Wolverine #302
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Billy Tan & Jason Keith [Chapters 13, 15, 16], Steve Sanders & Sotocolor [Chapters 14, 16]
Normally, if you told me that a writer was going to end their run on a book with a story that touches on everything that happened during said run, I’d tell you that story would probably suck. Jason Aaron, however, is not most writers.
During his run on Wolverine: Weapon X and the relaunched Wolverine, Aaron has put Wolverine up against armies of adamantium men and Dethloks, had him brainwashed by a psychotic psychiatrist named Dr. Rot, sent him to Hell, and had him seek revenge against Mystique and those who sent him there (inadvertently killing five children he never knew he had). He touches on at least four of those things in this issue.
In an attempt to save the new Silver Samurai from the ninjas of the Hand, Wolverine and his ninja ex-girlfriend, Yukio, storm the cave that serves as their hideout. Unbeknownst to them, Wolverine’s adopted daughter, Amiko, followed them, as well. The three are subjected to a mind control toxin that leads Wolverine to believe he is back in Hell and that his dead children are killing him. There’s a brief mention of Dr. Rot in a flashback sequence with Rachel Grey training Wolverine to protect himself from mental attacks, and it’s also revealed that Mystique was recently resurrected by the Hand and wants revenge. Of course, it wouldn’t be Wolverine if she wasn’t shooting Logan’s unconscious body with a submachine gun as that portion of the plot is explained.
As the issue winds down, Mystique uses her powers to get a video that will probably bite Logan in the ass when he’s stateside again and the new Silver Samurai shows who’s side he’s really on.
Once again, there are two art teams on this issue, but it’s something I barely even thought about as I was reading. The two teams work in a similar enough style that it’s just not too noticeable unless you’re picking at details.
With one more issue to tie all of these threads together, I’m interested in seeing how Aaron closes out his run and leaves the book ready for the next writer to pick up.
STORY: 9/10
ART: 8/10
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