It seems Wolverine is gaining a new rival in next month's Wolverine #6. Time to add that one to your pull lists.

THE HICKMAN ERA

After Powers of X and House of X, Jonathan Hickman has once again captured the attention of the X-fandom. This time, the epic crossover is X of Swords, and it's been teased as bringing major changes to Charles Xavier’s mutant nation of Krakoa. 

Among those changes, Hickman is introducing Solem, and he is being touted as Wolverine’s arch-nemesis. As a lifelong Sabretooth fan, I take exception to this, but who knows? Maybe Solem will become Wolverine’s Batman Who Laughs or maybe even the X-Men equivalent of Knull. Time will tell.

With any new character, expectations are lofty for Solem. When you consider the market for first appearances these days, it makes sense that collectors will jump on any debut issue. We have seen the meteoric rise of Venom #3, Teen Titans #12, and Hell Arisen #3. It pays to keep your ear to the ground and be first in line for these insta-keys. 

 

 

WHO IS SOLEM?

That is the big question, and as of now, only Hickman and the rest of the Marvel editorial team can tell us the answer. Here’s the little that we know so far.

Although most of the X of Swords plot details have been kept secret, it is believed that a new batch of villains will come from Arakko, the antithesis to Xavier’s Krakoa. It is another living island that Apocalypse and his original Four Horsemen banished to an alternate reality. As Screenrant mused, could Solem be Arakko’s answer to Wolverine? Marvel is keeping that answer under wraps, so we will have to be patient.

THREE COVERS TO CHOOSE FROM

Thus far, there have only been three covers announced for Wolverine #6. In today's era of alternate covers, that is almost nothing.

There is the standard edition with art by Adam Kubert and variants by Alex Ross and Daniel Warren Johnson. I agree with many collectors that the market has been flooded with variants. However, I have an affinity for those beautifully rendered Ross painted covers. It’s worth collecting Immortal Hulk just for his run of exquisite covers. That being said, I plan to pre-order the Ross timeless variant just for the artwork.

I have little doubt that Wolverine #6 will be a sellout and spawn subsequent printings. The real money is in the first cover art for a new character, so be on the lookout for a second or third print with Solem on the front.

THE POTENTIAL

As much as I love Sabretooth, Wolverine definitely needs a new villain. His rogue’s gallery is a rather thin list, and most of them are like Sabretooth - brutal, savage beasts. Logan needs a breath of fresh air much like Venom needed Knull. If there is one thing we have learned through comics, a hero is only as good as his adversaries. That’s what helped pushed the likes of Batman and Spider-Man into the elite - their wide array of interesting villains, and that is exactly what Wolverine needs. Here’s hoping Solem will fill the void.

Whether or not Wolverine #6 can reach the lofty heights of, say, Venom #3 depends on how well Solem is positioned in the greater Marvel Universe. Will he truly be Wolverine’s arch-nemesis or will he be just another basic character we’ll see from time to time? That remains to be seen, but it is worth the gamble just in case.

Wolverine #6 is scheduled to reach comic shops on October 7.