Wolverine’s mother was revealed to be alive starting in Wolverine #9. Now that the tale comes to an end, will Wolverine survive the trauma? It’s a question you’ll be asking as his inner child is put to the test.
Wolverine #12 opens where we left off, a cliffhanger that revealed the truth behind Elizabeth Howlett. Soon, the two are running from the old estate Wolverine grew up in, but to where Wolverine isn’t sure. However, Elizabeth isn’t pleased with his notion of finding the X-Men, and a topsy-turvy illusion quest begins. From there, Wolverine is pushed to the limit of what is real and not, while figuring out how to break a spell.
A couple of things work in this issue, especially the art. Martín Cóccolo puts in one of his best issues yet, maximizing the weirdness of illusions and walking around in Wolverine’s mind palace, to more gruesome violence. There’s a particularly striking page as Wolverine slashes the villain, then we see him in silhouette, carving him up even more. It’s as if it’s so graphic they can’t show us. Wolverine is seriously put through it, and the final pages reflect that in his body language and facial expressions.
His poor mother.
Credit: Marvel
Another element that works is an explanation as to how Elizabeth put one over Logan. Tied to Krakoa, it’s a logical turn, and at the very least, it’s nice to see a reason when superhero comics tend to ignore canon and just do things.
As far as the impact of this final issue, I’m not sure whether Wolverine tamping down his inner child feels monumental or life-changing for the character. He says that part of himself is killed, but it doesn’t feel certain enough for this not to come back around again someday. That makes the entire story arc sort of hang there, being perfectly entertaining and good on its own, but all the rigamarole may not be worth it.
Generally, the trick of this story arc still stings, and while this final chapter is well plotted and interesting, it’s hard to forget we were sold a mother’s return and got a B or even C-tier villain in her place.
Wolverine #12 delivers gripping visuals and some smart plotting, but the finale struggles to justify its setup, leaving readers with a story that entertains in the moment yet feels hollow in hindsight.
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