Wolverine #32: Full Circle

Marvel fans have a strange relationship with stories dealing with clones, so it was pretty bold for Wolverine #32 to be referred to as a clone saga for Logan. The phrase “clone saga” is enough to send shivers down a reader’s spine. However, clones and Wolverine are far from a new idea, though the clones in this arc feel pretty on the nose. If anyone can make it work, it’s Benjamin Percy. Percy’s storytelling is why X-Force and Wolverine are two of the longest-running X-titles of the Krakoan era. Benjamín Percy’s writing brings a lot of symmetry between series, but his ability to come full circle on things is nothing short of masterful. But things don’t come full circle and conclude. Percy’s use of foreshadowing and callbacks feels organic and doesn’t necessarily bring closure but a reminder that there is a greater universe with lives being lived outside the books.

The “Weapons of X” arc is only two issues, but readers already are getting their money’s worth. Beast isn’t wasting time and is using the Wolverine clones as his private army. Despite the Quiet Council now knowing what has been going on, Beast is multiple steps ahead, and the damage is done, with a lot more damage to come. Beast’s Krakoan-Megazord, made from The Pointe, is one of the most incredible things to come out of a Wolverine book, and this run has had a lot of cool things to come out of it. Beast’s mobile base is where Juan José Ryp and Frank D’Armata thrive when it comes to art. Ryp’s pencils and D’Armata’s colors continue to deliver entertaining action and incredible sequences, such as Maverick’s team mistaking the giant skull as an iceberg or the army of Wolverine clones swimming out of its mouth. The Pointe easily steals the show in this issue. The only thing that felt a little off was seeing the multiple clones of Wolverine and Beast in groups. They look great on their own, but there are times when Wolverine and Beast both look incredibly smooth with a strange glow around them. This feels off because Wolverine and Beast are probably two of the hairier comic book characters.

The appearance of Maverick is a payoff that feels so well-earned and utterly organic to the series as a whole. As mentioned, it doesn’t feel like Maverick was pulled out of a toy box and dusted off before being written in. We are thrown into the middle of whatever Maverick has been up to and not the other way around. It certainly makes things much more exciting and adds depth to the story.