Wolverine #12
Wolverine and Louise get help from an unlikely source in the battle against Dracula in Wolverine #12, by writer Benjamin Percy, artist Scot Eaton, inkers JP Mayer and Oren Junior, colorist Matthew Wilson, and letterer Clayton Cowles. Percy and company do it again, coming up with a novel way to deal with vampires.
This one picks up where the last one left off, with Louise and Wolverine discussing her new condition. They’re attacked by the now vampiric Father Cole, dealing with him. Meanwhile, Omega Red goes and talks to the doctor who was working with Dracula. Wolverine brings Louise to Krakoa, where they suit up for some vampire hunting before they’re called to the Pointe- Omega Red has a plan to deal with the vampires. It’s rather ingenious, and after it works, Wolverine takes Louise to the Otherworld Kingdom of Sevalith to ask Death for help against the vampires.
Percy is so good at building these arcs that it’s always a shame when they get put on pause like this one will be because of the Hellfire Gala. The real fun of his Wolverine has been the way he works the story arcs- short stories that pay into the next one down the road. He must know that the book is going to be pre-empted, so he plans around it. It’s a great way to build arcs, anyway- it makes readers wait for the ending but not in a boring way; he moves onto something else just as exciting. This vampire story is not over yet, and he’s even brought something quite interesting in incorporating X Of Swords plots into the book in a fun way.
The crux of the book is whether Omega Red can be trusted. His plan for dealing with Dracula is too good to be spoiled and shows just how much thought Percy has put into this story, and his price is being allowed to help. However, trusting Omega Red, who is basically a vampire himself, isn’t something that anyone wants to do, and it’ll be interesting to see if it plays out in this book or in Percy’s X-Force. Getting to see Louise again is also nice; where Percy goes with her is anyone’s guess, but she’s a good character with a lot of potential.
Eaton’s art is okay. It’s like the barest of bare minimum, though. There’s nothing wrong with it per say- it’s all sound, the figure work is pretty good, and the character acting is competent, but much like last issue, it’s just nothing special, which is a shame because this book deserves better.
Wolverine #12 is yet another chapter in Wolverine’s quest to destroy the vampires, and it’s the best one yet. Percy’s characterization is top-notch as always, and the method used to defeat the vampires is both novel and makes perfect sense. As usual, he sets up a lot for the future, and even though the book is about to be interrupted yet again, it’s just going to serve to make audiences that much more rabid for what comes next. Eaton’s art is okay- there’s nothing wrong with it but nothing special either. Wolverine continues to be the best X-Men book on the market.
