wolverine describes himself as “the best at what I do.” The same goes for the writer Jonathan Hickman and artists Greg Capullo. What Logan does best, however, is “not very nice.” What Hickman and Capullo do is actually quite nice, and Wolverine: Revenge of the Fallen #1 is an excellent demonstration of their respective and respectable talents.
The curtain rises to reveal a world in peril at some point in the not-too-distant future. Magneto’s death triggers an electromagnetic pulse that shuts down most of the Northern Hemisphere. Logan, however, is unaware of this, as he is on a dinosaur hunt in the Savage Land.
On Nick Fury’s orders, Wolverine is recruited into a special unit. Their mission is to gain control of the only cold fusion reactor in existence and the only energy source that can save the Western world. Unfortunately, this reactor is under the control of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. When the mission goes awry, Logan has no choice but to take bloody revenge.
Wolverine: Revenge is a perfect combination of art and history
What Jonathan Hickman does with this first issue of Wolverine: Revenge is nothing short of magical. The previews and covers focus on Logan’s fight against a T-Rex as if it were the heart of the series. However, the audience is fooled by suddenly setting off a spy saga with the fate of the world at stake. Such tricks are second nature to Hickman, but it’s still surprising when he pulls off a surprising twist.
Greg Capullo is in similarly fine form. He is widely regarded as one of the best artists in the business, and Wolverine: Revenge #1 shows why. Capullo’s style is detail-oriented without being dark, and as smooth as a fine whiskey.
Featuring inks by Tim Townsend and colors by FCO Plascencia, the finished artwork offers plenty of poster-worthy pages throughout the issue. The letters from VC’s Cory Petit are also amazing. All in all, it would be shocking if the creative team weren’t honored with an Eisner nomination for their work here.
Wolverine: Revenge #1 is everything you could want in a comic. The story is exciting, full of action and lots of twists and turns. The illustrations are outstanding in every way. This is quite simply a worthy achievement.
Degree: 5/5
Wolverine: Revenge #1 is now available in all comic shops.
