How long can Wolverine keep going unchanged and get away with it? There have been more changes to Superman, Batman and Spider-Man in the last year than Wolverine has gone through in his entire run. Sure, he’s been thrust into different roles, but ultimately his supporting cast isn’t unique to him (unless you bring up stories set in Japan). You may not have suspected a new supporting cast was in the cards from the last two issues, but Wolverine #3 is doing just that. Is it good?
Wolverine Vol. 5 #3 (Marvel Comics)
Check out our review of Wolverine #1 and our review of Wolverine #2 if you missed them.
I can’t get a grasp on writer Paul Cornell’s take on Wolverine. The first issue seemed to suggest we were getting a street level detective story. The second issue was all action between Wolverine and a mind-controlled boy with a laser gun. Now this issue. Last issue revealed The Watcher is…well watching, so the implications in the next issue are huge. I say next issue, because not a lot is revealed in this issue aside from a new supporting cast which, dare I say, is inspired.
Love their roles!
Wolverine and Kid-Fury (I still can’t feel comfortable simply calling him Fury) end up at a new bar Wolverine frequents to get an alien bullet out of him. Logan calmly introduces his new friends and they all have interesting roles. If Cornell has the chance to utilize them I could see plenty of stories spinning from each character. The fact that I’m actually excited to see more from these characters is huge props to this issue.
Clever idea I never thought of…
Cornell’s dialogue isn’t as odd as it was last issue and there’s actually some winning lines here. This is good comics, with fun dialogue, good action and a progressing story. I’m a little surprised, considering I wasn’t blown away by the first two issues, but man is this a great turn of events.
What is that pink goo you’re drinking?!
I’ve mentioned in previous reviews of this series that Alan Davis’s art isn’t the best when it comes to stilted dialogue sequences. The man needs to open up and get on with the action. Luckily, he gets a lot of opportunities this issue. From Wolvie fighting blaster-suited men to regular brawls, the stuff looks great. Davis tends to only use three to five panels per page, which makes things go pretty quick. Considering his style isn’t hyper detailed it does make some of the pages seem overly emtpy, but overall it’s a great comic to look at.
Video game reference!
8.5
- Tantalizing new characters
- Interesting bits of dialogue
- Paced so fast it’s over before you started
Though I wasn’t blown away by the first two issues by any means, I was still compelled to keep reading and I think that’s largely because Cornell was doing something new and interesting. This issue reveals his grander scheme, that is if he does get to continue past the next issue, and I’m on board for whatever he has for me.
Is It Good?
Yes. Surprisingly great issue considering how mediocre the first two issues were.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
