The Good
"Mortal" begins here and its first chapter is sure to divide very passionate Wolverine fans. Logan's response to being vulnerable is humbling and aims for a more emotional issue which is loaded with cameos, but at the same rate, it may be too much of a reaction on his part for some. Yes, the world can now kill him and there are some great moments which throw us into what life was like for Logan, but others come off as a bit too heavy-handed.
Despite the cover implying some kind of physical brawl, this issue is all about Wolverine's internal struggle over losing his healing factor. While it never quite pulled me in or hit me with the level of emotion it's aiming for, it does have some solid character driven moments. Again, these are sure to be polarizing for longtime fans because Wolverine isn't reacting lightly to this change. You'll see him react differently to everything from shaving to traffic. His body is vulnerable, but his mind seems to be hurt the most by this change.
This issue is packed with cameos. It's great seeing the relationships Wolverine has with so many individuals and the bonds he's created over the years. The various perspectives help lend some extra weight to his situation and Thor's brief (yet totally random) appearance worked the best out of the bunch.
And if you're wondering about adamantium poisoning, that's quickly addressed and apparently won't be a role in this story.
The Bad
The scene at Nightcrawler's statue has terrible timing. We already know he's coming back to life and Wolverine being there and what he said only reminds us that death in this universe is rarely permanent. So if anything, this scene detracts from what this story is trying to accomplish (make us concerned about Wolverine's future).
As I said above, there's a lot of cameos, but it comes as a double-edged sword. Some of the extra voices work well, but if we're diving into Wolverine's character, I'd rather see him able to carry extra panels by his lonesome instead of essentially relying on others to deliver the various messages. At the same rate, I understand steps must be taken to establish the greater picture, but I feel like that detraction could have been shortened and granted us more time to look into Wolverine coping with this change.
Verdict
This chapter strives for some heavy feels and brings in a lot of cameos to give extra perspective, but not all of the scenes work and while some are fairly somber moments, nothing here is likely to get the waterworks going. That said, one thing this book consistently does is revitalize my interest with each cliffhanger. Even if you agree this issue is just okay (or even worse), it ends on a note which is sure to keep most around for at least the next issue.
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