Cover Art for Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon #1 - Written by Chip Zdarsky, Art by Luca Marseca , Colors by Jesus Aburtov and Lettering by VC/s Joe Sabino. Cover Art by Leinil Francis Yu and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
“People in the shadows, doing whatever they want, to whoever they want. And no shortage of people willing to help them. ”
With Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon #1, Marvel Comics has begun the journey down the four-month-long road to the massive company-wide event in June, Armageddon. Writer and Armageddon architect Chip Zdarsky begins the road to the massive event with a focus on Wolverine. The Weapon X program is rearing its ugly head again and setting the pieces on the board.
This is an issue that is quite exposition-heavy. It may leave some people confused if they are not up to date on the current goings-on in the Marvel Universe. It is clear that this issue is mainly used to introduce the major players in this event tie-in. While there are some fun moments, ultimately, it fell a little flat for me. Let us get into it.Spoiler Warning Now in Effect for Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon #1.
Not Every Choice Works For A #1 Issue
Wolverine is one of the most well-known characters in the Marvel Universe. He is essentially the mascot for the X-Men. If you went up to a random person on the street and asked them to name one Marvel character, the chances are that Wolverine would be a top-three answer. The rest of the key players in Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon #1 do not quite have the same renown as Logan. They include the mutant hunter turned mutant sympathizer Teri O’Barnes, the Captain America of the War-On-Terror Age in David Colton, the former enemy of Wolverine and long-time Marvel villain Nuke, and the latest victim of the Weapon X program, a mutant by the name of Tyler Torrens. If a lot of those names mean nothing to you, trust me, you are not alone.
One of my main criticisms of this issue, especially being a number one designed to draw people in, is that it felt very confusing at times. I had to rely on some of my fellow ComicBook Clique members to fill me in on what some of the plot elements were. I had to do quite a bit of research to figure out who the new Captain America was, who Teri O’Barnes was, and what role Nuke has had in the life of Wolverine. The concept of these objects, known as Ultimate boxes, is also implemented in this story. If you did not check out the recent Ultimate Universe books, you might feel left out with this piece of information, also.
I understand that not every comic fan is going to know every character. However, when an issue is meant to be the starting point for a massive company-wide event, then I would probably include some more recognizable characters. I might at least focus this issue more on Wolverine before branching out into this cast of characters. Typically, you really want your initial issues of a run to bring new readers in and give them a place to start fresh. This issue felt a lot like something fans who wanted to jump in would need to do some homework for. I try not to sound overly negative in my reviews. I want to assure you all that there is some really cool stuff in this issue and with the groundwork that it lays. I felt I had to get my thoughts on the characters in the book out first to let you all know about the depth of knowledge needed for this kickoff on the road to Armageddon.
A Mystery begins to Unfold…
So, with all that being said, what exactly does happen in this book? Our journey begins in the past with Wolverine being approached at a bar by someone we come to learn is named Teri O’Barnes. It turns out that O’Barnes was the one who found Wolverine for the Weapon X program originally. In the past, she was a mutant hunter due to her ability to sense the X-Gene in people. She was one of the key figures in the early Weapon X program to find subjects to test on. After that initial meeting in the issue, we jump years ahead to Wolverine and O’Barnes meeting under much different circumstances.
O’Barnes warns Wolverine that a company called PRIMEWARRIOR is going after mutants with healing abilities. Up until this point, O’Barnes has been staying one step ahead of PRIMEWARRIOR and warning those that they may come after. She makes it clear that she wants to make up for her past of hunting down mutants and do something that can help save them. The only problem is that PRIMEWARRIOR has finally gotten one over on her. They have captured a mutant named Tyler Torrens, and she needs the help of Logan to find him.
A recurring part of this issue is Logan having nightmares and daydreaming about what happened to him during his time in the Weapon X project and at their facility. I actually really liked these parts of the issue because these nightmares are a reminder that Logan suffered more greatly than almost any Marvel hero. It shows us that he wants to ensure no one suffers the same fate. Logan has no knowledge of whoever this Tyler Torrens person is, but all he knows is that if he can prevent any of his suffering, he will. The duo of O’Barnes and Wolverine find their way to a PRIMEWARRIOR lab in the Ozarks that someone or something has partially destroyed and broken out of.
Logan and O’Barnes break into the lab after impersonating workers there. They find evidence of an Ultimate Box being there at some point. Again, this did not make complete sense to me, but if you have been reading the Ultimate Universe books, you will recognize how important these boxes might be going forward. They also find video evidence of PRIMEWARRIOR scientists experimenting on Tyler with adamantium. The scientists were continually having to up the dose because of Tyler's body fighting back against the metal.
Eventually, O’Barnes finds a clothing item of Tyler that was left behind, and Logan begins to follow his scent trail. I have always actually enjoyed that aspect of Wolverine. It is that animalistic aspect that he can tap into. He is almost like a rabid dog that needs to be corralled once in a while.
More Pieces are Placed on the Board
As Logan and O’Barnes follow the trail of Tyler, PRIMEWARRIOR calls on Nuke to go after Wolverine. Nuke was another character I did not know much about, and my experience with him was entirely based on the version of the character in the Jessica Jones series on Netflix. For those unfamiliar with Nuke, his name is Frank Simpson. He has superhuman strength and cybernetic enhancements. He was a Weapon Plus test subject, but the tests left him quite unstable. He is easily identified by the massive American Flag tattoo on his face. Nuke and Wolverine have fought before during the Wolverine: Origins storyline. We do not see Nuke again in this issue, but it is clear from the cover that he is going to have a massive role to play going forward.
Logan and O’Barnes continue to follow the scent trail of Tyler and end up deep in the woods when, suddenly, Logan is sniped with a headshot. He heals up, changes into his classic yellow and brown suit, and charges through the forest. He tears through everything in his way to find the shooter. He finds a cabin, opens the door, and finds the shield of Captain America. However, it is not Steve Rogers. It is David Colton, the Captain America of the War-on-Terror age.
The character of David Colton is very new in the Marvel Universe, as he only debuted in the previous year in Captain America #772 written by Chip Zdarsky. Colton witnessed the attacks on the World Trade Center and enlisted in the U.S. Army, even though he was a frail kid. Eventually, he received an opportunity to become the new Captain America due to his work in the field. Traumatized by war, Colton opted for a more reclusive life until Wolverine shows up at his doorstep with his claws out.
Colton holds O’Barnes at gunpoint. He tells them both that the kid is gone and that Tyler is free. The issue ends with Colton saying, "God help anyone who tries to make it otherwise." Meanwhile, we see Tyler turn around in the woods and unleash his own claws. He appears about to take down a pack of wolves as the story concludes.
Art Review
Luca Maresca and Jesus Aburtov deliver some really cool art in this issue. Maresca is very good at showing the exact emotion the script calls for with each character. His facial expressions are all extremely expressive, no matter the emotion the character is feeling. There are several great panels that serve as excellent examples of this talent.
One standout is the initial panel when Wolverine wakes up from his first nightmare in the issue. Another is the panel where we see the eyes of Logan when the scientists recognize him in the PRIMEWARRIOR facility. Additionally, the face of Nuke when he hears Wolverine is his next target, and the face of Tyler as he turns to face the wolves at the end of the issue, are both striking. The art team succeeds in making these moments feel visceral and personal.
There are also a few particular scenes that stick out from both the art and coloring perspective that I want to highlight. First off, I want to mention the two-page spread of Wolverine charging through the woods toward the cabin of David Colton as he fires on him. The art looks awesome with some great movement to it. The art highlights the rage of Wolverine, and I loved the muted color choice on the yellow and brown of the iconic suit.
The initial opening scene of the issue is another one I want to bring attention to from the art perspective. First off, I love that the initial scene is darker than the entirety of the rest of the book. It is almost like it is cloaked in a little bit of shadow. This is a very subtle way to show the reader that Wolverine and O’Barnes both have shadowy pasts.
I may not have totally understood every detail of this story, but it was certainly nice to look at. Maresca and Aburtov are a great art team, and I am excited to see their work again in the next issue. The attention to detail, combined with the moody atmospheric lighting, creates a compelling visual hook for the road to Armageddon.
Concluding Thoughts and Rating
To begin to wrap things up here, this was a clear setting-the-board type of issue. While I did enjoy the book, the reveals of Nuke and David Colton ultimately did not hit hard enough for me. This is because I was not too sure of the lore behind them. As I mentioned before, if an issue is a number one, I feel it should be welcoming. You want to get people invested in the story. However, the homework I felt I needed to have done for this one made the story not hit as hard for me as it will for others who have read up on all these characters.
I think one of my biggest questions, and something I am excited to learn about, is where this is all going for Tyler Torrens. Will he be the next great foil to Wolverine? Will his new adamantium-enhanced abilities make him stronger than even Logan? It is also going to be very cool to see the fight that is coming between Wolverine and Nuke, which is teased on the cover of this first issue. I am sure that the upcoming fight is going to be a highlight for the art team.
Chip Zdarsky is putting some interesting pieces on the board as the road to Armageddon kicks off. If this first issue of the first tie-in is anything to go on, Wolverine is going to have a huge role in things going forward. While it could have been a more welcoming number one issue, it does a good job of setting the table for what is to come.
Rating: 7/10