Friend turns foe in Wolverine: Revenge #3. Find out more in our review below!
Wolverine: Revenge #3
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Art and Main Cover by: Greg Capullo
Variant Covers: Rose Besch, Stephen Platt, Alessandro Cappuccio
Page Count: 28 pages
Release Date: October 30, 2024
If you’ve been following our reviews, you know we absolutely love Wolverine: Revenge – and Wolverine: Revenge #3 may just be the best installment yet. With a limited run of 5 parts, the series moves at breakneck speed, but this chapter’s ending leaves us catching our breath!
In the wake of a devastating EMP blast that has wiped out all power on Earth and crippled the world’s governments, it may be too late to save the planet. So Wolverine settles for vengeance, hunting down the disbanded cabal of selfish villains who destroyed humanity’s last hope of survival. In issue 2, Logan took on Mastermind and Sabretooth. Now it’s on to Omega Red, Deadpool, and Colossus.
With a plot so single-minded in violence, the most surprising moments have been the carefully-threaded bits of introspective reprieve (eg. Forge trying to convince Logan to choose rebuilding society over further destruction, even for a good cause). Similarly, this time around, when Wolverine finds Deadpool atop the cooling tower of a nuclear power plant (a fun reference to the climax of the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine) they don’t draw their weapons and duel… Instead, they commiserate over their shared experience as immortal men with checkered pasts, forever destined to atone. Scriptwriter Jonathan Hickman is wise to space out the rampant action with earned moments of cogitation – the kind of balance that makes truly special comic books stand above the rest.
It’s impossible to overemphasize the contribution of legendary illustrator Greg Capullo; his style, tonality, and attention to detail forces you to stay with each panel awhile, but never at the expense of pace. Previously in the series, Wolverine endured a hefty wallop from arch-enemy Sabretooth, which left him with some nasty battle scars. A lesser artist may have forgotten all about this, but Capullo’s very first panel here features the slash across Logan’s face – and as the story continues, you can see it slowly heal. But his costume is still damaged, and the wear and tear is cumulative – displaying an earnest respect for continuity and readers. Another example of his attentiveness: he leans into Wolverine’s short stature. In bright yellow and blue, the headstrong Wolverine stands out against the towering asylum seekers in the opening of the story.
My only minor, minor, minor gripe is that the long-awaited battle between X-friends-turned-enemies Logan and Piotor is a bit brief, but nonetheless engaging and vicious. Fans may argue whether or not Wolverine’s claws (adamantium) can so easily pierce Colossus’ skin (steel alloy) – but I prefer to let them handle that discourse.
In any other story, the grand climax of Wolverine: Revenge #3 would be a perfect series finale, but with two more issues to go, anything could happen! One thing’s for sure, The Comic Book Spot will be first in line on New Release Wednesday.
Editor’s Note: Marvel Comics provided The Comic Book Spot with an advanced copy of Wolverine Revenge #3 for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support us in the process by ordering this issue digitally on Amazon or a physical copy of the title through Things From Another World.
