Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Wolverine Weapon X #7Wolverine Weapon X #7
Marvel Comics
Aaron, Paquette, Lacombe & Fairbairn

Wolverine is still in the asylum, struggling to figure out who he is or how he ended up in the nuthouse. The issue goes over similar ground as the previous issue with a couple of differences. For the most part this issue attempts to make Wolverine's situation seem even more dire than in the previous issue. The issue contains solid writing and artwork to make the comic good, but as a concept it's almost run its course with two issues of much of the same material.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsThe issue opens with Wolverine getting some therapy. In the loony bin, the doctor hits patients with water and cattle prods when they refuse to let out their aggression. This brings up an interesting question about the intentions of the doctor. Does he know he holds an assassin? If so, why is he trying to get that genie out of the bottle by nailing him with water and making threats to him? The mystery that exists in this story arc is a good one, but as we get to know the doctor more in this issue I'm starting to think he has no method to his madness or madhouse.

As Wolverine goes through the daily motions of campus life in the asylum he witnesses some bullying that gets resolved with hands being removed. He also has some nightmares that help get those little claws to poke through his skin. Its clear Wolverine is Wolverine but he just has a mental block of some kind at work here. If the intention was to make Wolverine someone's personal killing machine they are going to great lengths at suppressing his instincts.

The issue switches gears as a couple of mobsters show up at the house looking for a patient to borrow. Apparently psychopaths make great killers to take the rap on a murder. Who knew? When the mobsters discover a new, slightly nuttier doctor is in charge of the place they find themselves on the chopping block.

In the end, Wolverine sees too much hurt, feels too much pain and gets beaten on just once too much.

The issue is doing two primary things here. First, it's trying to build up the nut-job doctor. It does a good job of displaying some sick ideas on how to torture people. He has a lot of the Joker in him in the way he acts overly pleased with his ability to dish out pain but by the end of the issue its clear what the character is all about. The second theme in this issue is to show a threshold for Wolverine. What is the breaking point for Wolverine's inner animal to show itself? We find out in this story.

The artwork is very good. The tone of the entire issue is very bright, almost to the point that it seems like all of this is a dream. Wolverine looks like a greasy, tame man that is genuinely afraid and it actually seems to work very well for this story. I can't say I'm a big fan of the always grinning doctor because of the comparisons to the Joker, but that's such a small complete for otherwise beautiful and disturbing visual story.

This comic book is a good story, but it will be good to get on with this arc as I think the whole asylum setup has reached its limit. I'm glad we are seeing some variance in the Wolverine stories that have smart writing and solid ideas behind them. This series has been very good so far and this issue falls right in line with what we've come to expect in the early going here.

4 out of 5 geek goggles