Combining the Ghost Rider and Wolverine is like peanut butter and jelly, and now it’s in the collected format in Hellverine: Resurrection. It’s a combo that makes sense and is badass as hell. Hellverine: Resurrection 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 is new reader friendly 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 first 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 world-building 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.
Trees fear him.
Credit: Marvel
The adult themes and gore continue with the backstory of General Harms in the third issue. He’s the man behind making the Destroyer soldiers. His time at war showed he was heartless, murdering not for fun but because he could. It’s a dark and certainly twisted look at the man behind a program that is abusing the soldiers turned into monsters and shows what he’s capable of.
With the villain set up, the story shifts back to Wolverine, who is taking in a house fire after defeating a Destroyer. Once again, Percy brings the mood down quite low and adult as the destroyer’s wife and child see him burning. It’s twisted, but Logan has seen his fair share of violence and isn’t too phased.
Enter Akihiro aka the new Hellverine. Although he’s a flaming demon possessed by Bagra-Ghul, he’s the only hope we may have against Harms and a truly evil government operation. Ohta and color artist Frank D’Armata continue to impress with the flame effects. “Bat out of Hell” is a great way to describe who I am, while his cold eyes convey he’s possessed and unfeeling. He has a job to do, and he’s going to do it.
As far as gore, Ohta will blow you away with a massive amount of damage done to someone’s head. It’s pretty shocking stuff.
Hellverine: Resurrection is a wild ride, and I’m not talking about all the motorcycles. Ohta and Percy are deliver adults-only violence in a story that’s Hellraiser meets Wolverine.
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