REVIEW: ‘Wolverine,’ Issue #10

Wolverine #10 is written by Benjamin Percy, illustrated by Adam Kubert, colored by Frank Martin, lettered by VC’s Cory Petit, and published by Marvel Comics. Following the end of Wolverine #9, Wolverine and Maverick fight their way out of the Legacy House and afterward, find themselves having a philosophical discussion about their respective places in life. Meanwhile, Wolverine tries to track down the mystery of his severed hand.

Throughout his run on Wolverine, Percy has always had other characters question the paradise of Krakoa, which is fitting due to the life of bloodshed that Logan has led. This tradition continues with Maverick, who more or less refers to Krakoa as a ‘cult,’ with Logan countering that he’s found some semblance of peace. Not only is this a solid contrast between the former teammates, but it also shows how much Logan has grown as a character. I said it before, but it remains true: Percy truly understands Wolverine on a level that few writers do. One character refers to Wolverine as an “agent of chaos,” which probably has to be the best description of Logan that I’ve ever heard.

Kubert’s art continues to be dynamic and immensely violent, as he replicates the same trick with the panel layouts. The first two pages have panels sporadically spread out across the page, leaving readers’ eyes to track the action in a linear fashion. The next two panels have panels that run in a counter-clockwise fashion, featuring Wolverine and Maverick’s battle against the various bidders of the Legacy House. Every claw mark and punch is felt as well, as Kubert makes sure the reader feels the impact of the violence.

Yet, there are quiet moments too, particularly when Maverick travels to Krakoa with Wolverine. It’s here when Martin steps in, using his colors to truly make Krakoa feel like a paradise. Clear blue skies and lush green foliage abound as far as the eye can see, leaving Wolverine and Maverick to stand out in their respective brown suit and black camo gear. It’s a reminder that both men lead lives of violence, which serves as a stark contrast to the paradise where they stand.

After being unveiled last issue, the mystery of Wolverine’s missing hand only deepens, particularly where Maverick is concerned, as the last page reveals. Not only is the fact that Wolverine can’t remember how he lost his hand troubling, but the implications are endless. Given the technology that exists in the Marvel universe and the number of enemies that Wolverine has, this could come back to haunt him in more ways than one.

Wolverine #10 serves as the conclusion to an action-packed spy storyline, reuniting the clawed mutant with one of his longtime allies. Next issue will see Wolverine battle vampires and the machinations of Omega Red and I can’t wait to see how Percy shifts from the spy genre to the horror genre (and how artist Scot Eaton handles the clawed Canadian).

Wolverine #10 is available wherever comics are sold.