On the Rack: Death of Wolverine

In all my years of fandom, I never thought that Marvel would break my heart. I have been reading comics by the House of Ideas since I was 7 years- old and it all started with a Wolverine title, so when the announcement came in April that they would be killing one of their best loved heroes I was understandably devastated. This week the first issue of the four-part weekly mini-series hit your local comic shop and as painful as it is to read, Wolverine fans owe it to themselves to keep up with this event. Writer Charles Soule has been insisting since the book’s announcement that Wolverine’s end will do the character justice, and as a fan, I have to agree.

Wolverine’s character is consistent with the berserker fans expect, the hero that we know and love. I was afraid that without his healing factor, Logan would be reduced to a frail old man. The recently published Wolverine Annual: Wolf and Cub ended with Wolverine wounded and hospitalized, this is not the Wolverine I wanted to see as it comes to the end. I was gratified that the book shows him as himself. Yes, he is vulnerable, without his healing factor he can be defeated, but Soule stays true to him and he is a bad-ass through and through. Despite these new handicaps, Wolverine still fights, he ignores his doctor Reed Richards, and he draws his claws despite the risk. Wolverine never was one to take advice, so it’s fitting that his lone-wolf approach will ultimately contribute to his downfall.

Along with a strong script and characterization, Steve McNiven’s art is a perfect accompaniment. He tells the story in a series of close-ups, keeping the vantage point tight to Logan and feeding of off his emotional journey as well as the action of the story. While Wolverine does not spend the entire book dying, his sadness shows through. The loss of his healing factor and the radiation poisoning he is suffering from show through his facial expressions making the book that much harder for me to read. There also has an appropriate amount of violence and the type of gore you would expect from a story that finds Wolverine fighting for his life.

Death of Wolverine is a real tribute to the character. While this book is only the first of four, it gives me a lot of confidence that Wolverine’s character will not be compromised and his death will be fitting. As the mini-series continues, I expect to see several characters emerge from Wolverine past, and many old enemies take advantage of his weakness. As horrified as I am that this event is even happening, I am reassured that my favourite character is receiving a fitting end.