X Lives of Wolverine #4 Review

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Art: Joshua Cassara, Federico Vicentini, Frank Martin, VC’s Cory Petit, Tom Muller, and Adam Kubert

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price:$5.99

Release Date: March 9th, 2022

With Omega Red traveling through time utilizing the Cerebro Sword in an attempt to assassinate Xavier in the past, WOLVERINE finds himself leaping into past lives in hopes to stop his old foe without doing too much damage to the time stream in the process. Recently, this has become more and more challenging, especially after X DEATHS OF WOLVERINE’S cliffhanger sporting Omega Red time-jumping into WOLVERINE himself. Let’s dive into X LIVES OF WOLVERINE #4 by Benjamin Percy and Joshua Cassara to see how future Xavier manages to survive without Logan’s help as well as where the story goes from here. You won’t want to miss the issue as the action begins to really heat up this week!

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THE DISPATCH

This issue of X LIVES OF WOLVERINE #4 is all over the place… but in a good way. Percy relentlessly orchestrates this web of history that’s not only sophisticated but vicious and downright nasty. Percy ties together elements of WEAPON X, WEB OF VENOM VE’NAM, and WWII which were all unique aspects of WOLVERINE’S past that somehow contorted him into the person he is today. However, what we discover is that it’s practically a miracle that these gnarled circumstances that ultimately controlled Logan’s life in a variety of ways didn’t mold him into the likes of… SABRETOOTH… or something worse, which readers will discover is a sense of irony as they read the issue.

Additionally, Percy leans heavily in this anecdote of X LIVES OF WOLVERINE #4 on the possible repercussions of these timeline jumps, how they’ll impact the time stream, and what they can do to squelch any large ramifications. Moreover, readers discover that the menacing history surrounding WOLVERINE mixed with this memory loss was probably a blessing in disguise.

Nevertheless, Percy holds back no punches as longtime fans see how crazy-good he is at weaving together little nuances of Logan’s chronology into the heart of the story that reasonably makes sense. Readers, X LIVES OF WOLVERINE has most certainly been carefully developed with detail and in-depth thought. The preparation is obvious, especially as this issue comes to close, rewarding long-time fans with all the subtle links to the past making this story an amazing experience.

ART

The biggest question this reviewer had after X DEATHS OF WOLVERINE #3, was how future Xavier would stop a possessed WOLVERINE back in his WEAPON X days from killing him. Well, it’s actually Joshua Cassara who savagely flaunts this idea with some beastly splash pages of SABRETOOTH fighting with a bewitched WOLVERINE that happen to be some of the best recent renderings of Logan’s main squeeze in quite some time.

SABRETOOTH’S malicious, fierce, and relentless. And, anyone who knows the character, recognizes that he’s a monster. Creed is more beast than human and Cassara gets that in spades. Plus, Cassara draws him in such a way that fans can feel his hatred for Logan oozing off the page while readers simultaneously find themselves cheering for Creed in the process. It was actually quite clever.

Moreover, Federico Vicentini’s more crisp and clean look for WWII added the perfect time era change needed to shock the reader out of each era making X LIVES OF WOLVERINE #4 easier to follow. Yet, the gruesome, dark, and violent nature of the WEB OF VENOM VE’NAM timeframe cannot be overlooked rendering this issue one of the best so far.

FINAL THOUGHTS

X LIVES OF WOLVERINE #4 showcases the story finally hitting its groove with a detailed onslaught of action and in-depth story beats that make this issue significant, captivating, intricate, and fascinating. Even though the composition was a bit off in some of the smaller panels, this creative team still contributed with some dynamic, and almost passionate scenes. Moreover, it was these scenes that elevated the narrative nicely and revved up the violence, especially involving SABRETOOTH. Moreover, the cliffhanger adds a substantial curve that should level up the entertainment in X DEATHS OF WOLVERINE #4. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t see it coming a while ago. There is no doubt that X-MEN fans will be pleased after this issue and excited for what a to come. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!