Wolverine #30
Wolverine strikes back against Beast’s machinations in Wolverine #30, by writer Benjamin Percy, artist Juan Jose Ryp, colorist Frank D’Armata, and letterer Cory Petit. Percy and the team keep the thrills coming in this issue.
Wolverine bathes in the sea and then meets up with Sage and begins his quest against Beast. Meanwhile, Black Tom and Maddie play in a no-place biome, where Maddie is stung. They bring her to the Healing Gardens, and Wolverine asks Cecilia Reyes to watch Maddie. Wolverine and Sage go to Bannister’s home and find it abandoned. They hunt him down, finally finding where he works in the CIA. They confront him, and he spills on why he worked for Beast…who is watching the whole thing and shoots him in the chest. Wolverine goes after him, catches him, and kills him. Meanwhile, at a secret room in the Pointe, Beast comes out of a giant test tube, ready to take action.
The way the issue starts immediately puts readers on edge. Bathing in the sea gives readers a sense of peace for a moment, which Percy blows away with the next scene. From there, it’s a hunt to find Bannister. The issue is well-paced and exciting, with Wolverine and Sage finally confronting Bannister. It’s sad to see Bannister on the other side; he was one of the few people outside of Krakoa that Wolverine could trust. However, it makes sense for Percy to suborn the character and have Beast take control of him. Beast has been manipulating everyone, and him using Bannister against Wolverine is a brilliant addition to this plot.
Wolverine killing Beast is a cathartic moment. Fans have grown to hate him, but there’s a sense that something is wrong. Beast doesn’t make his usual pithy comments, and it gives the scene some uneasiness. Then readers hit the next page, which is after the page that every X-Men book has that shows the dates of what coming’s next, and Percy gives readers that nice set-up. He pays off the unease and shows readers this isn’t over yet. The war is still going on.
Ryp and D’Armata work very well together. Ryp’s past as a horror artist really shines in this issue when it comes to things like Maddie’s poisoning, Bannister taking shots to the chest, and the “death” of Beast. It’s scary for readers to see Maddie’s suffering, and Bannister is horrific. Even Beast’s death is a visceral moment, an up close and personal Wolverine kill that looks monstrous. The killing is always treated as something terrible, which works beautifully for this issue.
Wolverine #30 could easily be a blow-off issue, but Percy has more coming for readers. This is an excellent comic with exciting, well-paced plots and amazing art. It’ll be great to see what comes next and what Beast has up his sleeve for Wolverine and company.
