Death of Wolverine #4 Review

Written by: Charles Soule

Art by: Steve McNiven

Publisher: Marvel

It took a hairy, violent, angry Canadian from Marvel Comics to teach us what it means to be human.

And so we reach our endpoint with this (much-hyped) mini series from creators Charles Soule and Steve McNiven and it has completely soared above any of the preconceived notions behind event comics such as this. From issue one it was apparent that Wolverine was not going to die in a calm, relaxed way and yet Soule and McNiven deliver a beautiful gut punch in his requiem that simultaneously hearkens back to Barry Windsor Smith’s classic story Weapon X and delivers a beautiful final statement to the most famous X-Man of all. One of the best parts about this issue (and this series in general) was that Soule and McNiven allowed the story to be completely focused on the titular character while allowing side characters to be used to their full extant without distracting from the thesis of this tale.

Soule characterizes Wolverine as almost a guardian angel in this final testament to the character, as he invades Dr. Cornelius’ (of Weapon X fame) laboratory of Adamantium-centric research. He’s here to not only liberate himself, but all others whose memories, bodies, mutant-hood and livelihood ripped apart and put back together by the likes of Dr. Cornelius.  This final issue echoes the place that Wolverine has found himself in the past couple years. Gone is the animalistic killer, replaced is the Man, one who is a teacher, mentor, and father to those in need around him. Soule nails this approach to the character without completely spelling it out, finally materializing in the flashback set of panels (right before his death, showing the key moments in his life) depicted by the masterful Steve McNiven, displaying his full artistic chops in this emotional segment. We finally see the transition from animal to man spelled out before us in this beautifully eloquent way right before Logan’s death, he is a protector, not a murderer. A loyal friend, not a rabid dog. This is his final blow against Dr. Cornelius (who only sees Logan as a bloodthirsty animal) not a physical one, but a blow that shows how far he has come without embracing the animal, without embracing the monster within us all, not just mutants.

Praise must be stated (or shouted from the rooftops) for the art of Steve McNiven throughout this entire series. For how visceral and bloody Death of Wolverine has been, he never let the emotional moments buckle or waiver under the constant threat of brutal death. The final shot of Wolverine (which I will not spoil here) speaks completely for itself as a summarization for the series as a whole; a desolate but poignant reminder of how much this character has done for those around him and his millions of fans. Not afraid to say it brought a tear to this reviewer’s eye.

And while many may complain that it is only apparent that Marvel will revive Wolverine in due time, we will still have these four (almost perfect) issues as a strong testament to what this character stands for, what he means, and how he has influenced the comics medium as a whole. Rest in peace, James, Logan, Weapon X, Patch, Fang, and most importantly, Wolverine. It is so very well deserved.