Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Since there are no Marvel titles next week I am breaking up the reviews. I will do three this week and three next. First up is ‘Wolverine: Weapon X’. Hope you enjoy it.

Wolverine: Weapon X #8 (details)
Writer: Jason Aaron
Penciller: Yanick Paquette
Inker: Michel Lacombe

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with a nurse, on her final rounds, checking on the patients. She opens the door to one of their rooms and finds everyone dead. As the nurse runs into the hall she finds a dead guard just before the lights go out. She runs and when she thinks she could be safe, Wolverine jumps through a window and menaces her.

Pulling back we see this is all a mental illusion and Logan is really strapped to a chair with Dr. Rot playing the scenario out for him. When Wolverine refuses to kill the nurse and forces himself out of his chair, the doctor shuts down Logan’s mind. We then see a flashback to a week ago, when Wolverine found one of the serial killers that have been let loose on the world from Dunwich. The man is totally insane and Logan has to kill him.

He gets some more information from Melita but refuses to be drawn into her attempts to get closer. At her urging, Logan goes to check out a homeless shelter where all the known killers had spent some time. After only a little while, Dr. Rot strikes and knocks out Wolverine and some others and takes them back to the sanatorium.

Back in the present, Logan is strapped to a gurney and wheeled to a holding area where he learns from the former head of the hospital, Dr. Marshall Swinson, that Rot was once a patient and led an uprising where he replaced the staff with  his insane brethren. The doctor is now without arms or legs and is forced to clean the floor with his tongue. He begs Wolverine for death.

Logan is taken to Rot’s workshop where the madman attempts to remove his brain but can not get through the admantium skull. So instead he opts to use electrodes to hook Wolverine up directly to his machine. Rot wants to unleash the killer in Logan but he fights back, so the mad scientist kills one of his guards to get another brain to increase the power of his machine.

The full effect is enough to make Wolverine project his pain all the way to Melita who dreams he is in trouble at Dunwich. Meanwhile the mob has sent a group of toughs to see what happened to their friends. And Rot finally gets readings on Wolverine’s traumatized brain and it moves him to tears of joy.

MY TAKE: This is an okay issue but definitely is on the weaker side compared to the rest of the series. We are given a lot of background very quickly and not all of it makes sense. It actually raises as many questions as it answers and the flow of the story was affected. There are still a lot of interesting and good ideas, but execution is suffering here.

For example, even after reading it twice, I am not completely sure if the last two issues were all a dream or it was just the end of the last one that was not real. I believe it is the later but a case could be made either way. Also, how come no one bothered to check on their facility when the killers stopped coming? Obviously some group ran the place and would want to look in on it periodically.

Even more puzzling is how a committed lunatic can invent a machine that manages to use dead brains to control people. Anyone that smart would have stood out and gotten snapped up by some hero or villain a long time ago. Even in Marvel, it stretches the believability to the breaking point.

Now I am glad to finally get some details on what is going on and see how they were able to take down Wolverine. I do not  agree that it would be that easy to overcome and brainwash him but at least they made some mention of his mental toughness and brain alterations here. Still it should not be that easy to make him forget himself or completely change his personality with a machine.

I am also still on the fence about the new relationship. While I do enjoy seeing Wolverine dating, I do not know enough about Melita to really care about her character or know if she would make a good match. In truth it seems like anyone he dates will die unless they are an established character. It is mentioned here, and I find it comforting, that at least Wolverine is questioning it but things are still moving too quickly. I prefer for these romances to happen more naturally.

In the end there are some great and fun concepts here, with the brain manipulation and mental health ward scenarios, and I am enjoying Dr. Rot as a villain. It just slapped together and the story seems to be rushed along to get to the finale next issue. The tale started off a bit slow and now feels sped up. With better pacing and a more coherent plot line, this could have excellent. I am sure the whole arc will read better in trade but as a single issue this one has left me wondering rather than wowing.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

I was hoping to keep up with reviews and updates over the holidays but what with a gluttony tour to Philadelphia AND New York with the kids (Philly Cheesesteaks from Delassandro’s, Pizza from Lombardi’s and Cannolis from Rocco’s), I find myself woefully behind on jrpbsp‘s reviews.

And since there are no new Marvel Comics in stores this week, I will, by imperial decree, delay posting new reviews until I get a spare moment, most probably Wednesday night (unless a Christmas miracle intercedes).

So how were your holidays?

DiG…

Marvel Comics just released solicitations for their March 2010 comics. Below are the major Wolverine-related appearances…

WOLVERINE WEAPON X #11
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils & Cover by RON GARNEY
“TOMORROW DIES TODAY” PART ONE: Beginning an epic, action-packed arc featuring the debut of an all-new, all-different Deathlok. Killer cyborgs have come from the future to kill the heroes of today, while Wolverine embarks on an international pub crawl with a certain recently reborn Sentinel of Liberty. Beer and bullets galore!

WOLVERINE ORIGINS #46
Written by DANIEL WAY
Penciled by SCOT EATON
“RECKONING,” PROLOGUE: His final confrontation with Romulus on the horizon, Wolverine reaches out to a friend to help him put to rest one of the greatest tragedies of his long, long life—the death of Mariko Yashida. Guest-starring Nightcrawler.

WOLVERINE: MR. X
Written by FRANK TIERI
Penciled by PACO DIAZ LUQUE
Mr. X is back for a rematch and revenge on the only man who’s ever beaten him: Wolverine! Find out everything you never knew about one of the most dangerous psychopaths in the Marvel Universe. The first time these two met, Wolverine barely escaped with his life, and this time…well, one thing’s for sure, you’ll never see the end coming but you’ll love how you got there!

X-FORCE #25
Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST & CRAIG KYLE
Pencils & Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
NECROSHA ENDS HERE! Everything Destiny foretold has come true. The Black Queen has become the Dark Goddess, but X-Force’s mission stands…KILL HER. But how do you fight a god with claws, knives and guns? And how many members will X-Force lose before the fight is over? PART SIX (of SIX)

ASTONISHING X-MEN #35
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Pencils & Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
“eXogenetic” Conclusion! After wading through a swarm of bio-mechanically engineered monstrosities modeled after some of their fiercest foes, the X-Men finally come face to face with the man responsible. He’s given his life to designing the death of the mutant race and with the X-Men at his doorstep, he’s preparing to unleash one more genetic nightmare upon the world before his time runs out.

UNCANNY X-MEN #522
Written by MATT FRACTION
Pencils by WHILCE PORTACIO
She’s been gone for a long time, but she’s coming back. This isn’t a hoax. This isn’t a joke. CLASSIFIED is back in this over-sized special issue of UNCANNY X-MEN.

X-MEN: SECOND COMING
Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST & CRAIG KYLE
Pencils & Variant Cover by DAVID FINCH
MANY WILL BE WOUNDED. SEVERAL WILL DIE: The climax of four years of X-Men stories is the X-Event of 2010! What started in HOUSE OF M with the Decimation of mutantkind and erupted with the first new mutant birth in MESSIAH COMPLEX finishes here. In the epic crossover SECOND COMING, Cyclops’ faith pays off when Cable returns to the present with Hope, the girl he believes to be the mutant messiah. But will she be the savior or destroyer of mutantkind? We may never know, as she is the target of an initiative for mutant eradication unlike anything they X-Men have ever experienced. Many will be wounded. Several will die. Is Hope worth it?

SIEGE #3 (of 4)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL
THE MARVEL BLOCKBUSTER OF THE YEAR!! In the halls of Asgard and on the streets of small town America the entire Universe is gripped in a the greatest battle ever seen: SIEGE!! Lives have been lost! Lines have been drawn! And the battle for Asgard is in full force. The moment for revelations and life-changing moves is here, and for some, this will be the last choice they ever make in this world. What happens next is so epic, so historic, that it changes the entire dynamic of the Marvel Universe. You’re gonna want to be there for this one…trust us.

DARK WOLVERINE #84
Written by MARJORIE LIU & DANIEL WAY
Penciled by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
SIEGE BLOCKBUSTER TIE-IN!! PART 2 OF 3: Daken has been given glimpses of the life he could have—as well as the lives he might destroy—and the time for a choice is finally at hand. Will he become a force for good…or reign as a king in Hell?

X-23 #1
Written by MARJORIE LIU
Pencils and cover by ALINA URSOV
X-23 has spent her short life being used by those in power, from the military to the X-Men. But when she is forced to confront a being who can control her life with nothing but a thought, will X-23 finally learn how to fight — not for others, but herself? Guest-starring NYX!

X-FACTOR FOREVER #1 (!?!)
Written by LOUISE SIMONSON
Pencils & Cover by DAN PANOSIAN
THEY’RE BACK! Once they were Xavier’s young charges: mutant teens who bore the responsibility of protecting a world that hated them. But time has hardened these five X-Men, forcing them to reimagine their mission and purpose. And now, the original dream-team returns to fight the one threat that’s haunted them since the day they took on the X-Factor name. Join legendary X-scribe Louise Simonson as she reunites with the title and characters she made famous for an epic in the FOREVER tradition!

For the complete list of Marvel’s solicitations, visit ComicBookResources.com (details)…

As for probable (and possible) Wolverine appearances this week (12/23/09), we have previews of…

–Incredible Hercules #139 (preview): Assault on New Olympus…
–Uncanny X-Men #519 (preview): Wolverine is slated to appear…
–What If Astonishing X-Men (preview): NOT by Whedon or Cassaday…
–Wolverine: Origins #43 (preview): ‘7 the Hard Way’, Part 3…
–Wolverine: Weapon X #8 (details only): Wolverine continues his stay at the Sanitorium…
–X-Men Legacy #231 (preview): Wolverine makes the cover at the very least…

We have two Wolverine appearance from last week, so let’s start with the jrpbsp reviews…

• ‘‘X-Force’ #22 (review): Lost Knife…
• ‘Astonishing X-Men’ #33 (review): Getting Ahead…
• ‘X-Men Forever’ #13 (review): Mutant Eat Mutant (sans Wolverine)…

As we had a light week, let me mention that Dark Wolverine (Daken) appears in Dark Wolverine #81, Dark Avengers #12 and Mighty Avengers #32…

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… My third and final review for the week is ‘X-Men: Legacy’. Hope you enjoy it.

X-Men: Legacy #230 (preview)
Writer: Mike Carey
Artist: Daniel Acuna & Mirco Pierfederici

NOTE: Wolverine does NOT appear in this issue.

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Scott learning that Hope will be awake soon and conferring with Nemesis to make sure the dimensional dragnet is ready and able to be deployed at a moment’s notice.

Back in Emplate’s house, DOA attacks Roxy while Marius feeds off of Rogue. But touching her allows Marie to gain Emplate’s power and she starts to feed on him as well. Marius pulls back unwilling to engage again and feel his own power. He knows he can out wait Rogue but his time is up very soon as his light house crashes into a barrier. It breaks off a big piece of his island and cracks the wall holding in the worst monsters.

Rogue comes back to herself but the damage is done. Emplate has no choice but to allow his residence to continue its trip and appear on Utopia. As soon as it arrives, the Science Team anchors it in this dimension causing the whole island to crash to the ground.

Several X-Men led by Warpath charge Marius as he emerges from the wreckage but Rogue holds them back telling them this is Roxy’s fight. Emplate attempts to feed on the girl once more but she musters her strength and blasts him with diamond shards. Rogue gives the word and the rest charge in to keep him down.

The field begins to overload so Scott orders Marius to be spit back to his own dimension rather then risk any more damage to Utopia. He lands deep inside the monster prison and as he curses the X-Men the creatures move in to attack him.

After it is all over Roxy is back with the young X-Men. She admits to being scared but seems like she will be okay with some help from her friends. Rogue agrees to Scott’s offer to become the kids’ guardian and they head to Logan’s room for a toast. And Gambit tries to figure out exactly what he has become as he changes from normal to Death and begins the confront the darkness in him.

MY TAKE: This is a good wrap up issue with some strong characterizations and a fine story. There are no real surprises here but even though you can predict everything that happens, the writing is still effective. It makes for a well-written introduction to the new status quo and gives a nice and believable reason for Rogue to become the kids’ protector.

Marie is definitely the strongest part of the story and she holds up very well under the pressure of headlining the comic. She has had her own books before but they never really gave her a chance to shine as she does here. While I was a bit skeptical at first, I think taking away Ms. Marvel’s powers has really allowed Rogue to make some giant leaps forward. This is fast becoming a must read based on Marie alone.

But the other characters, even those without much of a personality of their own, are also given some good development. Roxy is the most obvious one and she has gone from being a one-dimensional stereotype to being a fleshed-out character in these few issues. And even Marius, a badly overdone horror movie villain, has some real personality and conflict here. It is nice to see some of his motivations and influences.

As I said the plot is simplistic and very predictable with a happy ending and the bad guy escaping to fight another day. But even though you knew what was coming, the story was strong enough to still be entertaining. I do have a minor issue with building the dimensional anchor rather then a tracking system though. It felt like Scott knew exactly what was coming in this issue even though he has no way to do so within the narrative.

In the end though, the comic succeeds on the strength of the writing and the plot. While I was a bit concerned when I saw the setup as well as the main players, the whole thing worked much better then I could have guessed. Even though most of them are B and C list characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I am really looking forward to the Necrosha arc. The last event tie-in was extremely good and I expect the same from this one.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… My second review for the week is ‘Astonishing X-Men’. Hope you enjoy it.

Astonishing X-Men #33 (preview)
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Phil Jimenez

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Agent Brand explaining to the X-Men how Hank’s theoretical work was stolen and used to create the abominations that are threatening mutantkind. The person behind it is called Kaga and he is a ghost that no one has ever seen. It was his asteroid base that Abigail was raiding before she crashed to the Earth. Kaga has taken DNA from other mutant enemies and recreated them as well, including the Brood.

They are interrupted by a massive attack on the surface of the complex. Cyclops gathers the X-Men to face the creature which appears to be part Krakoa and part Brood. The creature is trying to destroy the evidence of the Bio-Sentinel but Scott decides to completely cut loose and blasts away half of it.

Cyclops realizes that there is no way their enemy is going to leave them a huge body and gets the X-Men into the rescue vehicle. The plane has taken a beating though, and is practically falling apart around them as they fly off. Beast is able to detect the enormous enemy vessel as it appears and snatches up the corpse.

The X-Men use the grapple and latch onto the plane and Wolverine jumps down to cut a hole into the hull. Armor then goes down to secure the breech followed by the rest. Storm does her best to seal the break but it is not perfect and the X-Men are forced further into the ship.

Wolverine uses his nose to find the pilot, the dead head of a mutant techokine infected by the Phalanx. It was this being that hacked Beast’s files and exposed his research. Scott has seen enough and orders Hank to connect into the computer and get control so they can find Kaga and kill him.

MY TAKE: This is a fun issue but still has some pacing issues and plot holes. I am definitely warming to the science fiction feel of the story arc, especially with the monster movie appeal of this issue. The plot is still kind of slow though with a lot of time being devoted to splash pages and most of the story advancement coming from a few pages of character dialogue.

While the characters are not exactly the same as the other titles they are still recognizable and entertaining. Cyclops, in particular, is very amusing and is actually enjoyable to read. In most other series, he is still shown to be too uptight but here he has a legitimate sense of humor. I still think he is a bit too dark but that is an understandable change. The rest of the characters are alright as well although still a bit two dimensional. I am getting a bit tired of seeing Logan as the butt of so many jokes though.

Still there are some definite issues with the plot. The biggest one is that there is some person with his own asteroid and city size spaceship that no one knows about. Someone with that kind of power would be monitored by all sorts of people including S.H.I.E.L.D. Even with the advanced tech and resources there are simply too many super geniuses around for anyone to stay truly hidden much less be able to keep a massive space ship flying around all the time.

There also seemed to be a bit too much effort involved in trying to explain things. While I appreciate tying the plot into the X-Men’s current problems, when you have to spend a couple of pages explaining how information could be stolen from the Beast, it seems like a stretch. After all plenty of people want mutants dead and could have envisioned ways to kill them. There are other ways to tie into their history too and make sure that the X-Men take the threat personally.

Still it is a fun read with some really good ideas. I loved the Krakoa monster and although the Techno-organic zombie plot is already being used it was still a cool reveal. I was leery at first at the merging of so many science fiction elements into the comic but they are starting to really pan out. Hopefully we will get some more impressive story ideas in the issues to come with a little less focus on the sprawling visuals.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Got a few reviews for this week so I am going to jump right in with ‘X-Force’. Hope you enjoy it.

X-Force #22 (preview)
Writer: Christopher Yost & Craig Kyle
Artist: Clayton Crain

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Selene confronting one of her newly raised mutants, Ellie. Most of the mutants are disoriented and powerless but there are still a million to be sacrificed. Selene orders Caliban to find a builder to make her a city.

Back on Utopia the X-Men are barely holding their own against their Techno-zombie foes often having to fight old friends or powerful mutants. Warren and Proudstar manage to regroup and get clear of their battles. In the infirmary, Nemesis sedates Rahne and relates to the others she is pregnant.

Selene orders her slaves to build her city in the next day. She then plans to perform the ritual to sacrifice the mutants and the rest if needed. Selene orders Bard to bring her the blade and prepare the ritual. Elsewhere, Hrimhari flees the X-Men’s base and finds a secluded place where he calls Hela.

Back on Genosha, Bard confides in Blink that he does not have the dagger. He asks for her help in retrieving it from Warpath. She agrees but instead teleports them to Selene and tells her of Eli’s trickery. Selene orders all of her living troops to Utopia to get the dagger and tells them to kill Bard if they do not find it.

On the Utopia, Cyclops is leading a retreat with wounded trying to buy some time. His group is saved by the arrival of Wolverine, Warpath and Archangel who take down the attackers. Cyclops plans to fall back to the Atlanteans and form a new plan but he is interrupted by the arrival of Selene’s death squad.

MY TAKE: Part three of Necrosha remains an entertaining ride although there are some definite logic issues in this one. The plot does not advance as far as I would like for the halfway point and much of the issue is given to updates and continuing battles. While it definitely is a pager turner, I would like to see a things move along a bit quicker.

There are some very interesting turns here with Rahne’s pregnancy being the biggest. While it is not unexpected, having her problem be a Asgardian child has a lot of potential. I was glad to see X-Force taking a bit more of an active role too and making their presence known. This is their book and they should definitely be the ones to step up. Wolverine, Archangel, Proudstar and Domino are becoming front and center now, we just need to see more of Laura.

The idea of Selene’s ritual being held up due to a lost knife is a bit flimsy on the surface but really it is a nice way to tie in to some of the earlier stories. It does seem a little silly that Selene did not bother to make sure she had the thing before starting this whole process but it fits with her arrogant personality. It definitely makes Warpath a pivotal character and gives X-Force a reason to be at the center of things.

We are starting to get a little bit deeper in Selene’s head and those of her troops and that is a good thing. While the Gathering one shot was nice, it is better to see some sort of characterization coming from the actual main title. I would definitely like to see a better explanation on how some of these characters got so radically changed. Blink especially has gone from a sweet, innocent girl that sacrificed herself for her new friends, to a bloodthirsty slave to Selene’s every whim. That is too extreme to attribute to just having Selene help her.

I was also confused that most of the mutants on Genosha were affected by M-Day since none of the other mutants were. And if they are affected then why only roughly one in sixteen since there is a mention of a million mutants still being on the island? Wanda took out like 99.99% of the mutant population so there should be no more then a few hundred.

Still it was a fun read and I am looking forward to seeing the living villains getting into the action. The dead mutants are a bit boring since they are essentially unkillable. I still do not understand why that is the case since all the other Techno-organic creatures can die, but these are unique so I can let it slide. Still it increases my anticipation for the fight against the death squad next chapter and hope to see X-Force going to Genosha soon.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

No news is good news, unless you write a weekly Wolverine news post.

Sigh.

As for probable (and possible) Wolverine appearances this week (12/16/09), we have previews of…

–Astonishing X-Men #33 (preview): Rise of the Bio-Sentinels…
–Dark Avengers #12 (preview): More Molecule Man (and Dark Wolverine)…
–Dark Wolverine #81 (preview): Moonstone and Daken…
–Mighty Avengers #32 (preview): Mighty Avengers vs. Dark Avengers…
–X-Force #22 (preview): Necrosha continues…
–X-Men Legacy #230 (preview): Not sure if Wolverine appears…

We have several major and a boatload of minor Wolverine appearance from last week, so let’s start with the jrpbsp reviews…

• ‘‘Wolverine: Under the Boardwalk (review): Where the Bodies Are Buried…
• ‘Uncanny X-Men: First Class’ #6 (review): Knight War…
• ‘X-Men Forever’ #13 (review): Black Kitty (sans Wolverine)…

As for the other Wolverine appearances of the week…

Deadpool #18 (preview)
Writer: Daniel Way
Penciler: Paco Medina
Inker: Juan Vlasco

Daniel Way wraps up another rather amusing Deadpool story with Wolverine and the X-Men.

Not quite as funny as his ‘Wolverine: Origins’ appearance, but I have to admit that Domino and the rooster was pretty damn humorous…

Nation X #1 (preview)
Writer: James Asmus
Art: Michael Allred

In a collection of four short stories, Wolverine cameos in two and takes center stage with Nightcrawler in another.

That stage is “Road Trip!”, a rather off beat, funny and surprisingly well done short story…

X-Men Noir: Mark of Cain #1 (preview)
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Art: Dennis Calero

Like the first X-Men Noir series, ‘Mark of Cain’ starts off with a very strong first issue.

One hopes, however, that this series will end stronger and with less confusion than the last one…

Wolverine also has several brief cameos in a slew of comics…

• New Avengers Annual #3: Wolverine appears in a Clint Barton vision…
• Dark X-Men #2: Wolverine appears in a Nathan Grey vision…
• Necrosha: The Gathering: Wolverine and the X-Men appears on television…
• Spider-Man & The Secret Wars #1: Wolverine appears in a Secret Wars recap…
• Marvel 70th Anniversary Frame Art: The Wolverine covers are reprinted in full…

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Here’s my final review for the week. Last up next is ‘X-Men Forever’. Hope you enjoy it.

X-Men Forever #13 (preview)
Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: Tom Grummett

NOTE: This issue does NOT contain Wolverine

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Magik and Cossack confronting the X-Men and Winter Guard. The heroes have the advantage of numbers at first until Cossack reveals his army of wolf men who even the odds. Gambit sends Kitty to take little ‘Ro to safety and they head off  but Illyana sees them and disables Kitty’s powers trapping them. Kitty fights the wolves with her claw but it is Ororo who powers up and is able to take their enemies down. The girls run off before the rest of the villains have a chance to find them.

Back at the mansion, Jean and Hank are talking and share a dance and an intimate moment before pulling apart embarrassed. Xavier and Fury are still discussing the ramifications of the mutants having a short life with S.H.I.E.L.D. worried that once mutants truly understand their lack of a future then things will get bloody.

In the bowels of the mansion, Sabretooth tracks down and eliminates a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that was skulking around near Cerebro. He is confronted by Agent Dugan and reveals that he had been following the man for a week and he was mapping out the underground area and planting monitoring devices. Creed believes he was a double agent for the Consortium. Not knowing who else to trust, they agree to work together.

Back in Russia, Piotr, Remy and Natasha get forced outside by the wolves with no way to help the others. Kitty and ‘Ro are confronted by Magik. She reveals that she likes being dark and was supposed to pull Kitty into Limbo rather then be rescued. She restrains Storm and then tempts her friend until Kitty gives in to her own dark side and transforms into a true Shadowcat.

MY TAKE: This is a good story for the most part. It has a lot of different story arcs and thus it does feel a bit disjointed, but they generally work. The Magik story is well done, although I am still not certain of Illyana as a villain. Still there is no denying that she makes a good threat. I am glad that her bond with Kitty is being addressed and that we are getting to see her true power. I am just not sure that I buy into how easily she became corrupted after fighting it all her life.

The rest of the stories are a mixed bag. I am enjoying Sabretooth’s characterization and his hunt for Consortium agents has a lot of potential. I would have preferred to see him team up with another X-Man though rather then a random S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. I am still not a fan of Fury being at the mansion and although he has point on the danger of mutants, I am not sure where the short life plot is going to go. It is hard to credit with Xavier and Creed already well past their supposed life expectancy.

The weakest part by far was Jean and Beast. This relationship makes absolutely no sense to me even within the alternate world that Claremont has built. Jean could have picked any of the original X-Men and she picked Scott and stuck by him. Having it revealed that she loved Logan at least made some sense in that there was plenty of tension between them. But I can not recall any sparks with Hank ever. The scene had me smacking my forehead.

The personalities are a bit stilted here but still pretty well done. They seem to have found their groove and, while it is not what a long time reader might expect, they all work within the confines of the story. Even Kitty seems a bit more like her old self and less like Wolverine. I do hope we eventually see more of Piotr and Illyana though, they have made a nice change of pace from the main cast.

In the end this is a good issue that reads well although is it a bit too ambitious. Claremont seems to want to introduce four stories at once rather then letting things flow a bit more naturally. With the twice a month format there are plenty of issues a year so there is no need to rush ahead. I miss the days when plot threads went on for years. As it is, a full third of the issue was set in the mansion. I would prefer to see only a couple of pages devoted to side plots and most of it going to the main story. Still the comic was entertaining to read which is all you can really ask for.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.