Wolverine #25: Come for the Art, Endure the Story

The plot of the comic itself is a decent conclusion to a subpar arc. Wolverine losing his healing factor isn’t anything new, and this arc isn’t anything special. It’s a very run-of-the-mill storyline that doesn’t take any bold swings that previous comics haven’t done before. Saladin Ahmed, while an extremely talented writer of Wolverine character-wise, fails to bring a new angle to this story.

Dr. Murat Mor makes for a mediocre villain. While he’s less of an evil scientist and more out-of-control scientist, Dr. Mor is still very one-note. Mor’s best attribute is that Wolverine can’t just stab him and be done with the problem. Because Wolverine is left weakened and depowered, Logan can’t just kill the guy; he has to talk him down. Logan and Murat have a really good conversation near the end of the story (one that speaks to Ahmed’s strengths as a writer), but it ultimately fails to draw interest to an inherently generic antagonist. If a character is only as good as the story gimmick, then the character isn’t very good.

Alpha Flight’s inclusion is a welcome one; the banter between the team and Logan, while very brief in this issue, is at its best across Ahmed’s run. Snowbird and Puck have a long history with Wolverine, so they’re sympathetic to Logan’s plight. However, they’re still members of a government superhero team and have to follow orders. The new Vindicator, who is Agent Arsenault in a fancy suit, has no history with Logan outside of this run, so their dynamic is very one-dimensional. Whether intentional or not, the conflict between Wolverine and Alpha Flight comes off as pretty comical: there’s a scene where Wolverine just hops over Puck, and it’s probably the funniest visual gag of the issue. 

While story is only serviceable, the art is incredible. This might be the best that Wolverine has looked on a page in years. Martín Cóccolo has mastered what makes Logan a visually distinct character: his short, stocky stature; the subtle rage and sadness in his eyes; his long, imposing mask; the hair on his arms and face; and his animalistic stance. 

Halfway through the comic, Wolverine’s upper shoulder is completely blasted down to the muscle. Every single fiber and muscle is drawn distinctly; nothing blends together. Aburtov’s colors serve to enhance Cóccolo’s art. Each shade of red on the aforementioned shoulder pops on the page against the dull, rocky background. 

However, there is one odd visual choice that Cóccolo makes with his Wolverine: his costume. Since issue 14 of this run, Wolverine has primarily worn his classic “John Byrne Brown and Tan” suit. The brown suit has Wolverine’s “underwear” on the outside of the costume, with the brown triangular design stemming from the belt and continuing the brown from the chest. However, Cóccolo’s rendition has a boxier brown design under the belt: it looks more like a pair of boxers on the outside of Logan’s suit. While not a necessarily bad costume design, it is a bit jarring in this issue.