Ultimate Wolverine #3: Mad Logan – Winter Road

A golden adage of creative writing in any medium is the principle to “come in late, leave early” for scenes. The idea is that a good story with a propulsive narrative doesn’t waste time too long in any given scene, crashing in for the vital exposition, character interactions, or unraveling of the plot. Not only does the principle support well-told stories on a plotting level, but helps to ensure a forward momentum for the pacing, keeping scenes on the tighter side. That notion is key for action storytelling, which uses that dynamic momentum to sell the heightened emotional reality and aesthetics of the genre. 

Ultimate Wolverine #3 – written by Chris Condon with art from Alessandro Cappuccio, colors by Bryan Valenza, and lettering from VC’s Cory Petit – sends the Winter Soldier, aka Wolverine, on his next mission for the Eurasian Republic, this time to target some of the mutant masterminds behind The Opposition. The two targets, introduced by recruiting Black Widow for a mission of their own, are none other than the Ultimate Gambit and Kitty Pryde. The briefing for the Eurasian soldiers reveals that the mutants have deep histories in the fight against the country, Gambit having killed the third Rasputin sibling. Wolverine’s mission is to track down the duo and their associates in an underground tunnel system before executing the mutants. 

Making quick work of Gambit’s traps, the assassin locates his targets and strikes, causing damage to the operations and sparking recognition for the two. As Black Widow drives the truck with precious cargo away from the secret location, Gambit and Kitty realize that the Winter Soldier is the Logan they once knew. The resistance fighters try to jog Wolverine’s memory as the truck barrels on with its mission to no luck. Finally, Kitty reveals her powers, which triggers a reaction in the Winter Soldier, the surprise allowing the Opposition members to escape unharmed. 

Condon’s scripting continues to be a lean, tight machine in its delivery of plot and characterization alike. The structure for this issue makes excellent use of overlapping dialogue from the briefing with the Winter Soldier in action. This results in a rhythm that resembles a good action movie that makes use of crosscutting to break up exposition and deliver it in the most exciting method possible. When the sequence fully shifts into one of the beats, a clear point or idea is brought into sharp focus, ensuring a concise delivery of these concepts. 

Introducing the new character through the Eurasian Military’s briefing lets Condon immediately reveal vital information about the trio. Black Widow is the least developed of the three, offering little about her character beyond wanting to defect and being a solid getaway driver. Gambit and Kitty get more page real estate to build on their rap sheets, with Condon’s plotting to kick off a roguish, swashbuckling color to the mutants. Even in this book, which oscillates between brutal carnage and assured seriousness, the writing finds levity in the moments between Gamit and Kitty. The two bicker, reminisce about their shared history back in the North American territory and share a few fleeting romantic exchanges. 

Between these character-enriching scenes, the shift of focus back to Wolverine helps the book retain its sharp edge. The Winter Soldier cuts through Opposition members like their butter, the resistance fighters about as effective as the steel door blocking the underground hideout. Not even Gambit’s exploding chess pieces and playing cards can put a dent in the brainwashed killing machine, which does an excellent job of showcasing the effectiveness of Directorate X and its programs. Only Kitty’s phasing puts a dent in Wolverine’s armor, striking his weakest point, the mind. That last attack by Kitty is a dynamic cliffhanger that manages to tease out the shared history of these characters while hinting at variations in the mutant’s ability. 

A large benefit of the new character introductions and action-oriented issues is the framework Cappuccio employs for his artwork. The paneling for the action sequences thrives in wide, horizontal panels that convey the cinematic nature of the fight choreography. While chasing down Gambit and the Opposition truck, Wolverine goes into a feral form for his pursuit. Cappuccio starts with a larger widescreen panel of Wolverine running like an animal before shifting into tighter widescreens that convey the rapid-fire nature of the action. An explosion leads to a leaping action which then in turn results in catching up the truck. That in turn gives way to another page with similar panels that track Wolverine leaping at Kitty, who reacts with her phasing ability and then launches into an attack on Logan’s mind. 

Once the action culminates in that moment, Cappuccio shifts out to a full-page splash broken up into segments of memory. The motif of the pages is one of shattering glass, as Logan’s mind is fractured and memories cut deep all at once. Even with this large image, Cappuccio sneaks in a few smaller panels at the bottom of the page, ensuring that the pacing never slows. It’s an effective choice that disorients Logan and the audience alike while still allowing Cappuccio to make clear his strength at rendering inside and out of the costume. 

Cappuccio’s artwork thrives during these sequences, rendering the action with a stylized heft that blends the fantastical with visceral physicality. The sailing playing cards with trailing lines and glowing chess pieces allow the artist to employ rich detail in the simple shapes, conveying the explosive energy waiting to be released. When that force does result from the unassuming time bombs, Cappuccio renders excessive results as a soldier’s skeleton is all that remains in the fallout. The lethality that Cappuccio’s figure work indicates is a pitch-perfect match to Wolverine’s brutal slash work, showcasing the danger associated with these mutants fighting for their lives. 

The violent moment of the chess pieces exploding is elevated thanks to Valenza’s coloring, which adds a sheen of the fantastical to the moment. The pink energy evokes the classic comic book roots (and the possibly more known X-Men animated series) of Gambit’s ability and minimizes the thought of danger, luring reader and soldier alike into a false sense of security. The minimized, beckoning blurs of blinking light that line the tunnel in the proceeding panels feed into the lulling sense of danger. Once the explosive occurs, the pinks illuminate and highlight the contrasts of the skeleton, evoking the imagery of blast shadows.