Writer: Benjamin Percy
Art: Adam Kubert, Frank Martin, VC’s Cory Petit, and Tom Muller
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 25th, 2021
WOLVERINE finds himself facing off against the Arakkii raider Sevyr Blackmore. However, will WOLVERINE’S discovery and showdown with Blackmore offer the inklings he needs to capture Solem dead in his tracks? Let’s dive into WOLVERINE #15 by Benjamin Percy and find out if Logan is truly one step closer or if Solem has him right where he wants him.
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THE DISPATCH
This week’s installment of WOLVERINE was a bit different than one would expect. Readers interested in seeing WOLVERINE tear it up this week will be a bit disappointed. However, Percy uses this issue as a means to give a backstory on Solem through the eyes of Sevyr Blackmore. There is no doubt that it’s a fascinating read. Yet, it felt unusual from what we learned from X OF SWORDS. Let me explain.
From what I remember, Solem seemed like a bad&&$. He challenged and killed War’s husband. And, was able to stand toe to toe with WOLVERINE. His skin is literally made out of adamantium with mutant powers involving strength, durability, and longevity. My point: Solem seemed like a bloodthirsty, unstoppable force. He appeared to be the equivalent of an “Apex Predator”. Nevertheless, that’s not how Percy’s take felt by any stretch.
Readers will see Solem from adolescence described as an imprisoned child turned Pirate. That’s not what I anticipated. Now, the writer can’t be penalized for creating a backstory to a character that you simply don’t like, especially for a brand new character. Nor will I sit here and play Script Doctor for what it should have been. However, what I can say is that the ruthless, unbridled nature of the X OF SWORDS Solem doesn’t seem to match Percy’s backstory very well. How does a kidnapped child, turned gambler, veered into a mutant buccaneer, become this impressive mutant assassin that would even strike fear into the hearts of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? I just had a hard time buying it.
ART
Adam Kubert and Frank Martin lead the charge this week with a bit more of a disheveled appearance to the illustrations and shades this week. Overall, the colors were a bit darker to represent the feeling and atmosphere of Arakii life. It makes sense. However, it made the pictures and illustrations harder to decipher. Larger panels also provided smaller characters with less detail making the clarity a bit more challenging, especially for larger in-depth characters like Blackmore. Don’t get me wrong, this week’s artistic take isn’t awful. However, it simply wasn’t as clear and crisp as I feel like I’m used to from Kubert and Martin.
FINAL THOUGHTS
WOLVERINE #15 provides fans with a quick, mini origin for Solem through the eyes of another new character Blackmore. Yet, I found that it just wasn’t as riveting and powerful as I would expect from a ruthless, incarcerated, killer that struck fear into the hearts of even the Four Horsemen. Additionally, the tone and colors were a bit rough and almost muddy in appearance, which was very uncharacteristic of this creative team. Overall, WOLVERINE #15 was very informative about a new character and less about WOLVERINE and the reason he’s on this journey in the first place. If you’ve been following along to this point, it’s worth continuing on. However, you could easily skip this issue and only lose the Solem backstory, which had its moments but lacked power and excitement. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!