Combining Wolverine with the creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo is an immediate recipe for Wolverine: Revenger being viewed as one of the biggest releases of the month. That’s exactly what Wolverine: Revenge feels like just seeing Greg Capullo’s cover for the mini-series. Capullo’s return to not just Marvel but also working on Wolverine alongside Hickman adds to the hype of this new mini-series. With two comic book legends working on this series will Wolverine: Revenge live up to the high expectations set for it? Let’s find out with the first issue.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Greg Capullo
Inker: Tim Townsend
Colorist: FCO Plascencia
Letterer: Cory Petit
WOLVERINE: REVENGE #1 SOLICITATION
“HICKMAN AND CAPULLO JOIN FORCES FOR A WOLVERINE EPIC LIKE NO OTHER! Greg Capullo makes his grand return to Marvel Comics storytelling as he and Jonathan Hickman pit WOLVERINE against a cadre of foes who will turn his world upside down! He’s been beaten! He’s been bloodied! And LOGAN only has one thought on his mind: REVENGE! Don’t miss this prestige miniseries, set to become one of the defining tales in Wolverine’s storied legend!” – Marvel Comics
REVIEW
Right away Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo make sure the reader shouldn’t think that Wolverine: Revenge is set in the main Marvel Universe. This mini-series is set in its own universe and makes no apologies for that. It leads to a sense of freedom with what can be done that Hickman and Capullo take full advantage of, especially with the way the impact of the violence.
Kicking things off with Wolverine being found by the classic Nick Fury immediately sets a tone. It’s a dynamic we haven’t seen in so long that it was so refreshing to see Wolverine and Nick Fury interacting with each other. Hickman and Capullo nail balancing having Nick Fury speak with a sense of authority while also being someone who has been Logan’s friend for a long time. It is a delicate balance that works to establish the importance of why Nick Fury would personally find and recruit Logan for a special mission.
The importance of that mission is elevated by the presence of Captain America and Winter Soldier. Just having these two heroes along with Maria Hill, Clay Quartermain, and Dum Dum Dugan gives the vibe this isn’t the typical Avengers or X-Men mission. It is a cool reminder of how when utilized appropriately the Nick Fury ran S.H.I.E.L.D. can present all types of different mission types for our heroes to go on.
The story being centered ten days after Asteroid M’s explosion and the world suffering from a massive EMP sending the Northern Hemisphere to the dark ages is an intriguing story. Mastermind controlling a key energy source that can help the world gave him a power that gave him great control. The fact this mission wasn’t something to defeat Mastermind’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but rather a heist to steal the energy source made Mastermind a bigger threat.
Adding to the stakes was the fact Nick Fury would risk the destruction of the last three operational Helicarriers for this one mission. That in turn made the moments where all the SHIELD agents that Wolverine, Captain America, and Winter Soldier deployed with get killed off have an elevated sense of importance. The way Deadpool, Omega Red, and Sabretooth killed the SHIELD agents in such a brutal and quick fashion showed he Brotherhood of Evil Mutants were more than ready for someone to land on their territory. It made the capture of Captain America, Winter Soldier, and Wolverine even more believable as they went into this mission already several steps behind.
And if you didn’t think this story was in its own universe then the deaths of Captain America and Winter Soldier certainly hammer that home. It was a moment that added to the heat generated by the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. It gives even greater motivation as a reader to want to see Wolverine go on this revenge tour. You want to see the villains pay for their actions.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo deliver an absolute must-read comic book with Wolverine: Revenge #1. They do not waste any time in setting the stakes as this alternate Marvel Universe deals with being sent to the dark ages after a major event created a global crisis. Those stakes are further elevated by what Wolverine and his allies are put through. By the end, you’re left wanting to see Wolverine live up to the revenge aspect of this series in addition to saving the world.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
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