Wolverine: Weapon X #4

By Jason Aaron (Writer), Ron Garney (Art), and Jason Keith (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Wolverine may be overexposed these days, but Jason Aaron’s Weapon X series is definitely a keeper.

The Story: Wolverine and Maverick think they can take down the CEO of Blackguard before the Senate vote…

What’s Good: The best thing about Wolverine: Weapon X #4? The brutal, exciting action that takes up most of the book. Artist Ron Garney and writer Jason Aaron deliver what is easily one of the best fight scenes of the year, as Wolverine squares off against a Blackguard soldier. While I hesitate to say too much because it could easily ruin many of the highlights of the battle (Jason Aaron’s contributions in particular), I absolutely must mention how awesome Garney’s two page fight montage looks. Most of it is a prime example of the artist at his best and a great piece of evidence in favor of the argument that Garney is simply one of the best Wolverine artists around.

The slower stuff in Weapon X #4 holds up against all the action rather well. As you probably know by now, Jason Aaron writes one hell of a gruff, badass Wolverine and proves it through the dry, humorous dialogue. Ron Garney’s artwork (complimented by Jason Keith’s impressive color work) is very cinematic and does a fine job telling Jason Aaron’s story. The characters look fantastic, the action (as I mentioned) is near perfect, and the overall tone is a perfect fit for a series like Weapon X.

What’s Not So Good: Jason Aaron’s Blackguard story, while decent, continues to be predictable and fairly bland. The laser claws are cool and the basic concept behind it is sound, but nothing particularly surprising has happened (outside of one thing that happens to Maverick). Another complaint I have is that occasionally Ron Garney’s work looks a bit rushed. A few panels are oversimplified and, quite frankly, pretty rough-looking. It doesn’t hurt the overall art package too much, but it is noticeable because most of the book looks so damned good.

Conclusion: While the story leaves a bit to be desired, Wolverine: Weapon X is worth it for the action alone. If you’re a fan of Wolverine, consider the latest issue of Weapon X to be a must buy.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny