Wolverine #41: The Sabretooth War Begins

It is a bold move to declare “The Most Violent Wolverine Story Ever Told” right on the cover of a new arc, but after reading Wolverine #41, readers may very well agree with the statement and the “Parental advisory! Not For Kids” label. Kicking off the ten-part “Sabretooth War,” Wolverine #41 is written as a joint effort between Victor LaValle and Benjamin Percy, who both worked on Sabretooth and Wolverine in the Krakoa-era to now respectively. There has been some time since readers last saw Sabretooth in Sabretooth & the Exiles, which concluded in March of 2023, so readers have had time to process the events of that series and not feel thrown directly into something new. The same can be said for Wolverine, though he has had an ongoing series consistently, the last handful of issues focused on smaller one-off adventures and not starting anything big. With Wolverine #41, readers can guess where each writer took the reigns, but there is a surprising retention of voice and tone throughout. The writing, and art for that matter, does not compete with itself whatsoever, delivering a solid, gore-filled issue.

When it comes to the art, the pencils are split between Geoff Shaw and Cory Smith with Oren Junior inking Smith’s pages. Shaw’s contributions are in the first 11 pages, focusing on Sabretooth while the rest of the issue brings the action to Wolverine. Both artists are incredibly talented and bring similar detail levels to their pages. It helps that Alex Sinclair colored the entire issue, which unifies the work of the inks and pencils. The art earns the parental advisory with plenty of gore and violence, but that isn’t all that the issue offers. Both Shaw and Smith deliver some gorgeous and fun visuals. With the history and nature of both Wolverine and Sabretooth, the art feels right on point. As a whole, this feels like a natural continuation of Sabretooth & The Exiles under the Wolverine title. Marvel has used Wolverine many times in the past the elevate certain titles or events, evident in 2022’s X Lives of Wolverine/X Deaths of Wolverine event. This seems like it is attempting something similar in scale. The lead-up from other X-titles including X-Force, Wolverine, and Sabretooth & The Exiles makes Wolverine #41 and “Sabretooth War” feel like an ambitious undertaking that may just stick the landing.