After a six year absence, Wolverine makes his return to a monthly comic series. Logan has been through a lot. He’s been a loner. He’s been a killer. He’s been a hero. He’s been an Avenger. He’s been to hell and back. Now, as the nation of Krakoa brings together all mutantkind, can he finally be… happy? With his family all together and safe, Logan has everything he ever wanted… and everything to lose. But he’s never been one to back down from a fight – not even a combined assault from Lady Deathstrike, Sabretooth and Dr. Cornelius. Yet the fearsome Flower Cartel might have enlisted his worst and greatest foe: Wolverine himself!
Wolverine has had a long absence from monthly comics following the 2014 Death of Wolverine mini-series. Whilst Old Man Logan and X-23 somewhat filled the void, his 2018 return was long overdue. Having re-established himself as a main player in the X-Men and one of the main characters in House of X/Powers of X, this series brings back grizzly solo adventures. Writer Benjamin Percy is a huge Wolverine fan and it shines through in this opening volume.
Logan has never been the most cooperative member of the X-Men family and maintains a healthy dose of cynicism. Whilst there are things to like about his new home, he is not blind to the problems that Krakoa has and isn’t afraid to disagree with his friends. This manifests when Omega Red seeks sanctuary on the island and Logan is extremely wary of the idea given their history. Everything feels true to character and Percy does a great job playing off Wolverine’s history when it comes to his new situations. Highlights including Logan’s tense meeting with Krakoa’s council where he reminds Magneto how he previously ripped the adamantium from his skeleton when they attempt to admonish him for stealing Magneto’s helmet. Dracula has had several encounters with the X-Men in the past, so this latest appearance also provides a fun through-back and further demonstrates Percy’s respect for past stories.
Veteran Marvel artist Adam Kubert has been drawing Wolverine on and off for about 25 years. He is therefore the perfect choice to usher in Wolverine’s return to monthly comics and continues to demonstrate why he is one of the definitive X-Men artists. From dark moments to action scenes, there are plenty of examples of his talent on display. Viktor Bogdanovic – who illustrates a back-up story and and the last two issues – is also on top form, especially the scenes where Logan clashes with Dracula’s minions.
X-Men fans will definitely want to give this a look, as Wolverine is once again established as a main player in the Marvel Universe and Percy further solidifies himself as one of Marvel’s top writers today.
Wolverine By Benjamin Percy Vol. 1 is out now from Marvel (9781302921828, p/b, £14.99)
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