When a story is titled “Venom War,” there are characters you can assume will be there. Spider-Man is one of them — after all, Venom wouldn’t exist if Peter Parker hadn’t brought the symbiote to Earth. Black Widow is another, especially since the super spy got his own symbiote now. And then, of course, there’s Wolverine, who has not only fought Venom a few times, but was possessed by the symbiote long before he encountered the X-Men. Venom War: Wolverine #1 picks up on this as a touchpoint, but then takes an unexpected turn.
First, the book doesn’t start with Wolverine charging into battle or any symbiote threats. It starts with Logan playing pool and smilingly ignoring an accidental hit in the face from a ball. Tim Seeley and Tony Freeks even provide a tongue-in-cheek monologue from Logan, “They think they know what they’re getting into.” It’s a nice way to show that not all Wolverine stories fall into the same pattern of stabbings and maiming, and a nice nod to the subversive superheroism of Seeley and Freeks’ Local Man.
The comic takes a big turn in the middle, with Logan once again being possessed by the symbiote and rampaging through New York, only to encounter another face from his past at the end. This new symbiote is a zombie-auto (half zombie, half symbiote. Long story short), but it’s clear that the bulk of Venom War: Wolverine takes place outside of the events of Venom War. I’m not opposed to that, because it means Seeley and Freaks can tell a good Wolverine story that happens to involve the symbiote.
Marvel Comics
Venom War: Wolverine #1 also has some fantastic art from Kev Walker. Walker knows how to get Logan just right. Logan is chunky and hairy, with his signature sideburns that stand out as much as his claws. But the real draw of this issue is when Logan gets taken over by the symbiote. Rather than the typical symbiote look, Walker draws a tornado-like creature of adamantium and mucus with a giant mouth that spans its entire abdomen. Java Tartaglia’s colors make everything about the symbiote, from the symbiote mass to Cory Petit’s speech bubbles, feel like it’s taking over the page as well as Logan’s mind.
Overall, Venom War: Wolverine #1 isn’t what you’d expect, but that’s a good thing. Set against the backdrop of the Venom War event, the creative team explores Wolverine’s connection to people and why that connection sometimes brings violence into the lives of people who don’t deserve it. But in the end, some people will get to see firsthand why Wolverine is the best.
The first Venom War: Wolverine movie wasn’t what people were expecting (and that was a great thing).
Venom War: Wolverine #1
Venom War: Wolverine #1 isn’t what you’d expect, but that’s a good thing: Set against the backdrop of the events of Venom War, the creative team explores Wolverine’s connection to people and how that connection can sometimes bring violence into the lives of people who don’t deserve it.
It tells a more personal Wolverine story set against the backdrop of the Venom War.
Seeley and Freaks explore Logan’s connections to people.
Walker puts a truly terrifying version of the symbiote on the page.
Those hoping for a connection to Venom War may be disappointed.
