Wolverine #1
- WRITER
- Benjamin Percy
- Artist
- Adam Kubert, Viktor Bogdanovic
- Letterer
- VC's Cory Petit
- Cover Artist
- Rahzzah, Marte Gracia, Chip Kidd, Frank Martin, Jee-Hyung Lee, Jim Lee, Gabriele Dell'otto, Skottie Young, Adam Kubert, Jason Keith, R.B. Silva
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Colorist
- Frank Martin, Matthew Wilson
Dawn of X has taken Marvel's Merry Mutants from ostracized underdogs, hated and feared by those they protect, to the foremost society on Earth in the mutant nation-state of Krakoa. United by their new home and cutting edge advancements, there has been a noticeable swagger to the X-Men as they boldly stake their claim on the future after years of persecution, but more than that, they have developed a deep sense of happiness in having established paradise on Earth. Benjamin Percy, Adam Kubert and Viktor Bogdanovic's new Wolverine solo comic-book series takes the famously surly and haunted mutant superhero and examines the way he responds to this fresh start for mutant-kind on Earth, delivering an effective character study with plenty of expertly executed bloody violence.
The new series' inaugural issue is an oversized debut with two separate stories penned by Percy and illustrated by different art teams. In the first story, Wolverine leads a small team of X-Men to investigate the black market sale of Krakoa's life-saving drugs, which have been modified to create a popular new illegal substance with murderous results. As Logan takes point on the investigation, he finds that no matter how happy he is on Krakoa, he cannot completely escape his traumatic past. In the second story, Wolverine goes head-to-head against his old enemy, Omega Red, with the carbonadium-laced mutant killer seeking a safe haven on Krakoa before setting Logan off on a search to see what exactly his old foe has been up to.
Right from the outset, it is clear that Percy has a remarkably strong handle on Wolverine's voice, both through dialogue and action as he takes the Canadian superhero on two separate, globe-spanning adventures. This harder edged, grittier side of Dawn of X is similarly on display with Percy's work on X-Force, but the narrowed focus on Logan here benefits even more from his approach; both stories work as gripping character studies while bringing plenty of the requisite superhero derring-do to the proceedings. Wolverine may have found a sense of harmony on Krakoa, but the issue's underlying theme across both stories is that Logan will always be at war with himself -- something Percy builds upon while delivering two cracking good yarns starring the ol' Canucklehead.
Adam Kubert and colorist Frank Martin bring the first story to visual life, balancing the idyllic opening on Krakoa with the investigation that follows. While both stories could be seen as mysteries, the first tale really leans into police procedural elements with superhero flourishes. Kubert and Martin deliver on this moody atmosphere, where every shadow can conceal its own secret -- or threat -- as Logan delves into the proliferation of the new drug around the globe. And nobody quite renders Logan in physical and mental anguish quite like Kubert, who puts the tortured hero through the wringer, elevating Percy's scripted characterization.
Viktor Bogdanovic and colorist Matthew Wilson take up art duties for the second story, which comes off as a mystery with more horror overtones as the true nature of what Omega Red walked away from comes into focus. There is a dream-like quality to Bogdanovic's approach, which aptly shifts into a waking nightmare as the full scope of the story is gradually unveiled. Blending actual iconic locations with bloody superhero action, the issue's second story is a little more straightforward in its characterization of Logan and establishes him as the premier badass of Dawn of X's Krakoa.
With Wolverine #1, it's immediately clear that Benjamin Percy is perfectly suited to bring the character into his own set of solo adventures during Dawn of X. With a spot-on look into Logan's psyche, plenty of bloody action and genuinely intriguing mysteries that will likely affect Krakoa in the months to come, the creative team has created the single best Wolverine issue in years, celebrating the timeless qualities of the character while setting his new status quo as part of Dawn of X.
Wolverine #1 is available now.