Nerdly » Wolverine Wednesday #62

07th Jun2023

Wolverine Wednesday #62

by Ian Wells

X-23 Deadly Regenesis #2

Writer: Erica Schultz | Artist: Edgar Salazar | Colourist: Carlos Lopez | Letters: Cory Petit

Unfortunately I am having some trouble with this story, which is a shame because I really love the character. I think a big part that is working against it, especially from my own point of view is the retroactive angle to the story. Without repeating myself from last month, in a nutshell, a lack of consequences detracts from delivering a good story. There has been a spate of retroactive storytelling from Marvel in the last few years, some has worked and some hasn’t. I think a lot of it can come down to the popularity and back catalogue of any given character to decide the levels of success a retroactive story can have. Even though I said I love the character I have to admit my knowledge of her early comics are sketchy at best. I know the first two mini series but not much then until her joining X-Force. So maybe an untold tale focusing on the dynamic between X-23 and Kimura would have been more appealing to new and old readers alike. The story goes to great lengths to tell the reader it specifically takes place before X-23 #4. This meant nothing to me and whether it meant anything to other readers or not shouldn’t be the be all and end all of telling a good story. Adding another antagonist for X-23 muddies the story for me. Especially when over the first two issues he has been so clumsily handled. His origins and connection to X-23 are very paint by numbers and nothing genre-breaking. We haven’t really had time to connect with him and his friend on the page so when the story unravels to its main plot point in this issue it doesn’t really pack a punch. One positive for Schultz is that she has a good take on Laura’s voice, I just wish there was more of her narration to drive the story. The other saving grace for this issue is the art, the action is breakneck and is Salazar’s biggest strength. I continue to like how he switches between flashbacks and the present with a slight change in tone from Lopez. Also, one thing I didn’t pick up on in the previous issue is the soft, uneven panel borders for the flashbacks. One small detail I really appreciate is the clear difference in body language between the present Laura and her younger self. Salazar goes big on facial expression, especially in the major fight scene between X-23 and Haymaker. It reaches a pinnacle with a glorious panel of Laura taking a brutal shot to the face. You can hear the flesh and bone squashing around his fist. Like I said at the start I’m disappointed I’m not feeling this. But there are three issues now to turn it around, give me more X-23/Kimura and I could be all turned around.

Wolverine #33

Writers: Benjamin Percy & Gene Luen Yang | Artists: Juan Jose Ryp & Peter Nguyen | Colourists: Frank D’Armata & Jay David Ramos | Letters: Cory Petit

This month we get a delightful double dose of Wolverine in this double-sized issue. Firstly Benjamin Percy carries on the decline of the Blue Fur ball. In a back up story by Gene Luen Yang we get a continuation of Wolverine’s long history of female sidekicks. Kicking things off with the main story and another piece of the Weapons of X puzzle falls into place, well a couple of pieces actually. Some that seem rather clear cut, while others deliver more questions. I have made my feelings on the length of this story arc well known in my reviews, so I have decided from this point on not to mention it further. I haven’t checked future solicitations so I will be in for a surprise when it does end. From a storytelling point of view, it does feel like this may be coming to a conclusion. This issue takes a breath from the previous action-heavy issues. It allows for a few plot points to come more into focus and set things up for the finale. One thing to note straight away is that there is no narration, the story moves along on dialogue throughout. Percy brilliantly balances all the parts and every part has its own flavour. Whether that is an uneasy alliance between Wolverine and Maverick, Bannister putting the wheels in motion on a plan or mutiny among the Beast clones. Pausing here the stuff with Beast and his clones is deliciously dark in terms of humour. While the addition may not be 100% necessary for the story, Percy handles it in such a way that it’s a quick in and out. It doesn’t disrupt the flow of the bigger picture and just adds a layer of storytelling to make it more enjoyable. It lends itself to that binge-worthy TV style of storytelling. Having a big character moment before the finale feels very much like something from The Wire. It is not just the elements of this arc Percy is balancing, there are elements from his entire. Like the CIA X-Desk has been pretty much ever-present in the background and with the events of this issue you feel it will have a huge part to play in this epic arc. Also now Beast is in possession of the Cerebro Sword and it raises an interesting creative point. The different swords were part of the early days of the Krakoan era so that under Hickman’s guidance they could build towards the X of Swords event. Hickman has of course exited stage left so I wonder how Percy goes about using the Sword now there is not an overall architect for Krakoan-era stories. I really like the heavy James Bond vibe running through the story. You things like Wolverine and Maverick on a secluded island safe house and scenes of CIA agents rushing into big action pieces. It is a good payoff against the character stuff with Beast. One last thing to mention, Wolverine doesn’t come into the issue until about the halfway point. Guess what? It totally works! Percy has made Beasts turn to the dark side so compelling that the absence of the titular hero doesn’t affect the final product. If you had told a younger me that Beast was the star of the Wolverine ongoing in the future I probably a) wouldn’t have believed it and b) made a protest and say I wouldn’t ever read it! This issue revolves around three plot points and I enjoyed how Ryp and D’Armata switched between the three stylistically. I would point out too that there isn’t an obvious difference between the espionage stuff and the more earthy stuff in Ryp’s art now. The underwater scenes and Maverick’s rocky safe house are settings that allow him to plant a foot in both worlds as such. But even in the scenes with the CIA readying for action is a very smooth sequence. It has a big action movie feel to it like something from Independence Day or The Rock! One thing that I really appreciate is how he renders the clones for Wolverine. I don’t want to say they are cartoony but at times they are more often a simple line style and often they are very static. Moving onto the bonus story, it is really a lot of fun if nothing else. What really works in its favour is that it is worlds apart from the main story. I don’t know if it was intentional but having this fun bonus with no connection to Weapons of X makes it feel like a palette cleanser before the main event. The story sees Wolverine team up with Sister Dagger, the pair had teamed once before in Shang-Chi #3 also by Yang. So there is some continuity there but with the help of some editor’s notes you can still enjoy this for what it is without reading that previous issue. Also, the events of the story take place while Wolverine is on a side mission for X-Force, again it is not essential to read those first to get a sense of the bigger picture. Yang writes good Wolverine, he has a good grasp of his character and how he interacts with others. Wolverine with a young female sidekick is a tried and trusted story and he does it justice. I would have no problem with Yang writing more Wolverine in the future… perhaps this is a tryout? As for the art, I like the sketchiness of it. To me Nguyen’s style seems to be a mix of rough edges and lots of rendering and then all of a sudden he will drop in some super expressive facials with a real cartoony vibe. The flow is great and you get a real feel of motion in the action. Especially with two characters associated with blades, you can feel the swish! The combination of big open panels of action with inset panels for close-up facial reactions is brilliant. The story and art go hand in hand which shows the two creators have worked well together before. This is wholesome fun and sometimes that is all you need.