Written by: Paul Cornell
Illustrations: Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, Mirco Pierfederici, Karl Kesel
Coloring: Matt Hollingsworth, Andres Mossa
Publisher: Standaard Uitgeverij
Wolverine #003 – Comic Book Review
Wolverine was able to save his comrads in the previous bundle from a virus that originated from the Microverse. While this virus did not kill its hosts, it made them mindless puppets with one shared conscience, with the intention of taking over the world entirely. Of course, the adamantium-filled mutant’s healing ability prevented him from getting infected, but he still had to make the choice to save his colleagues with or without violence, with ‘saving’ being a relative loose term. In case of emergency he did have to make the choice of wounding his unaware enemies or even killing them if they would not go down easily. Even though he was successful in restoring order to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s base of operations, it came at a heavy cost, namely his healing ability.
Diagnosed with a severe case of humanity Logan is no longer able to rely on his fast healing ability in order to come out of every fight without as much as a scratch. Not only fights would become a hassle, the adamantium in his body now also require him to take medicines in order to prevent the material from poisoning him. Another issue is the fact that every time he wishes to use his claws that sprout from his fists, the wound will not heal anymore, thus problems keep stacking up. Nonetheless, the biggest problem might simply be that he will now age like a normal human being and thus he is doubtful of what will now become of him, as he ponders if he has to pursue his mission of battling side by side with his fellow mutants, superheroes and other allies or simply settle down and actually lead a normal life.
Personal issues aside, the virus from the Microverse still poses a real threat and it seems that even the righteous Black Panther has become infected, after peculiar behavior from the Wakanda nation. As many villains who know about viruses are suddenly dropping as flies, only one virus-related villain remains, namely The Host. Seeing The Host is pretty much immortal, the virus would not be able to kill her, and thus they ‘recruited’ the Black Panther in order for him to lock her up, as the technology he uses is one of the most advanced on our planet. Wolverine, Storm and S.H.I.E.L.D. decide to make their move.
Overall the flow of this bundle is rather slow, as it’s about the struggle Wolverine is having about what to do with his life, in case he doesn’t get his abilities back. Of course as the omnibus progresses, there will be more action sequences, which are rather exciting now that Wolverine is incapable of healing himself at a rapid pace, thus putting him on a more equal level with his opponents, or even at a disadvantage as he hasn’t had to be careful in a very long time. Paul Cornell does a great job in painting a decent picture of Logan’s psyche and also implements a rather interesting love story while he’s at it.
Illustration wise things remain rather detailed throughout the three issues that can be found in this bundle, but the coloring takes a drastic turn to more yellow-tinted colors after the first issue (#007) in this omnibus, which immediately gives it another look. While this is certainly not a turn towards a bad direction, it makes everything feel a bit more retro, like the older comics.
Conclusion
Wolverine #003 is still about the Microverse’s virus, but more about what Logan will now do with his life: will he calm down, soldier on or simply give up and settle down. While many of these questions will not receive an answer soon, it’s interesting to see how he is trying to cope with the situation and finds himself in life threatening situations, which used to be walks in the park.
Wolverine #003 – Comic Book Review,
No Comments