Whoa. I have read the other two issues of this run so far, (check out my review of #2), and I really haven’t been impressed. I get why this mini-series exists, to deal with the void that Wolverine left to his friends and foes connected to him, as well as to continue to sell books off of his recent death arc. But then issue 3 comes along and I am completely blown away, and rightfully so, because a character like Sabertooth deserves nothing less.
First off, lets talk about the creative team on this. Kyle Higgins is best known for writing Batman stories, and is damn good at them. Between Scott Snyder and Kyle, they have produced a lot of the new ethos of Batman over the last few years. Jonathan Marks on the other hand, is harder to recognize, but he has Michael Turner’s Soulfire on his resume, and if you have never heard that name before, stop reading this and check out that book and the work of Michael Turner. Those accolades truly express how incredible Jonathan must be, and that talent seeps freely from the pages of this issue.
Sabertooth should never, ever be reeled in, and should never be drawn too “safe” or “comic-y”. None of this happens thanks to Marks’s incredible visceral brush stroke quality. Sabertooth literally leaps off the panels at the reader, and is full on rage and gore and bloodshed with every turn of the page. There are single panels and two page spreads that give you so much emotion and raw energy that you might just want to read this again immediately upon completing it.
The story is exactly what you would expect from Sabertooth dealing with Wolverine’s death, and in the best way possible. Sabertooth can’t handle that it wasn’t HIM to deliver the killing blow. Especially considering all their history of violence towards one another, and also the times that Wolverine nearly and fully killed Sabertooth. No revenge, no satisfaction, instead Sabertooth must deal with going on with life, and he is having a real tough time. We watch as he is rolling with a terrorist organization in Somalia, just so he can brutally kill day after day. But that isn’t the only thing on his agenda, as he takes soldiers from time to time, and sadistically dresses them up in a shoddy Wolverine costume, only to brutally murder them.
That is what is so real and so good about this issue. Sabertooth, at his very core, is a downright murderer. The same could be said about Wolverine, but he always tried to redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow man, whereas Sabertooth could care less about what anyone thought. He only lives for the kill, and now the ultimate kill has been robbed from him. His struggle is obviously one of a psychopath, but it is also relatable and “human nature”, to a twisted point. Higgins does a great job telling this tale and making you feel something for Sabertooth, even though he is really a bad person. The way he fights with his memories back and forth, and the end of the book when Sabertooth stumbles upon a backwards epiphany, is truly wonderful. Even if you don’t care about the Death of Wolverine all encompassing storyline, this book stands alone as a great look into the unique connection both Wolverine and Sabertooth had with one another, and what it means for that to be severed.
The “Best There Is”:
Truly stunning art direction in this issue. Also, coupled with a vibrant story that any follower of Wolverine and Sabertooth would be happy to read, makes for a truly enjoyable experience in a comic. Again, I say, Whoa.
The “Isn’t Very Nice”:
I still don’t like the whole Logan Legacy run, but even if this is the only good book in the seven part series (and I feel that is a good bet), I will still be very happy that this issue came to be.
CBH Score: 4.5 out of 5. Go get a copy of this, if you are any fan of Wolverine and/or Sabertooth, it is a must have.
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