Wolverine #17: Beers in the Yard

Sometimes I forget that there is a whole world outside of Krakoa. With the gates, it seems like every inch of the world is just an extension of Krakoa, and in a way that is true. Wolverine #17 was a breath of fresh air from that world. Bannister is that little piece of humanity that reminds you it’s out there. We find that Wolverine uses a gate to have beers with Jeff once a week, and that adds a lot of depth to Wolverine’s character. We don’t see it in this issue, but there is such a contrast between Wolverine at the Green Lagoon on Krakoa and Wolverine in Jeff’s backyard. Speaking of the Green Lagoon, Percy packs in the music references with nods to The Beach Boy’s “Barbara Ann,” or in Blob’s rendition, “Blobara Ann,” Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, Billy Joel, and Toni Braxton. I wish I was a mutant, so I could go to Krakoa’s karaoke night.

In addition to Percy’s superb writing, this was a gorgeous issue with pencils by Lan Medina, inks by Cam Smith, and colors by Java Tartaglia. The three artists shined when Wolverine, Domino, and Maverick are swimming to intercept a boat full of terrorists. Wolverine’s brown suit has grown on me over the years and it is currently one of my favorites. It looked better than ever in action on the ship. The highlight of this issue takes place just as Wolverine, Domino, and Maverick sneak aboard. Just as a terrorist is about to finish saying, “the tank is officially armed,” Wolverine slices his arm into pieces in one perfect swoop and says, “Not for long.” The timing, motion, the “SLK” sound, the three perfect slices of arm, and Wolverine’s delivery as his claws drip blood were perfect to me thanks to everyone on the creative team, including the always great Cory Petit.

Wolverine #17 is a nice change of pace as a new arc starts. Contrasting Solem and Wolverine’s conflict in the great previous arc, I am interested to see Wolverine interact with Jeff more outside of Krakoa. A note from Jeff to Wolverine acts as narration for the issue and informs Wolverine that there is a rat on the island and all fingers point towards Maverick, so I am hoping Jeff makes it out of the arc alive. Throwing the non-mutant element into Wolverine stories always makes great for great storytelling.