Review: Wolverine #4

Even the simplest comic can bring the greatest pleasure. This is a great issue. The writing, the art, the panel layout, the colors all work together to create a simple, effective, classic Wolverine comic.

This issue highlights everything that we love about Wolverine. He is a loner, both mistrusting and too trusting, always trying to bury the worst parts of his emotions and prone to the simplest of mistakes. He also has an amazing sense of rebellion and humor as evidence by one of the funniest moments in comics as Wolverine takes Magneto down a peg at the beginning of the issue.

After all the issues of Wolverine that have been released over many decades, it is nice to see him continue to make mistakes and face old enemies. Part of what makes Logan so unique is the balance between battle prowess and emotional instability. Not only in his rage, but often in a melancholy.

This issue focuses on that melancholy and the cost of burying your feelings through alcohol seeking escape. The initial villains of this issue are humans who have been wronged by mutants in one way or the other. It is nice to see the story unfold through Logan“s perspective as readers can clearly tell something is not right even while Logan reacts too slowly to his own suspicions. He finally has to face that something is very wrong after a cop arrives and he recognizes one of the patrons. By the time he he pieces things together he has been drugged and discovers a dead body in the bathroom. The cop is able to tranquilize Logan and capture him in his weakened state.

Unlike other heroes, Wolverine has never been invincible in battle. In spite of all the adamantium and healing factors, Logan makes mistakes that cost him greatly. Here a group of humans are able to work together to use his complacency and his desire to escape from Krakoa against him. Unfortunately for them there that is an even bigger villain at play, as Omega Red is lurking in the shadows.

Even as the humans are able to place Wolverine into an icy grave, Omega Red arrives to kill the humans and complete the job. We then pull back to see the master of the blood-thirsty Omega Red himself, Dracula.

This is an extremely well done issue not only because it is well paced, But also because we are experiencing things as Wolverine experiences them. The clear build up of his suspicions, the feeling of being drugged, the horror of murder and bloodshed are all conveyed through the panels with extraordinary artwork done by Victor Bogdanovic and colors by Matthew Wilson.

The story by Benjamin Percy is perfect for Wolverine, it also uses the text pages to build up the story itself rather than just give background information. The humans in the bar are each varied and interesting characters. Even though this is a simple tale, it builds nicely and comes to a crashing end with the arrival of Omega Red and the vampire army. Wolverine has his work cut out for him in issues to come. Readers are clearly in for a treat with this high quality of storytelling. This is the best Wolverine comic we have had in decades.

Writing: 5 of 5 stars
Artwork: 4.8 of 5 stars
Colors: 4.8 of 5 stars

Overall: 4.9 of 5 stars

Writer: Benjamin Percy
Art: Victor Bogdanovic
Colors: Matthew Wilson
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.