Wolverine Wednesday #87

Ultimate Wolverine #6-#7

Writer: Chris Condon Artists: Alex Lins & Alessanro Cappuccio | Colours: Bryan Valenza | Letters: Cory Petit

This series continues to deliver on entertainment across these two issues. They both add to the tapestry of the series so far and continue to build the world. With recent news dropping at SDCC regarding the Ultimate Universe in #7, with that in hindsight, perhaps you can view it as being in the final stretch now. The first of these two issues picks up right after the events of #5. That is one thing I have enjoyed about this series. Apart from when there have been obvious lapses in time or flashbacks, every issue has felt like one day. #6 carries on the tradition of the strong atmospherics of this series. Even to the point where Lins’ art is much closer in tone to Cappuccio’s, more so than last time out. Again, Condon is able to weave an intriguing story without our lead character uttering a word. Yes, I have said that with my review of every issue, but it continues to impress me and shows a great strength in Condon’s ability as a writer. So I will continue to mention it every issue. Writing good narration is a top skill all comic writers need. To do a narration from one character where it has to move the story forward for another character is good writing. (Did that make sense?) I won’t spoil who is doing the narration, as it is a nice little addition to the story and to this universe in general. Simply put, it is one I didn’t see coming. It is a character though I do feel is better in small doses, so this was perfect. The narration guides Wolverine through the issue to get to the climax, along the way there are a few teases to the bigger picture going on in the Ultimate Universe. I appreciated this balancing act, another sign of a writer at the top of their game. This type of storytelling allows Lins to cram in plenty of cool images to follow Wolverine through this sort of dream sequence. There is a beat of Wolverine in chains (both metaphorical and visually), and it just screams Paul Pope, a comparison I made last review. There is a half-page splash where he showcases his version of the three protagonists, and it is kick ass! Seeing Magik in full Limbo form is amazing! He kills it! I feel Lins stretches himself much more in this issue than before. Lots of interesting panel layouts and like I said, more of a fit tonally than before. Shout out, too, at this point to Cory Petit. His letters, with their placement and style, add to the dream sequence vibe.

As I mentioned before, the stuff about this feeling like being on the home stretch was said with hindsight. However, when I was reading this and got to the final four pages or so, I didn’t see the home stretch coming and suddenly felt this was too soon! But then again, it does present a complete shift and I am here for the journey. #7 feels much more like a standard Wolverine comic. Spoilers incoming… After the events of #6, he is back on the side of the good guys! And now he talks! So, in that regard, going forward we will be losing the biggest strength of the series! On the other hand, we will get to see a different side to Condon’s storytelling. This is a very talky issue, which sets it apart from the previous six already. He has shown a strong skill for narration, and I always credit a Wolverine writer for good narration, so it was a strong choice not to have the lead character have a narration to lead the issue. The nature of the story and having no narration is what makes it a talky issue. You have Wolverine adapting to his new surroundings, reconnecting with old faces like Kitty and Sabretooth. Then you also have the antagonists having to deal with the fallout and formulate a plan of attack. There are more good world-building moments with the addition of some familiar characters in regular continuity popping up here in new or similar roles. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but I really enjoyed the Return of the Jedi homage as Beast assemble his strike team for the next issue. A strong point to #7 was spending more time with Omega Red, Colossus and Magik. In previous issues they have mainly been reduced to looming over Wolverine as he is experimented on. Here we get a bit more of an insight into their machinations. Cappuccio returns on art, and we see a new side of his style because of the direction the story has gone. The moodiness is now reserved for the location of the villains. And there is a sense of one-upmanship as he gives his depiction of both Magik in demon form and Limbo. He is equally adept at the talking head stuff as anything he has previously done. Bearded Wolverine gets a big thumbs up from me!

Wolverine #10-#11

#10 kicks off a new story arc, which was set up in last month’s double-sized issue. As I said then it is a good premise and this issue kicks things off in a strong manner. I like how it was a genre mash-up as Wolverine visits the old Howlett Estate, it very much feels like a haunted house story. While it is good in that regard, there were moments through #10 and into #11 where I felt I had read this Wolverine story more than once! On the other hand, as a hardcore Wolverine fan, I really appreciate the ties to the Origin mini-series. There are some nice little touches that go beyond just the return of his mother. I have made note of it every issue, but only because it warrants it. That being how Ahmed’s control over Wolverine’s narration has grown from issue to issue. And in an issue like this, you need it to be strong. His narration sets up the whole premise of the issue, and he gets you in the mindset of a horror story in a haunted house. It then continues for most of the issue. Only have two interactions with other characters briefly. In #10, we get Javier Pina on art duties. His style is definitely more suited to the horror story vibe than perhaps Coccolo would be. He does some good work with Wolverine breaking the panel borders, again something that adds to the haunted house of it all. The one-page sequence in the dark to reintroduce Sabretooth to the mythos is really well executed, and his Sabretooth too is very old school! Valenza continues to shine on colours. With Pina, he gets a chance to showcase the atmospheric colours we have seen in the page of Ultimate Wolverine. #11 raises the question: When is it too soon to bring a character back from the dead? If you count his last page appearance last issue, he has essentially been dead for only ten issues. When you look at the first Wolverine series showdowns with Sabretooth are few and far between, when compared to other heroes and their rogues. I do love when they face off, but in the last year or so we have seen it a lot. When Wolverine’s mother returned I didn’t expect him to be part of it. Then fast forward to the last page, and there is a bigger picture yet to be revealed. I am totally on board for this direction, but it makes me question if Sabretooth was simply a pawn of a mystery figure, could it not have been anyone from the rogues gallery? In earlier issues Ahmed had shown a love for the older rogues, so he could have chosen anyone in my opinion. The one highlight of these two facing off again is Coccolo going bloody and violent for a six-page fight. To be honest, and this isn’t a criticism, it’s more about my perception, but I didn’t think he had it in him. My enjoyment of his art has ebbed and flowed across the eleven issues, and I feel that’s because his style has done the same thing. Look at the covers to #10 and #11. I would be much happier with interiors that were consistent with those of #10. Reading through #10 it was constantly in the back of my mind how and why they can justify the return of his mother. At the end of #11 it is dealt with, with an excellent cliffhanger. A moment that then shifts the focus away from my previous questions to all new ones. It is good storytelling from Ahmed. I have heard mixed reviews for the series online, but a moment like that for me swings it back around to a positive.
______

I am still not fully caught up on all series. Deadpool/Wolverine is the one I am behind on now, and hopefully, I’ll be up to date on that next time out. There have been so many mini-series that haven’t stuck the landing with me, so whether I do a negative wrap-up of them all remains to be seen.