Ultimate Wolverine #12 opens with a rumination on the concept of déjà vu, the sensation that you’re reliving events that have already happened. Wolverine, being Wolverine, puts it differently: “same s***, different day.” Ultimate Wolverine #12 isn’t just about repeating a day over and over, though. It centers on the cycles of violence that have come to define Wolverine, and how they affect everyone around him.
Following the shocking ending of last issue, the Opposition is dead and Logan decides to take the fight to the Rasputin siblings. In the process, he has a violent reunion with Dr. Aloyna Prostovich, the woman who transformed him into the Winter Soldier. He forces her to help him free the “Phoenix Specimen” – in other words, the Earth-616 version of Jean Grey, who was used to transform Logan and other mutants into brainwashed weapons.
Chris Condon and Alessandro Cappuccio definitely want to make sure the theme of repetition sticks in the book, as certain scenes from previous issues are recreated here. Wolverine once again faces the Sentinel powered by Cyclops’ decapitated head, only this time there’s a definitive winner. He’s back in the Eurasian Republic, but this time it’s as an enemy of the Rasputins, rather than their weapon. Cappuccio even illustrates a page that’s a direct recreation of a sequence from Ultimate Wolverine #1, but with some significant differences: Wolverine is leaping from Sentinel One, he’s donned his new costume, and you can see his face locked in a righteous rage.
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I also love that Jean Grey will be part of future issues of Ultimate Wolverine. Given her history with Logan in the mainstream Marvel Universe, and the fact that she once struggled with her own identity when she first became one with the Phoenix Force, it’s only fitting that the two would bond. Condon is also quick to show that Jean is in complete control of her abilities once she’s freed, which could be a great asset in the pages of Ultimate Endgame.
Before that, there are the Rasputins and their forces to deal with. Cappuccio has never held back on the bloodshed in this series, but Ultimate Wolverine #12 feels more personal in its violence. Logan is fighting the people who not only turned him into a weapon, but forced him to hunt down and kill some of his friends. Every strike he makes, whether against the Rasputins or the scientists working for them, is a declaration of intent that he will never be tamed again.
The dialogue turns out to be just as sharp as Logan’s claws, especially the moment he finds Jean. When Prostovich refers to her as an “antenna”, Logan snaps, snarling at her that they’re more than science projects or weapons. The sheer fury in his words is matched only by the death glare he gives Prostovich, and Bryan Valenza adds to that danger by shrouding his face in shadows.
Ultimate Wolverine #12 tackles the cycles of violence that happen with oppression and revolution, as it heads into its final arc. Now that things are approaching the endgame, I’m hoping the creative team can keep up this level of storytelling.
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