Wolverine Week-12-in-Review: X-Force, Ultimate, Ultimatum, More…
Only appearing in two titles last week, Wolverine made up for it by appearing in NINE this week (March 18, 2009).
Is it to much to ask to spread out the X-titles over the course of the month?
Sigh.
The first two issues on the docket, ‘Wolverine’ #71 and ‘Wolverine: Origins’ #34 were reviewed earlier in the week.
As for the rest of the titles…
Ultimate X-Men #100 (preview | thread)
Writer: Aaron Coleite
Penciler: Mark Brooks
Inker: Karl Story
A pretty strong farewell for ‘Ultimate X-Men’, boasting a neat concept wrapped around Multiple Man and a very touching final few pages.
My only gripe is that the speed and depth of slaughter of ‘Ultimatum’ in general has forced a lot of plotlines in ‘Ultimate X-Men’ to be given rather short shrift.
Ultimatum #3 (preview | thread)
“Heaven on Earth”
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: David Finch
Inker: Danny Miki
A surprisingly strong installment for ‘Ultimatum’ and by far the best issue to date.
Gone are the dreadful Jeph Loeb quips, gone is the macho posturing and gone is the melodrama from earlier in the series.
And we are finally privy to some poignant moments as characters are actually forced to deal with their grief.
This is what ‘Ultimatum’ should have been all along.
That said, the end of ‘Ultimate X-Men’ #100 does sort of diminish one of the stronger sacrifices of the issue.
X-Force #13 (preview | thread)
“Suicide Leper, Part Two”
Writers: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost
Art: Clayton Crain
I know a lot of people really like this series.
I, on the other hand, have always been skeptical.
Wolverine is a little too bloodthirsty for my tastes. And likes killing a little too much.
So you shouldn’t be surprised when I say that I did not like this issue at all.
I understand that this series is predicated on the ends justifying the means. But when you repeatedly fail to stop the bad guys, when you repeatedly fail to prevent whole scale slaughter of innocents and when you repeatedly fail to save the lives of your teammates, then there are no ends to justify.
But again, that’s just me. Your mileage may vary…
After the jump are a series of cameo appearances for Wolverine…
Young X-Men #12 (preview | thread)
“End of Days”
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Pencils: Rafa Sandoval (present day)
Inks: Roger Bonet (present day)
Wolverine appears in the role of mentor to the Young X-Men in the final issue of the series.
Eternals #9 (thread)
“Manifest Destiny, Conclusion”
Writers: Charles & Daniel Knauf
Artist: Eric Nguyen
“Wow… there’s something you don’t see every day.”
That is the extent of Wolverine’s involvement in yet another final issue of a series.
X-Men Legacy #222 ( (preview | thread)
Writer: Mike Carey
Pencils: Scot Eaton
Inks: Andrew Hennessy
Another comic, another Wolverine.
But this time it’s Savage Wolverine and not the final issue of the series.
Dark Avenger #3 ( (preview | thread)
Writer: Brian Michael David Bendis
Art: Mike Deodato
Cheap Daken/Wolverine flashback cameo, but totally worth it as Bendis reminds us just how good he can be. Especially with an artist as talented as Mike Deodato.
And finally from last week…
Marvel Apes: Speedball Special #1 ( (preview)
“Bad Day at the Banana Factory”
Writer: Karl Kesel
Art: Ramon Bachs
I completely missed this dream cameo for Wolver-Monkey (or whatever the hell he is called) from last week. After picking up the issue, I wished I had continued missing it.
What do you think? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below OR join in on the fun in the Wolverine Files Forums…
Eternal #9 was so bad.
What I don’t understand is the Marvel Apes: Speedball one-shot is “To be continued…” If it’s continued doesn’t that make it a limited series? A bit odd, really.
I think it’s more that Marvel Apes is to be continued as a concept with a series of one-shot.
I am merely hoping that Wolver-ape doesn’t appear.