Wolverine #7

The Team
Writer Paul Cornell Artist Mirco Pierfederici

Writer Paul Cornell’s worst problem has been himself in Wolverine, the plot decompression has been nearly killing the title. We are at issue seven now and the last six scripts could have easily been done in two or three. It is also a shame that the writer has seemingly dropped the interesting supporting cast members, that were built up so nicely in the third issue of the series. Many of the Marvel Now titles are wrestling with the same types of problems. Books like Iron Man and Captain America are facing some big plot problems, but they all seem to be getting better. Hopefully after this new arc can really get into gear, the series will be fair better.

From the first page of the issue with The Beast, readers should know what kind of title that they are in for. In fact the first five pages have some really poignant scenes that show off some of the character that Cornell has been missing in earlier issues. Another character pops up here that knows exactly what is wrong with the titular hero. Luckily he also acts out of compassion for the Canadian hairball, as another touching scene begins to follow. Characters from all over the place seem to pop in the issue and highlight some of the struggles that heroes constantly face. Mortality is a subject that should strike a chord with more than a few readers in this issue. In addition there is more damage done than most can even begin to realize here. The people of Logan’s past are also more receptive to him, especially coming off of the massive responsibilities that he has begun to take on in the greater Marvel Universe.

The inclusion of artist Mirco Pierfederici has been a welcome inclusion to the title. The penciller has an interesting hybrid of regular comic work, and a slight manga style that both seem to work in his favor. The pencils of Davis, the former artist of the series can be slightly divisive. He is not my favorite artist in the industry, but his storytelling is suitable. Mirco is a nice breath of fresh air as he has both qualities nailed down. At times his faces a can be a little strange, and lines a bit too curvy. On the whole the artist seems to nail the softer parts in the issue. This is not a very happy snapshot in the life of Wolverine, and Pierfederici gets the tone just right.

This is a great issue that slows the plot of the series down once again, but in this case focusing on character is a good thing. Cornell exceeds in this type of work, and in the future it would be great if this book featured the now fragile persona of Logan more prominently.