Review: Wolverine #20

Wolverine is the most interesting book on the stands. Benjamin Percy understands characterization and tone to such an incredible degree. This issue is the perfect encapsulation of this skill. Deadpool joins the comic and every panel with him is insane, fourth wall breaking classic fun. The pages with Wolverine take a much more gritty, methodical tone.

The art does an excellent job of reflecting these tones as well. The art by Adam Kubert absolutely brims with action and motion. Even pages filled with exposition play with panel layout to keep our eyes moving and the motion going. Kubert is one of the greatest Wolverine artists of all time and seeing him continue to pull out all the stops. Frank Martin and Dijjo Lima give us great color work although it does not vary with the tone beyond Deadpool’s strong reds.

The story focuses on the contrast between Wolverine who ostensibly does not like teams but constantly finds himself included in them and Deadpool who wants to be part of Krakow and the X-Men but is constantly rejected. Wolverine stops a semi from crashing into a Krakoa gate. At the same time Deadpool attempts to parachute into the gate but is blown apart by Krakoa’s defense system.

We get a nice montage of the variety of approaches Deadpool has taken to join the mutant world. Wolverine interrupts to take us back to his investigation using the resources of Beast and Sage as he searches for information on Delores Ramirez’s CIA double dealing and his severed hand. The exposition surrounding Ramirez is the driest part of the issue but contrasts well with Deadpool as he takes over. He hangs with Blind Al, gleefully takes over an exposition page and beats Wolverine to the punch, taking out an android mutant army and finding his hand.

Wolverine is forced into teaming up with Deadpool even as Wade reveals the villain behind it all: Danger. This is an excellent, entertaining issue that balances espionage against insanity. We do need a bit more action but hopefully we get more of that as the excellent arc progresses.

Writer: 4.7 of 5 stars
Art: 4.6 of 5 stars
Colors: 3.9 of 5 stars

Overall: 4.4 of 5 stars

Writing: Benjamin Percy
Art: Adam Kubert
Colors: Frank Martin and Dijjo Lima
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.