeologists would use radiocarbon dating as a means of identifying the age of ancient relics. However, they couldn’t locate any suitable material from the haul. Consequently, they determined the age by examining writing on the coins, as well as the ruler carved into them, estimating that the treasure was probably buried in either 408 or 409 AD.

Roman-era archaeologist Peter Guest told Smithsonian Magazine that “if you look at them a little more carefully, then they should be dated to the period after the separation of Britain from the Roman Empire.” He offers as part of his evidence the fact that almost all of the coins found in the Hoxne Hoard were clipped – in other words, small chunks of their edges had been taken off. These clippings would have been used to create coins which were similar to the Roman coins of that era.

Guest has a logical reason for this, arguing that “The Roman Empire wasn’t supplying Britain with new gold and silver coins, and in light of that, the population tried to get over this sudden cutoff in the supply of their precious metals by making the existing supplies go further.”

Archaeologists also believe that the treasure belonged to a Romano-British family. During that time, considering that there was so much societal discord and upheaval, it was common for Romans who had settled in Britain to bury their most prized possessions.

That said, one archaeologist is of the belief that the hoard had a lot of sentimental value for the Romano-British family to whom it is believed to have belonged. In her book The Hoxne Late Roman Treasure: Gold Jewellery and Silver Plate, Catherine Johns claims that the manner in which the treasure was kept supported this claim. Some of the items which were recovered had been packaged in small, wooden boxes which were lined with leather. What’s more, pieces of wood, locks, and nails, among other things, surrounded the gold and silver pieces. This leads Catherine to assert that the package was carefully buried and not simply chucked away in a rush.

Interestingly enough, the items unearthed might shed some light on the identity of the family who owned them. They cite a gold bracelet bearing the inscription “UTERE FELIX DOMINA IULIANE,” which roughly translates to “use this happily Lady Juliane”. A second name “Aurelius Ursicinus” has also been discovered. This has consequently led some to believe that Juliane and Aurelius were the couple and the original owners of the treasure. That said, that has yet to be confirmed.

All in all, the discovery was a real treasure for archaeologists, and by extension, for Lawes. According to Smithsonian Magazine, in recognition of his discovery and willingness to contact authorities, the British government rewarded him with over £1.7 million, an amount which he shared with the farmer whose land was dug out in order to get the treasure. Funnily enough, apart from the treasure, Lawes also found his lost hammer — which now resides in the British Museum.