Wolverine: Patch #5 : Friends Forgotten

Charles Xavier would be proud of his X-Man. Wolverine is now living in Madripoor under the name Patch. Patch has encountered a group of refugees who are a very talented group of mutants. Beth, Gimel and Alef all have special skills that KGB Agent Tatiana Nemikova wants to get her hands on. Agent Nemikova will do just about anything to get what she wants, even create a two- front conflict. Madripoor is now a war front for obtaining the reward offered to capture these mutants. Can Patch handle the heat?

Patch is an unstoppable force, especially when he’s enraged and focused on protecting something he cares about. His entanglement with these mutants might have tugged at his heartstrings like some of the students back at Xavier’s School for Gifted Students. He can take out a tank so naturally even a Tony Stark invention such as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Mandroid is not match for him. Pushing beyond his limits is sometimes enough for him to prevail, other times not. This book highlights the power of friendship and the strong ties we can make when we are willing to be there for others. In the midst of battle a group of people who could hate each other have joined together to survive.

Not only does Patch have to hold off S.H.I.E.L.D. and the K.G.B., but now with this reward out he has to hold off mercenaries. I have chills from this series. Together they almost reach the top of the highest mountain in Madripoor. Patch has to trust that he can find a way to push past all adversaries and get everyone to safety, even at the cost of his life.

This series is very nostalgic from the drawings to the story. I admire the old school look for this book, it reminds me of Marie Javins and Adam Kubert when they were drawing Wolverine in the ’80s. A testament to the skill of Andrea Di Vito and Le Bean Underwood as the artists for this book. They accomplished the setting and style perfectly.

The storyline is incredible. Our characters are in the jungle fighting on two fronts, trapped and fighting till their last breath. Bravo, if I didn’t know it was 2022 I would have thought it was 1987! From the S.H.I.E.L.D. dossier to the sci-fi military involvement. Fighting the KGB and their Russian Mandroid replicas of American technology. What a brilliant add-on to the plot.

Now it is important to state that the writer Larry Hama dictates that this adventure takes place prior to 1990’s Wolverine #31. But did they have to achieve it so well. This gave older generations a taste of what they read at the newspaper stand or the corner store. Running down to grab the issue as soon as it came out and back then these only cost $1.75.