Comic Review: X Lives of Wolverine #1

Marvel Comics

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artists: Joshua Cassara & Frank Martin

Letterer: Cory Petit

Jonathan Hickman has more or less wrapped up his run in the Krakoa era, and with Inferno in the rearview, it is time to look towards the future. Well, actually we are going to take a quick look at Wolverine’s past with a new perspective. X Lives of Wolverine is the latest flagship event that will drive the Krakoa era into its next chapter. Benjamin Percy has been the Wolverine guy since the era started, writing both Wolverine and X-Force, so it’s fitting that he would handle a Wolverine event. Percy is joined by Artist Joshua Cassara, colorist Frank Martin, and letterer Cory Petit. While this debut episode is certainly entertaining, it hardly feels like a must read like the other events

I don’t want to give too much away, and frankly, there isn’t too much to spoil from this first issue. The issue is told a bit out of order and readers aren’t immediately given the reason for why Wolverine has been sent back in time. What we do know is that Charles and Jean sent Wolverine back to prevent the death of specific mutants throughout time. This first issue takes place during the birth of Charles Xavier and Cassandra Nova.

Percy’s script is solid, but it is a little too heavy on the monologues throughout. Anyone who has been reading X-Force or Wolverine will be pretty used to Percy’s style so far. It’s nothing new, and the story doesn’t necessarily suffer because of that. It’s easy to want a little more than what we are given in this issue though. The action throughout is solid, but it doesn’t do enough to carry the issue into must-read territory.

Percy’s inability to give readers a good hook is really this debut’s biggest pitfall. The dialogue is fine since Percy has a good grasp of the characters’ voices, so no character feels out of place here. The issue is full of setup, and its clear that this series is going somewhere interesting. The twists and turns are all enjoyable, but at the end of the day, this issue just isn’t too memorable. As the start of a flagship event, that is troubling.

While the narrative was a bit disappointing, the visuals of X Lives of Wolverine #1 are stellar. Everything from Joshua Cassara’s expressions and poses to Frank Martin’s vivid colors to Cory Petit’s subtle lettering look great. Martin’s colors are the highlight of the issue, with some creative decisions throughout involving changes of palettes based on time period.

If X Lives of Wolverine #1 just had a hook for such a big event it would be a sensational issue. Instead, it will take another issue or two to determine if this is an event actually worth getting invested in. Otherwise, readers will probably be fine waiting until the next phase of Krakoa after this event ends.