Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Wolverine Manifest Destiny #4 of 4
Marvel Comics
Aaron, Segovia, Diaz Luque, Salonga & Rauch

Wolverine takes on Chinatown in the finale of a fun mini series. The issue makes excellent use of the characters introduced in the arc. The comic has action, some nostalgia, some humor and a touch of gore. It’s a solid story and could easily fit right in with any of the better recent Wolverine arcs. It’s worth picking up in a collected edition when it comes available if you missed it in singles.

Wolverine comes out of his training with Master Po and is ready to take on the Black Dragon. Before Wolverine rumbles we finally find out what he did to receive such harsh treatment from the good people of Chinatown. Turns out that fifty years ago Wolverine “freed” Chinatown from the Black Dragon only to be propped up as the new leader. Wolverine rejected the role and was shunned. It’s an interesting twist where Wolverine took on the responsibility to help the people only to completely run from the new obligation of continuously caring for them.

Wolverine is then put to the test by the four super powered thugs who took him out in an earlier issue. Except this time Wolverine is prepared for their attacks now instead of just getting beaten like veal. Master Po didn’t teach him how to fight per se. He taught him how to fight these guys with his head instead of just charging in with his claws popped. Wolverine has some funny moments in this sequence, like referencing one his best memories as being the time he first tasted beer.

Wolverine eventually passes the gauntlet and faces off with the new Black Dragon. Wolverine has some of his Kung Fu buddies come charging in to help out with the chaos. The issue ends with a new status quo in Chinatown and a good cast of characters to use in future stories.

This single comic has everything you could look for in a fun Wolverine story. There’s no conspiracy or weapon X or Sabretooth or conditioning or un-conditioning. It’s just Wolverine in an old school Kung Fu story where some hate him and others are starting to like him.

Even if you didn’t read the first three issues of the series you could still enjoy this comic because the full page recap fills you in on all that you need to know. This is a good story and I highly recommend it. If you like your Wolverine to be a little less “I’m the best at what I do” and a little more a student of the arts then this is a story for you.

4 out of 5 geek goggles