Wolverine 8, Wolverine and the X-Men 34

Wolverine 8
Cornell (w) and A. Davis and M. Farmer (a) and Hollingsworth (c)

Wolverine is in Wakanda, being beat up by Black Panther, as he tries to figure out if Panther has been taken over by the virus. Wolverine's plan, somehow, is to try to make Panther angry because that will tell the strike team whether or not he's been taken over (??). This is his for real plan, one that backfires almost IMMEDIATELY because Panther ends up guessing the game and making Wolverine angry in like, two seconds flat, because that's not that hard to do. He's the best there is at what he does and what he does is get really angry really fast. Anyway, Panther's no dummy so he hasn't been taken over but he has to pretend everything's fine and under control so he has to let Wolverine's team sneak out his prisoner, the last person out there who can control viruses, the Host. There's some talk about Wolverine vulnerability making him overcompensate and some talk about Storm and Black Panther and that's pretty much EVERYTHING.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this Wolverine book is trying its darndest to win me over. Me specifically. Is that crazy? Yes. Almost definitely. But Wolverine just went to talk to Black Panther who's easily in my list of top five favorite heroes and who Wolverine doesn't interact with particularly often and the next issue's cover features Wolverine fighting Batroc ze Lepair (sorry, Batroc the Leaper, for non-French speaking readers) who I don't think Wolverine has EVER come across (if you know a time when they did cross PLEASE TELL ME) and who I absolutely love. I'm likely not alone in my love for these characters but really, they both rank SO HIGH for me. On the other hand, I'm still having some trouble processing this book (making Panther angry was the BEST PLAN HE COULD COME UP WITH? And he didn't think Panther would be able to get around that?) and I still find this book, well, just boring. I don't know what it is. Something about this writing just seems slow to me and I'm having trouble getting around that. Maybe it's Wolverine. There are some really great Wolverine stories out there but there are often two modes of Wolverine: introspective samurai or hacky-slashy anger man. Stories tend to run out on him after too many. That's why (despite this post) I think he's pretty well-suited for teams. He interacts interestingly with others and it pulls some of the drama off of him or gives him a different type of drama. Like I said, that's not always the case; there are plenty of great Wolverine stories out there. But I don't think he tends to flourish in his solo books (that said, really looking forward to Kieron Gillen's take on Wolverine Origins 2).

Wolverine and the X-Men 34
Aaron (w) and Bradshaw and Wong (a) and L. Martin (c)

The X-Men have found the Hellfire Academy and are attacking it with everything they've got (including their Krakoa and an incredibly powerful Bobby operating what seems to be a giant ice samurai). Meanwhile, in the school, the teachers (the ones who haven't left already) are trying to fight back and the students are aligning themselves in the fight with their chosen factions. Kade Kilgore has found himself practically abandoned by the other members of the Hellfire Club, who have already marked this situation as a waste of time and resources. The real blow to Kade, though, comes at the very end of the book, as no one helps him when Broo attacks and, after he gets free and deems his efforts actually a success, he finds himself about to be shot in the back by the other two males in the Hellfire Club.

I usually find myself not enjoying the full-out fight scene issues as much as the build-up issues (not always the case, a good fight scene issue is still pretty great and it's usually satisfying to see the end of a big arc) but that's not the case here. I've not been the biggest fan of this series, particularly of late, but a fight scene issue tends to pull focus away from weaker writing moments or weird character bits. That's not entirely what we find here, as there are still plenty of strange, not-for-me humor bits (a bit with Doop defeating Lady Mondo by showing her home videos he produces out of nowhere stands out). By and large, though, the book works better for me here because it's not focusing its time on the goofier things it's been doing lately and it feels less like a book trying to fit all audiences and more like one that knows its target. Not sure if that says good things about this series overall but it's at least nice to not be mad at an issue.

Uncanny X-Force 7, Wolverine and the X-Men 32, Wolverine 5

Uncanny X-Force 7
Humphries (w) and Alphona and Talajić (a) and Sotomayor and Loughridge (c)

Cluster and Psylocke are on the search for Fantomex which brings up a few old memories for Betsy. We finally get to see a little bit of what happened in Paris, an event she has referred to a few times to indicate her relationship's decline with Fantomex. Fantomex had convinced her to help him thieve a bit, getting back into his old ways and allowing her to try something new. She gets bored with it, or so she claims, which disappoints Fantomex. Back in the present, Cluster has traced one of Weapon XIII's suppliers to a shady club which allows its patrons to hire women dressed as superheroes for...things. Cluster and Psylocke, wearing a costume that she had when she was thieving with Fantomex and which is a purple variation of Fantomex's costume, decide it's their best opportunity to infiltrate. The pair manage to find the supplier but quickly discover that they've been set up and there are ninjas in the room waiting for them. They chase after the supplier, who has slipped out of the room, and are pursued by the ninjas. Cluster realizes that the ninjas aren't trying to advance, just cutting off escape routes. They turn a corner and find that the supplier has disappeared. Cluster feels a familiar dejā vu sense and realizes that it's the feeling Fantomex's misdirect gives, a power that is now Weapon XIII's. He appears and instantly catches Cluster, holding her at gunpoint and making Psylocke submit to his custody or else. She does and we get another glimpse into her memories. As Fantomex's need to keep thieving starts to annoy her, she begins to separate herself from him a little bit. Cluster, who has been living with them and helping out in their capers, comes to talk to her. She admits that Fantomex seemed to have gotten the scoundrel parts of their personality but they all got love for Psylocke. However, the part of the brain that perhaps had the most love, Psylocke realizes, was Cluster. The two kiss passionately. We cut back to the present, with Betsy tied up in a dark room of Weapon XIII's, who admits that this is all for show. Really, all he wanted was a chance to show, he says with a rose outstretched to her, how much he loves her.

I've been waiting for a Fantomex-driven story since this book was announced. He was the breakout character of Remender's fantastic X-Force series and I thought he was just an awesome addition to the Universe (I know he was there before, but not very much and this role defined him). This story doesn't disappoint. It's exactly as high-strung and crazy and confusing as I would have hoped. There were a couple problems I had but they're problems that I personally have as a fan of Fantomex and not problems in constructing the story. I'm saddened that Fantomex seems kind of like the jerk of the bunch and I'm saddened that Weapon XIII has the misdirect powers. Again, these aren't issues with the story, just issues I have to come to terms with as a fan. Still, it's an interesting story that's going to leave us in a very strange and confusing place but that could ultimately provide exactly what we've wanted from the Fantomex saga.

Wolverine and the X-Men 32
Aaron (w) and Bradshaw and Wong (a) and L. Martin and Milla (c)

Quentin Quire has been tortured extensively since his discovery as a traitor. They tried, it seems, to throw him in the Siege Perilous but he was rejected. He learns that the Philistine was created by the Siege Perilous and has decided that he owes himself to it, following it wherever it needs to go. Right now, it felt it needed to be at the Hellfire Academy so he's there too. As with last issue where we were introduced to the whole school in a sort of montage kind of way, we get a montage of people torturing Quentin mixed with a montage of Wolverine using the little bamfs to help him follow-up on leads and track the Hellfire Academy. Like last time, it comes off as kind of annoying rather than anything worth watching. The Wolverine parts are definitely better than the torture parts which are predictable and irritating. It culminates in a meeting between the heads of the school, now including Kilgore's new headmaster Sabretooth, to figure out how to proceed with the students. The issue ends with Kilgore introducing, via satellite, the new Hellions to the men and women of the Hellfire Club. The Hellions, of course, are the trained students now wearing uniforms and yelling "all hail Hellfire."

Again, it's hard for me to nail down who this book is for and, though that sounds like it might not be a huge issue as long as the book's good, it is. The book isn't good enough to cover for the fact that it's hard to figure out its audience and knowing that would at least help put it in perspective. There's a lot of violence and language and alcohol and the likes for it to be directed at children but there's an equal amount of goofiness and cheap jokes for the adults. Maybe early teens? I don't know. It's a little like Deadpool except it's not as obsessed with puns/in-jokes and Deadpool is decidedly meant for an older audience so at least it can be judged that way. Here it's hard to come to a conclusion on it because I can never shake the feeling that I'm not the one for whom it's intended. Even if I try to view it as an all-ages book, I know it fails with a couple markets (or it should, anyway). It's a hard book to get a feel for and, when you do, it rather feels like it's not hitting home.

Wolverine 5
Cornell (w) and Pierfederici and Kesel w/ Fischer (a) and Mossa (c)

Wolverine has been taken into the SHIELD helicarrier Hercules for debriefing but he's accurately suspected that Fury et al have been infected by the parasite he's been dealing with lately. He goes anyway, after seeing the Watcher last time made him wary of not going. When there, he tries to fight his way through the helicarrier without killing too many people before he manages to escape below deck. The helicarrier, which was built with Atlantis in mind, plunges underwater. Wolverine gets a call off to his cast of supporting characters and they manage to get him plans for the helicarrier to show him his way around. He manages to find a few agents in a decompression chamber and outfits them with oxygen masks before releasing them. They haven't been contaminated, leading Wolverine to suspect that the parasite travels through the air. It doesn't have an effect on him because he heals it out and it hasn't had an effect on them because they were in an airtight chamber when it made its way through the helicarrier. The group works their way through the helicarrier. They make their way, not without incident, to the armory before parasite-controlled Fury decides to open the vent in there and start drowning them.

This was one of the more straightforward issues of this series so far but it still moves awfully slowly. It's unclear entirely what Wolverine's plan is but not knowing isn't a huge detriment to this issue. It's a little bit of one because it's hard to figure out if he has a plan or not but we figure that he'll have one when the time to have one is appropriate. By and large, though, the problem with this issue, as it has been with the series in general, is the feel of the issue. It feels slow and so it is slow. It's hard to get a real grip on Wolverine's character aside from the few things that are rather shoved down our throats. This includes his distaste for killing and his cynic attitude. There are also a couple thought bubbles, which are largely phased out from comics. They don't really have a huge impact but I felt it was worth noting anyway. They take the place of captions, as does Wolverine's decision to talk to himself whenever he's alone. I've complained about Savage Wolverine being too focused on the violence of Wolverine (especially when Wolverine MAX is also around) but this one is too focused on making Wolverine a thinker. I know, I'm getting picky. Honestly, I'm the type of person who would rather see someone plotting than someone fighting in most cases and I don't think Cornell is wrong to focus on Wolverine thinking and trying to find ways to not use his claws, but his thinking tends not to carry the book, as much as it wants to, and his insistence to show Wolverine as the reluctantly violent character doesn't really work because he so quickly pops his claws. I think there is a compelling way to do it but it's not happening right now, at least not well enough to carry the series.

Wolverine and the X-Men 30, Savage Wolverine 5

Wolverine and the X-Men 30
Aaron (w) and Ferry with Larraz and Espin (a) and Campbell (c)

I don't know about the rest of you out there, but I could never really get into precocious children criminal masterminds. That's almost entirely untrue BUT it's the thought that crosses my mind whenever I see the Hellfire Academy anywhere. I do believe that they are seemingly real criminals (because we've seen them at work) but it's always difficult to see them as anything but an idea. I know that sounds weird because all of writing is just an idea and doubly so in comics, where any idea may fly (sometimes literally). However, the Hellfire Academy, led by four precocious child geniuses, stick out like a sore thumb, as if someone in a pitch meeting was like "no, what if they're CHILDREN?" You can break down every character to its essence, sure (Captain America: literally a walking flag in wartime; Storm and her new X-Men: a grab at international markets but with a focus on how the X-Men are family despite their differences; Iron Man: weapons manufacturer who uses his own designs and stops selling weapons to bad guys, etc.), but there feels like there's no way to look at this group of children and not say "yup, they're children just to be children." I don't know, maybe everyone else loves them. Maybe this book isn't aimed at me. Maybe the fact that they're children will play a huge role. Maybe I just can't really believe in four child geniuses the way I can, somehow, believe in men and women who can fly and shoot lasers out of their eyes and what not. But I have trouble with them. It doesn't totally help, either, that this issue is drawn well enough, but with a definite bent towards making everyone at the school look younger. Granted, it is a SCHOOL, so probably they're younger than I expect them to be (Marvel time plays with your head. Quentin Quire has been around for ages now and I think he actually may be younger than when he was introduced. Okay, not actually, but it often seems that way) but the issue made Quentin look like a ten year old, and Toad not much older. You know, Toad. One of Magneto's very first henchmen. Because all of Marvel history MIGHT take place in a very busy week.

Anyway, there's a traitor at the Jean Grey School who has been contacting students and trying to get them to join the Hellfire Academy. They've already taken Glob Herman and Idie, as of last issue, and now they're reaching out to Quire. Quire has a soft spot for Idie and determines to figure out what made her go to the Hellfire Academy. He psychically interrogates a bamf and finds a weird history of their species that he doesn't feel the need to go further into (it has to do with Azazel) before finding that Idie intends to figure out who from the Hellfire Academy shot Broo and kill him or her. Quentin decides to go there too, lending a hand to Idie, presumably. Meanwhile, in space, Hank is trying to restore Broo's mind with the help of alien criminal doctor Starblood. Everything goes to hell up there and the Hellfire Academy's new super-powered recruit the Philistine teleports in, takes Starblood and Broo, and leaves. We find that Husk is behind many of the events at the Jean Grey School as she and Toad are reunited and, along with Quire, they join Philistine, Starblood and Broo. There's lots going on but it's somewhat diluted with all the various plots and the betrayals and the people in the shadows. As last issue showed, there's plenty in store for the people at the Jean Grey School. This issue continues to poke at us to ask about it.

Savage Wolverine 5
Cho (w and a) and Keith (c)

Readers of this blog will know that I have real issues with the premise of Savage Wolverine. I don't really have an issue with Wolverine being violent or being a ladies man because those are both in his character, but I have issues with books that are so openly exploitative. I suppose it's a step above been exploitative and not admitting it. Maybe. But the idea that it sells itself on the basest opinion of what a comic reader is makes it tough for me to root for this book. It's unfortunate, too, because I think Wolverine is characterized here in a somewhat interesting and acceptable way and Cho's art is certainly good when it's not being unbearably sexualized. There is a four panel spread near the start of this book that shows a headshot of Hulk followed by a headshot of Amadeus Cho followed by a headshot of Wolverine followed by a full body shot of Shanna wherein her breasts are easily as big as her head. Anyway, there's some Hulk vs. Wolverine fighting just to have Hulk vs. Wolverine fighting before the Dark Walker emerges and starts to ascend into the sky. Hulk takes the bomb from Wolverine and leaps after it, only to get smacked away effortlessly, have the bomb explode in his hand, and get caught out of the air by a giant whale, which Cho points out was both "pretty awesome and funny." After the writer/artist is done patting himself on the back, we see the Dark Walker return to its leader, an entity known as Visher-Rakk (it's essentially Galactus with the Dark Walker Morrigon serving as a herald), to inform him that there's a new galaxy ripe for eating.

The next arc or issue promises to feature Wolverine in a team-up with Spider-Man as written by Zeb Wells with artist Joe Madureira, the original team behind Avenging Spider-Man. Most recently in Marvel, he's written the two Carnage series, Carnage and Carnage USA with Clayton Crain in the last few years. I don't know if this is a permanent switch or just an interlude before Cho takes the helm again, but I wouldn't be disappointed if this was a break from the first arc. I thought there were some good ideas and some decent writing in this book but not enough to cover for the flaws. If this book was able to get over itself, I think it could be the stronger Wolverine book. However, I can't help but think that maybe this will be Wolverine's Avenging Spider-Man title, which doesn't really disappoint me as long as it changes its need to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Let's think happy thoughts for the future of this series.