Combining the Ghost Rider and Wolverine is like peanut butter and jelly. It’s a combo that makes sense and is badass as hell. Returning for round two, Hellverine offers writer Benjamin Percy and artist Julius Ohta a chance to explore hellfire meddling and justice for those who deserve a reckoning. Oh, and awesome adamantium-covered-in-flames action!
Hellverine #1 is a good jumping-on point as it opens with a multi-page refresher on who the demon is that infested Wolverine and its origins. Once that’s established, it digs into the new threat facing Hellverine with a kind of hellfire Hellraiser crew. They’ve got gnarly costumes and a demeanor not unlike cenobites. The creation of these beasts is not unlike the Weapon X program, which adds a nice connection to Wolverine lore on some scale.
Once the story is established, the issue focuses on Hellverine causing a ruckus, crosscutting with Wolverine getting kidnapped. It may sound confusing, but by the end, it’ll all make sense. Some worldbuilding ensues including the Pentagon adding a touch of realism to this fantasy affair.
The biggest selling point is the blend of action and horror. This issue does not skimp on gore or adult themes while offering a cool yet haunting flaming Wolverine. Given how hard Percy and Co have gone with grotesque visuals, you know this series won’t disappoint. The blend of action and horror is quite good.
How badass are these visuals?
Credit: Marvel
The visuals are steeped in heavy inks with a darker color tone by Frank D’Armata. Julius Ohta’s art makes the flames sing and D’Armata’s colors add a lot of life to them. The sci-fi weirdness with the hellfire gang is well designed, with lab environments particularly cool to look at. A full page splash of Hellverine driving a flaming motorcycle into a dinner party may take the cake, but there’s some awesome visuals throughout.
The use of Wolverine is a bit of a surprise, albeit it ties into the cliffhanger. I’d argue that too much time is spent with a twist, leaving Wolverine more of a bystander in his scenes, but heck, it’s a great setup that’ll be fun to continue reading.
The fact is, Hellverine #1 takes big swings with what we know about hellfire, Wolverine, and recent Wolverine events. Once you put this down, it’ll all make sense, fit within continuity, and offer a threat you’ll seriously doubt Wolverine can beat. The high stakes are exciting as Wolverine faces new kinds of Hell.
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