Writer: Benjamin Percy
Art: Juan José Ryp, Frank D’Armata, VC’s Cory Petit, Leinil Francis Yu, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Jay Bowen, and Tom Muller
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 15th, 2023
Beast’s Agenda is finally revealed in this week’s Wolverine #30 by Benjamin Percy. Wolverine is a tool. A tool Beast uses for cutting. And Beast will use that tool for only as long as it suits his needs. So when Logan realizes the true nature of the beast and cuts back, Henry McCoy will have to take matters into his own hands…
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THE DISPATCH
So, the Beast dilemma is in the process of getting worked out… it’s just not in the berserker Wolverine style we are accustomed to. Now, I get it but that’s not what fans would be expecting from the character and it makes Wolverine #30 feel a bit off as it kicks off. Wolverine remembers his good friend decapitating and resurrecting a Savage version of himself. The Wolverine I know would retaliate and not wait for a formulated plan. And in essence, we get that towards the end but only due to surprising events and not necessarily because of Wolverine.
Nevertheless, Wolverine turns up the mojo as he attempts to track down Bannister while Percy irons out some pretty clever plot threads. Granted, this new angle readers uncover could be a red herring. Yet, it does give fans a ton to think about. Which side is Bannister on? And if he’s working deep intelligence for the U.S. Government, why use his daughter fighting cancer as a pawn? Additionally, is she even his daughter? If not, Bannister is one sick individual. However, the good news is all the Jeff Bannister details get ironed out in this week’s Wolverine #30 and Percy does some masterful storytelling by pulling the old switcheroo on fans multiple times before Wolverine #30 expires.
ART
Juan José Ryp does a spectacular job in this week’s Wolverine #30 captivating the audience with some wild illustrations and designs. There is nonstop action, explosions, and an angry Wolverine ready to kill just about anyone in his way for answers. Moreover, readers can see the fear on some of the character’s faces clear as crystal. From gunshot wounds to stabbings, Ryp delivers some gory scenes that will cause a double take and keep fans on the edge of their seats. My only real concern was how dark the coloring was in the issue. Nothing was bright which also gave Wolverine #30 a more earthy, muddy look while providing a more messy design.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Readers, Wolverine #30 is most certainly one of the better issues in months. It’s intense, goes in a few unexpected directions, and moves quickly. Sure, the exact manner in which Wolverine recovered his memories and also remembers who exactly killed him without a proper cerebro backup is all murky at best. Nevertheless, Percy provides a solid direction moving forward, who’s reasonably to blame, and great plot questions that will definitely hook Wolverine fans. That said, Beast’s motivation is still unpronounced. He’s evil and we know it. But why and how. Has he been replaced by a “sinister” version? Is he secretly working for Xeno (which is my guess by the way)? And if so, for how long now?
Readers, this becomes the problem. Percy’s been steering this ship for quite some time without any answers. And at some point, his Wolverine comic turned into his X-Force comic while his X-Force comic morphed into a weird team book with Omega Red and Deadpool. I want a Wolverine book that feels like Wolverine and I feel like that trajectory has been off since X Lives/ Deaths of Wolverine. Maybe it’s time for some new blood on this title. That being said, this was a really strong issue for Percy. Nevertheless, after this Beast angle is done, I think it’s time to test the waters with someone else at the helm.