This week we look at Ultimate Wolverine #12, which concludes the first year of the book. Additionally, Rapid Rundown includes the latest issues of The Amazing Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, and the debut installment of The End 2099.
Ultimate Wolverine #12
Screenplay: Chris Condon
Artist: Alessandro Capcio
Colorist: Brian Valenza
Author: Cory Petit
When everything you fought to protect turns to ashes, what will you live for and what will you continue to fight for? That’s the question at the heart of Ultimate Wolverine #12 by Chris Condon and Alessandro Cappuccio. We know from a statement from Deniz Camp, architect of The Ultimates and the upcoming Ultimate Endgame, that the title was originally scheduled to end after 12 issues, but was extended to tie into the events of Endgame. This issue certainly feels like it’s coming to an end. It was bittersweet, but with a degree of satisfaction and decisiveness in the lead.
Chris Condon, Alessandro Cappuccio, Brian Valenza, Cory Petit
After an emotional debut that saw Wolverine’s history as Weapon X reach eleven as the ultimate Winter Soldier, pitting him against his old friends, the last few months for this title have felt like a classic X-Men story with a slightly darker tone. Honestly, it was a little disappointing to see Logan break free from mind control and start returning to the path of justice so quickly. That made the book feel a little too similar to the comics about Wolverine, a man haunted by a bloody past that he uses as a weapon. However, the final moments of last month’s issue saw the leaders of the Eurasian Republic (Colossus and Magic) annihilate the rebel mutants with a giant bomb. The only survivors were Wolverine and the Ultimate Legion (technopaths living inside Sentinels).
Once again, Logan has survived an unspeakable tragedy and is forced to bear more grief and pain alone. A life full of endless scars, a life of hope shattered by darkness. The ending of issue #11 was shocking, made even more shocking by the recognition and use of familiar mutant trappings expertly laid out by Condon and Cappuccio (and fill-in artist Alex Lynds). It was a stark reminder that security can never be guaranteed and peace can never last under the patronage of tyrants and warmongers. Logan, like all people in this ultimate universe, is deprived of a purposeful life.
As a result, Wolverine is left alone, hurt and angry. What is there to fight for now? Not his own safety or comfort or the well-being of his loved ones. No, Wolverine directs his anger towards his leader Rasputin, a force of corruption and violence. Not for revenge or to satisfy a desire for death. He will do it for many others who come next. A generation downtrodden by lack of opportunity and exploited by capital and war. His mission is to ignite the spark that ignites the spark of revolution. Condon’s script makes it clear in the last few pages that it continues after the death of the anti-mutant protesters. Logan cannot save those who are already lost, but there are also those who have been taken captive and made tools of the government, and he cannot rest until they are freed.
Alessandro Cappuccio, Brian Valenza, Cory Petit
Cappuccio’s art is as thrilling as ever, with his flowing brushstrokes and inkwash textures bringing a sense of movement and depth to the images. Characters and details are smeared in pitch-black shadows, creating an unsettling world where anyone or anything can be dragged into the darkness. Adding to the visual tone are Brian Valenza’s fragmented, grainy, texture-filled colors. This is a harsh, unpleasant world where the very air seems painful to breathe. Seamlessly integrated into the rest of the visuals is Cory Petit’s text, which is built into the layout and movement of the page, giving the appearance of jagged glass and gushing blood.
There’s something cathartic about this final issue of Condon and Cappuccio’s first Wolverine Story. The satisfaction that someone was able to find some meaning and new purpose even when all hope has burned out. There is also a promise that movement cannot be stopped by any action, and that once it starts moving, it will walk on its own. This is a heavy, dark, and gruesome series, but in the final pages of this issue, Condon gives Wolverine a victory of sorts, encouraging us to find as much solace as possible in the thankless, painful task of living.
Final Verdict: Purchase
Alessandro Cappuccio, Brian Valenza, Cory Petit
rapid rundown
Amazing Spider-Man #17 Spidey’s sexy and sensational space story continues with everyone’s favorite wall-crawler’s brilliant interpretation of the Odyssey. While Norman Osborn and Ben Reilly cover Peter on Earth as Spider-Man and Parker, respectively, writer Joe Kelly, artist Pepe Larraz, and color artist Marte Gracia take Peter to the next level physically and mentally in Star Trek. This issue is a mix of fun and danger. Peter and his wonderful friends are stranded on a paradise planet when their ship is sabotaged while searching for a stargate to find their different homeworlds. The humor comes from Peter’s supporting cast, Rocket Raccoon’s investigation into sabotage is gold, and Peter’s alien bombshell flirting with Raylith, the superhero rom-com I never knew I needed. The more serious aspect of this problem, and the escapade in general, were the flashbacks to Peter’s youth, particularly the life lessons he learned from Uncle Ben and Aunt May. This happens when Peter has to confront the being that sent Hellgate, the alien that literally punched him into space. Larraz and Gracia have been around for so long that it’s a problem to come up with adjectives to describe how great their artwork is. – GC3 The End 2099 #1 Written by Steve Orlando, these recent 2099 series were an oasis of high-concept sci-fi weirdness in a mostly conservative era at Marvel. In the latest series, The End 2099, Marvel’s far-future heroes find themselves in impossible situations. The Abyss, Galactus possessed by Knull, threatens the galaxy on both a physical and metaphysical level. His only opponent is… Mephisto? This may be titled “The End 2099,” but the ending leans more toward something like another Marvel concept. For those unfamiliar with this take on 2099, Orlando does a great job of transporting the reader into this particular corner of another Marvel while simultaneously setting up the stakes. His version of 2099 is full of big, cosmic ideas, and it may be the biggest story he’s ever completed. From a symbiote possessed by Galactus to a galactic data center that is an entire planet, nothing seems impossible in this story. Artist Ibraim Roberson and colorist Andrew Galhaus are perfect collaborators for this type of story. Roberson paints in a style influenced by George Perez, designed for large-scale sci-fi environments and large groups of people. Gal House evokes different moods, with pink during the space scenes and hard red when Mephisto finally appears. This is a huge story with an unimaginable scale, and Roberson and Gallhouse capture it all. This issue ends with a big reveal, but it’s exciting to see where this team goes. After more than 30 years, we’re thrilled that the world of 2099 still offers possibilities for readers. – DM Ultimate Spider-Man #23 Ultimate Spider-Man #23, written by Jonathan Hickman and art by the great tag team of Marco Checketto and David Messina, comes off like an incredible alley-oop to Peter Parker’s epic finale. But it doesn’t feel that way. Whether it’s because of the unstable state of the Ultimate Universe, the monthly narrative framework, or the myriad emotional parts that make it hard to focus and root for Spider-Man, fans have never been able to fully embrace this version of Peter and his family. Or it’s a combination of all those factors. The content here is great. Peter battles Mister Negative and the Kingpin, Harry meets other members of the Maker Council, and Ben and Felicia infiltrate Fisk’s Tower to install a technological MacGuffin that wins the heroes. Everything is setting up for the grand finale, but it lacks the emotional weight of a finale. We’ve been with Peter for two years now, and we haven’t spent enough time with the whole family, so it’s very hard to feel the emotional weight when he goes to save his son. So, at best, readers like me have to play out the metaphor of a father risking everything for his child, rather than having any meaningful emotion on the page. Considering the potential it initially had, it’s a shame to see Ultimate Spider-Man fall the way it has. And with an all-star team behind it, it was bound to be one of Marvel’s best books. For now, we’ll have to wait and see if the final issue stirs any emotion or if the whole thing feels like a blip in the grand scheme of things. We hope for the best here.
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