Wolverine #9

By Paul Cornell, Kris Anka & David Curiel

As the weeks continue to count down for Logan, he has some tough decisions to make. Last issue ended with Shang-Chi and Iron Fist leading Wolverine to see Death. This month we pick up where we left off as Wolverine has a conversation with the taker of life.

This issue has some good parts to it, but unfortunately, it also has some cringe-worthy moments. The voice that Cornell gives Death is annoying. Death is usually portrayed as a strong silent type character, and Cornell makes him a joker that doesn’t know when to quit, and it just reads terribly. When Death actually takes things seriously and talks normally, it works well. The characterization of Shang-Chi and Iron Fist is pretty well done; while they are not in the issue too much, they shine in their panel time. Paul does bring a few things up this issue that he built in previous issues, which is cool, because continuity is never a bad thing. Ultimately though, the characterization of Death is bad enough to anger the reader as they try to get through the rest of the book.

Kris Anka does a decent job this issue, but there were definitely some panels that could use some more detail. His close-ups are great, like Sabertooth showing his teeth to Pinch, but some of his fight scenes, especially with Shang-Chi, could have been better. Sometimes faces look awkward in panels and it will almost make you stop reading and fixate on how odd they look. Anka’s full page spreads are nicely done, as he is able to play to his strength, but there is some room for improvement.

This series has only three more issues left, and it could use some steam because it hasn’t been great. Cornell is a good enough writer to mend the ship and give us a good farewell to an iconic character. Kris Anka is a talented artist that can do good things, but he needs to slow down a little. Hopefully the remaining issues will do some justice to the character. Cornell and Anka are capable of a great send off, and hopefully that will start to show in the next issue.