Comic Info
Comic Name: Wolverine (Volume 4)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Alan Davis/Mirco Pierfederici
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2013
Wolverine (4) #1 Variant
Reprints Wolverine (4) #1-6 (May 2013-September 2013). Something has invaded Earth, and it is up to Wolverine to save it! When Wolverine realizes the invasion is on the scale of the Watcher’s observation, he realizes that there are bigger events happening around him. Teamed with Nick Fury, the invaders have a plan…and Wolverine learns that even his senses might not be able to detect it
Written by Paul Cornell, Wolverine Volume 1: Hunting Season is the first collection of the fourth series of Wolverine. Following Wolverine: Covenant, the series features art by Alan Davis (“Hunting Season” #1-4) and Mirco Pierfederici (“Drowning Logan” #5-6).
I don’t always love Wolverine, and I haven’t been a big fan of Wolverine as an Avenger. This series takes the “Avenger” Wolverine and drops him into a plot of an X-Men Wolverine story. The result is a mixed bag that sometimes works, and other times feels like it could have done more.
The original Wolverine comic often just had Wolverine infiltrating something (be it a gang, kidnapping, etc.) and destroying it. The stories were generally pretty simple like a Punisher story meets a mutant story. This collection has a little of that but has the size and scope of an Avengers story. Wolverine is up against an enemy with big plans…but he’s working solo to stop it.
Wolverine (4) #3
While the whole collection has an arc, it is divided into two storylines. The first storyline has Wolverine trying to track the invaders and it feels like a good combo for the character while mixing it with a S.H.I.E.L.D. story (and therefor doing more to incorporate that Wolverine is an Avenger). It is a bit overly simplified and it feels like it just ends…and it almost feels like it just should have been six issues instead of divided into two storylines.
The second story is pretty much Wolverine vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. This part of the story continues the hunt for the invaders and feels too fast. The story as a whole feels like something is missing and the trip to the Microverse (and an explanation of what is going on there) could have definitely been expanded upon. While the “Hunting Season” story was a bit bloated, I feel this story needed to explore more.
Marvel in general feels like it grabs on to characters like Wolverine and exploits them more than enhances their background. The over-and-over relaunch of the series did not endear me to the character as much as turned me away and Wolverine: Hunting Ground just feels like another part of the Wolverine story without any consequences, and therefore, it is not necessary to read. Wolverine 1: Hunting Ground is followed by Wolverine 2: Killable which once again leads to another relaunch.
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