The From the Ashes era is already a smash success, and Wolverine hasn’t even gotten his solo book yet. That changes this week with Wolverine #1 by Saladin Ahmed and Martín Cóccolo. It’s a new post-Krakoa era for Logan, who has separated himself from other mutants as he tries to find his place in the world. This series sets out to further define the character, introduce new villains, and bring back classics. That includes Cyber, as revealed in the preview, an old trainer of Wolverine who happens to have adamantium arms.
At the start of this issue, he’s running wild with a pack of wolves. Ahmed seems to be taking him back to his base instincts as he clears his head and tries to recenter himself. Wolverine can’t ever get peace, though, and Cyber is on the hunt to make Logan’s life a living Hell. Meanwhile, Nightcrawler is also looking for Wolverine to add a chipper and more positive vibe to the tale.
The captions drive this issue. First, from the perspective of the wolf pack leader, then Cyber, and so on and so forth. They drive most scenes, putting us inside the heads of key characters while giving us key perspectives. At times, I felt they were laid on too thick, but they definitely add entertainment value.
Look who’s back.
Credit: Marvel
Ahmed reminds us this is a period in mutant history where brokering peace with humans is as important as ever. Even when some civilians are screaming hate at them, he reminds Logan it’s important to keep the peace. While the devil that is Cyber draws out his rage, Nightcrawler is the angel on his shoulder.
As far as the plot, not a lot happens, but the captions make up for that. I was a bit surprised there wasn’t more to the issue, aside from Cyber hunting and fighting Wolverine. The cliffhanger certainly suggests something big is coming, though.
Cóccolo positively stuns with incredible artistry here. Bryan Valenza adds a heck of a lot, too, from the blue tint of the forest in the backgrounds to the shine on Cyber’s arms. The added layer of cold breath in the winter scenes will make you feel chilly.
Something that had me scratching my head, however, was the buildup and big cliffhanger. Ahmed draws you in with captions that detail a mysterious metal, but at first, it’s hard to distinguish what it is as it bubbles from the earth. This leads to a gorgeous full-page spread reveal, but again, I’m not sure what we’re looking at. Is it some entity that’s alive or a metal reformed?
The art is stunning in the return of Wolverine to comic shops, while Ahmed clearly has a great handle on each character. The plot is thin, but the mystery is potentially huge for the future of this character.
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