Wolverines #1 Review

writer: Charles Soule / artists: Nick Bradshaw, Alisson Borges / Marvel Comics

Wolverine is dead and the effects of his passing ripple through the Marvel universe. Charles Soule’s 4-part miniseries Death of Wolverine said goodbye with cameos from the characters most important in Wolverine’s life, and The Logan Legacy gave 2 of the most awesome dedication pictures I’ve seen in a long time. The first is brilliant in its simplicity, with Nightcrawler lighting a candle in his old friend’s memory. The second is Sabretooth drinking to his nemesis, and I imagine him thinking “It should’ve been me who merked you, Logan. It should’ve been me.”

Now that Wolverine is gone, there’s a mad search for his adamantium-covered corpse. If you didn’t read Death of Wolverine, check out the final issue review to get a better sense of how he went out, or suffice it to say, that today he’d make a beautiful trophy in a super villain’s home or a fitting statue in the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. Wolverines #1 begins with 5 of his oldest associates – Mystique, Sabretooth, X-23, Lady Deathstrike, and Daken – having been captured and coerced into finding his corpse. Who’s powerful enough to strong-arm not 1, not 2, but 5 of the most badass characters in the game? Eh, just some dudes. More specifically, 5 former test subjects of Doctor Cornelius, the man who originally infused Logan’s bones with adamantium in the Weapon X project, thus making him Wolverine’s de facto daddy.

Apologies for yawning in your face.

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing your new cast: Neuro, a “brilliant psychopath,” Endo, a “troubled speedster,” Skel, a super-strength man physically addicted to violence, Junk, who has “animal abilities,” and Shogun, an ex-soldier fused with a demon ninja’s spirit. I didn’t make any of that up. The quotations are transcribed accurately.

The 5 captors and 5 captives stake out the abandoned laboratory in the middle of the desert where Wolverine’s body is presumed to lie. They decide to break into search parties, only Mystique scopes out the Wrecking Crew driving towards the dilapidated construct in their Jeep Grand Cherokee. Mystique warns that any Wrecking Crew member “could go toe-to-toe with Thor,” so she wants to jump ship, but Shogun reminds her that he never gave her a choice.

We know to expect their throw-down at the laboratory, but what I didn’t expect was the revealing of the Wrecking Crew’s boss, none other than Sinister.

NOW WE’RE TALKING.

Sinister appears and films a horror-movie scene on Daken with no special effects. X-23 sees the terror and charges Sinister like Eren in Titan mode, until Sinister disrespectfully tosses her like a ragdoll and walks off screen with Wolverine’s body, like “And you thought this issue would be boring.”

I went from zero to interested in under 60 seconds and can’t wait to see how this story arc progresses. Buy this series and continue what was begun in Death of Wolverine. Well played, Charles Soule. Well played.

Score: 7 out of 10

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  • Jordan Calhoun is a writer in New York City. His forthcoming debut book "Piccolo Is Black" is a celebration of the common adaptations we made while non-diverse pop culture helped us form identities. He holds a B.A. in Sociology and Criminal Justice, B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Japanese, and an M.P.A. in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy. He might solve a mystery, or rewrite history. Find him on Instagram and Twitter @JordanMCalhoun

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