Sunday 13 October 2013

Wolverine #10 Review

Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Alan Davis

This series has been very inconsistent since it started, and although Killable has shown some promise, it has yet to pay off on that promise. I do however still have hope in the series, but unless the series gets a lot better soon I may start to loose some of that hope.

Plot


Wolverine and Kitty take a trip to the Howlett estate in Canada.

Review


This was a good issue, but if I'm being honest I was rather disappointed, as after the small improvements the series has been making, it is sad to see it take a backwards step. Paul Cornell is really trying my patients with this story, as although I have all the respect for his writing skills, he has been very inconsistent with this series. Cornell did however do a great job of getting into Wolverine's state of mind, adding fantastic tone and mood to the issue, as well as setting up his next encounter brilliantly. In saying that I personally would still have rather seen more action and excitement in this issue, and if not something that was really shocking, which we didn't get.

The artwork in this issue was however phenomenal, and Alan Davis' art has easily been the best thing about this storyline so far. The detail in Davis' art is simply amazing, as although there are very minor imperfections, he makes up for that throughout the rest of the issue. The issue also had some fantastic layouts from Davis, with it adding a lot of depth and tone to the issue. I especially loved one panel in particular, that showed Wolverine's silhouette with just the whites of his eyes and teeth showing through. Davis also did a fabulous job of showing the characters expressions throughout this issue, as it added a lot of depth, and helped to liven it up during the slower sequences.

Although there wasn't much action in this issue, there would be a small bit when Wolverine got stopped in his tracks by a man named Fiber, who is able to form many small needle like objects from his fingernails, as well as teleport. Now I found Fiber to be an interesting character, as although I he's not a character that I'd miss any time soon, I did find his powers to be rather interesting. I especially liked how he was different to the kind of villains that Wolverine has dealt with before, with his characteristics being very strange and interesting. I did however find his appearance to be a bit random, and hope that he does appear again to counter that.

This issue would also see S.H.I.E.L.D. talking with Host to see if she can give Wolverine his healing factor back, also continuing to try and find a cure for the virus. The interaction between Nick Fury Jr. and the Host in this issue was rather interesting, but to be honest I have found the Host's role in this story to be rather unnecessary so far, as although I originally felt she was a good addition to the storyline, she hasn't done much for it since. The virus development as a whole was handled very well in this issue, as although it has slowed down a lot so far, it had a very shocking development in this issue that shows that it's still got a lot to give to the story.

Wolverine and Kitty would eventually make it to the Howlett estate in Canada, with the change shocking Wolverine, and the setting bringing back some memories to him. This was probably my favourite part of this issue, as although like the rest of the issue it was very slow, the tone was perfect. I also loved the interaction between Wolverine and Kitty in this sequence, and how Wolverine felt comfortable divulging his past to her. I also really enjoyed the Origin references that were in this issue, as with Origin II coming out later in the year it was a nice reminder of the events in that. I also loved how this shows how cannon the story really is, as there haven't been many connections between then and the present until now.

Final Verdict


This series has yet again dropped in quality, as although it was only gradually climbing it has taken a backward step in this issue, which was very disappointing. The issue was also very slow, as although the tone and mood helped to make the issue a bit more enjoyable, the only real consolation was the fantastic artwork from Alan Davis. Due to all this I'd only recommend for anyone who has been getting the story so far, as otherwise it's a terrible issue to jump on at.

Rating: 7/10

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