Wolverine by Paul Cornell (vol. 4): Three Months to Die, Book Two
The thinking here is that whatever plans Cornell had for Wolverine’s death were subject to a fair degree of re-writing after the “Death of Wolverine” miniseries was announced. It was speculated that after Marvel offered retailers a special incentive for the final issue of his current ongoing series, promising a big event in the process, the character would be biting the dust there. If that were true, and Cornell had to change his plans, then this volume should read like an abridged mess of a much larger storyline. That it does not is suggestive of two things: One being that Cornell is exceptionally gifted at incorporating editorially-mandated changes to his stories on the fly. The other is that his story didn’t require many changes to accommodate this new plan in the first place. Given the contents of the story here, I’m leaning towards the latter explanation as it ultimately results in a satisfying, yet predictable, wrap-up to to the writer’s run on this title.
When we last saw the character, his cover in Offer’s criminal group had been blown and Sabretooth had not only gotten his hands on a spherical reality-shifting device but Wolverine’s partner-in-crime Lost Boy, and current romantic interest Pinch and her daughter as well. On the outs with just about everyone, Logan has to find his sense of purpose again before his longtime nemesis ascends to what he thinks is going to be virtual godhood. The only thing is that the last time Wolverine and Sabretooth met, things didn’t go so well for the former party as he came face-to-face with his newfound mortality. So how do you get over something like that? By going on a date with Death, for starters.
That date, along with sparring alongside Shang-Chi and Iron Fist is all part of the rebuilding of the character after Cornell broke him down back in “Killable.” It’s all carried out acceptably here as the writer ticks off the familiar story beats necessary for this kind of narrative. Wolverine’s fear of mortality is addressed, subsequently overcome, things are made right with his friends, they accompany him into battle in New York, he throws down with Sabretooth and wins — The End. It’s a smooth, utterly predictable arc that fits right in with the kind of story Cornell has been telling ever since he took over the title. Even though I had issues with how Wolverine was made to suffer in “Killable,” there’s still some satisfaction to be gleaned in seeing how he confronts the same problems and triumphs over them with his new mindset. Well, except for the awkwardly staged final battle with Sabretooth. I can see what the writer was going for, but it’s not conveyed very well at all in the art.
Helping the story overcome its essential familiarity are the little details that Cornell peppers it with over the course of the issues collected here. His take on Death is quite refreshing as she turns out to be a fairly irreverent personality, cheering at when Logan finally recognizes her, trying to make out with him at one point, and even offering him the blood of his victims for a drink. Rose from “Origin” also makes a memorable cameo, and I liked seeing Wolverine actually offering up some answers to his friends at the Jean Grey School when he’s pressed for them in light of his recent actions. Also, the character’s verbal takedown of Sabretooth is genuinely enjoyable. Far more so than their actual fight. The story may not have any real twists to offer, but the writer throws in enough unique touches to make the ride a fun one.
As for what Cornell may have had planned for Wolverine’s actual death and how it was changed for the story we got, I can only speculate. The obvious thread would’ve been to have had Sabretooth go through with his world-changing scheme and we’d see the two fight to the death in this primal survival of the fittest landscape with Wolverine giving his life to defeat his nemesis and restore things to their normal state. I can see something like that working as a new take on the character’s conflict between his animal and human natures as he’d have to sacrifice a world that was perfectly suited for one of them over the other. That being said, it seems an easy thing for the writer to change the story from “Wolverine Stops Sabretooth and Restores the World” to “Wolverine Stops Sabretooth From Changing the World.” While that certainly makes for a more cohesive read here, I wonder if seeing Wolverine and everyone else in this new world would’ve given the story the fresh twist it needed to be truly memorable.
The art for the issues of the ongoing series collected here are a nice, but occasionally mixed bag. Kris Anka illustrates the first two issues, and his sharp, clean style gives these dialogue-heavy issues the energy they need to be engaging while making the action memorable as well. Woods has a more conventional, yet detailed style that suited for the superheroics on display here. For the most part, he does a good job with the bigger scale and levels of action he’s called on to render here. The exception, as I mentioned before, is the final fight between Wolverine and Sabretooth. I’ll admit that part of the blame comes from Cornell defaulting to having the two beat the crap out of each other, but Woods also doesn’t convincingly display the characters’ body language in a way that makes Wolverine’s battle-winning feint work
That’s not all this volume has to offer as there are a couple more odds and ends collected here for good measure. Cornell teams with Salvador Larroca for two shorts to round out his run. The first is a “What If?” kind of story that extrapolates what would’ve happened if Wolverine had said “Yes” to the sentient virus’ offer to restore his healing factor at the end of “Killable.” It’s an interesting downer of a tale that left me feeling it would’ve been more interesting if there had been more emphasis on seeing the title character broken even further. Given how I felt about “Killable,” that’s an impressive accomplishment. The other, titled “Guernica” is about the bar that Wolverine and his friends hang out in, and it’s a fun little celebration of how ostensibly normal places like this deal with being hangouts for superheroes.
Also included, for completist’s sake I imagine, is the most recent “Wolverine Annual” written by Elliot Kalan and illustrated by Jonathan Marks. It has Wolverine taking Jubilee, with baby Shogo in tow, out into a nearby forest to do some catching up and living off the land. While they’re doing this, a woman and her husband — both Army veterans — head into the same forest for some personal time and healing as well. Naturally the two groups eventually meet and a violent misunderstanding is had. Kalan gets the Wolverine/Jubilee dynamic right, though the conflict between them and the veterans ultimately left me feeling that the story was a lot more grim and violent than it needed to be. Marks’ fully-painted art is certainly distinctive, though a little hard to follow at times.
If you’ve been following Cornell’s run up to this point, then there’s no reason you shouldn’t pick up this volume. Even if the story being told here is entirely predictable, it still offers a fun and relatively engaging ride. Overall, the writer’s run will likely be distinguished by being the one where “Wolverine Lost His Healing Factor” than for the story being told about it. Those of you looking for a Wolverine story that’s different from what the character is usually put through may want to check it out. Just be advised that it’s ultimately a good rendition of a familiar narrative arc.