It’s Wolverine vs. Beast’s army of Logan clones in Benjamin Percy and Juan Jose Ryp’s latest story arc. Part four kicks off this week in Wolverine #34, picking up right where we left off. As Percy continues to show us just how immoral Beast can get, things get personal when Wolverine’s close friend gets roped into the complicated mess of an unleashed Beast.
This issue picks up right as as Maverick and Wolverine are being shot at by friendly military folks. Wolverine’s friend Jeff Bannister leads the charge, assuming the Logan in the boat they’re firing at is another clone. The first half of this issue is devoted to this chase, with things turning from bad to good and back to bad by the end of the sequence. As if Beast didn’t need more of an upper hand, it appears he has something over Wolverine.
Outside this opening are three more scenes, the first being an encounter with a Wolverine clone and then the main dish of the issue: Beast and Logan finally coming face to face. This scene is excellent, as Ryp shows Beast’s animalistic way of eating lobster, which is both gross and monstrous. He’s unhinged and yet speaks so intelligently. An argument is made by Beast summing up his behavior as his true self, even if Wolverine and others don’t want to admit it. Like Hannibal Lector, he’s chilling and extremely certain in this scene.
Beast looks on from his skeleton base.
Credit: Marvel
Unfortunately, this scene, paired with the opening and bridge scenes, isn’t enough to satisfy like previous issues have. Much of this issue adds little to what we know about Beast, or how far he’s fallen. The dude has already killed people without a care and cloned Wolverine as if it was his right. Seeing him eat lobster and talk about truths doesn’t add much. The opening scene feels like an overly long attack due to a misunderstanding, and this issue will try your patience if you’re like me and want to see Beast and Wolverine go at it.
Percy continues to use data pages cleverly. In this issue, we get to read Beast’s message, which is well placed after we find out a bomb isn’t a bomb at all. Then later, we get Maverick’s notes on his work on a clone. Juvenile, but it’s funny to think Maverick likes fart jokes.
The final scene brings Maverick and Wolverine closer to the next confrontation with Beast. Percy makes it clear that Beast may not be as strong as he thinks, which could spell doom for him and maybe others.
Wolverine #34 is a decent issue that’s more filler and bridging to the next issue more than anything else. Still, seeing Beast nosh lobster and talk like a maniac will always be entertaining.
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