Logan begins his new quest after the shocking events of last month’s anniversary issue. First stop brings him back to the Howlett Estate, but he isn’t alone. Harpoon and Vertigo of the Marauders have designs on Wolverine, and they’re not the only ones. Wolverine #9 is written by Saladin Ahmed, drawn by Javier Pina, colored by Bryan Valenza and lettered by Cory Petit.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
A man clad in some sort of flannel or jacket, maybe with a fluffy neck, wearing a cowboy hat walks into a bar. This man has a known dislike of people, often a surly attitude, and would classify themselves as a loner. They also happen to be a century old with a healing factor, claws and a skeleton coated in experimental metal.
Oh, you’ve heard that one before? A whole bunch of times? Like maybe this man does this all the time in comics that have been published over the past 50 years.
Like a broken record, the latest issue of Wolverine doesn’t offer up too much new for the character. Which means this review will be similar, in pointing out just how much this title spins its wheels over and over again.
“Oh but Scott, things are different. Logan has a new mystery on hand as his long-dead mother might be back?”
No, see, Logan dealing with someone he thought dead being back again is as old hat as the aforementioned cowboy hat he wears. We’ve been there, done that, too many times to count.
Hell, it’s only been a handful of years since Logan’s old love Mariko Yoshida popped back into his life from the afterlife.
But wait, there’s more!
Those not spoiled by the solicit covers like a month ago for the upcoming 11th issue ended issue #9 with another “surprise” (aka not a surprise at all) return. Yes, barely a year since the “final” battle between Wolverine and Sabretooth left the latter dead, he’s back.
Because why the hell not?
There is just something so regressively and aggressively boring about Ahmed’s run. While the previous volume (and honestly most books with Logan) also relied on nostalgia, the Krakoan angle at least brought new wrinkles. This is just the same familiar beats and figures moved around a bit.
Like moving your furniture around the same room. Sure it’s different, but it’s also not different at all.
Artistically, things are fine. Pina has picked up the reins for this story, and much like the previous issues, it’s fine overall. A bit too slick and smooth for what we might expect or want from a Wolverine book, but more dynamic and focused than some other artistic attempts with the character. Valenza’s colors bring it home, leaning into the more middle-ground tones but letting the more vibrant stuff pop a bit even as it’s toned down.
We’re now 400 issues into Logan’s main solo after last issue’s anniversary celebration. Sadly, issue LGY #401 is pretty much the same as a far too large chunk of the previous 400.
They say don’t fix what ain’t broke, but in this case what is broken ain’t being fixed.
X-traneous Thoughts
- Oh look, this book finally caught up to Uncanny X-Men … I guess.
- Calling out that Logan is always in bars does not forgive the series from repeating the same trope sins.
- Inspector Mira Metha has ill-fated Logan love interest written all over her.
- At least the cliché “Grr, mutants” bar talk had one participant who wanted nothing to do with it. That’s something, I suppose.
Buy Wolverine #9 here. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.)
Scott Redmond
Scott Redmond is a freelance writer and educator fueled by coffee, sarcasm, his love for comic books and more "geeky" things than you can shake a lightsaber at. Probably seen around social media and remembered as "Oh yeah, that guy." An avid gamer, reader, photographer, amateur cook and solid human being. Follow him @scottredmond.bsky.social.
