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| Photo Courtesy of Marvel Comics |
Based on the cover of Wolverine #4 (written Benjamin Percy, art by Viktor Bogdanovic) one might assume the story would be an action-packed showdown between Wolverine and one of his classic enemies, Omega Red. While the issue certainly builds towards this, it is actually far from action-packed. Wolverine #3 saw our hero going rogue to take down The Flower Cartel, and he must now return to the Krakoan Quiet Council to answer for his actions. Logan, never having been the type to take well to answering for his actions, brushes the Quiet Council off and escapes to the Great White North to do what he does best. No, not slicing through mutant-hating baddies, the other thing he does best; drinking.
What follows is a tense and often spooky mystery taking place at The Red Tavern. Unfortunately, as often is the case for Wolverine, his past isn’t far behind. An odd assortment of characters find themselves locked in The Red Tavern with Wolverine as a snow storm rolls in: the grizzled bartender, a sheriff from out of town, an escaped mental patient. As the night progresses it becomes apparent that there are more to these patrons than meets the eye, and that they all are connected to Logan in some way.
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| Photo Courtesy of Marvel Comics |
This is a different sort of Wolverine story, more mystery and intrigue than hack and slash. It leaves Wolverine in a situation that is fairly uncommon for him, one that he can’t fight his way out of, instead he must use his mind to escape. This wouldn’t be a Wolverine story if things didn’t go from bad to worse. The last few pages of Wolverine #4 quickly pick up the pace and crank the tension up to high levels before the big reveal of the issue. The last page of Wolverine #4 is a haunting splash that sets up Logan with an insurmountable challenge.
Wolverine is often a character exploited for his berserker tendencies, so it is a refreshing change of pace to drop him in more of a slow-paced mystery story, albeit if it quickly goes out the window. The buildup at the end of the issue is enough to satisfy Wolverine fans that do want to see carnage, and the implications it leaves leading into Wolverine #5 are exciting, and worth staying tuned for.
- Neil Hazel
- Neil Hazel
