A Mind-Shattering Silence — Reviewing ‘Ultimate Wolverine’ #11

Once upon a time, the man named Logan was taken from those he knew and loved and turned into a weapon. Then he was unleashed upon strangers, enemies, and friends alike at the behest of the steel-fisted Rasputin family.

Free of their control, Logan has found a place and a fight once more. In Ultimate Wolverine #11, though, everything changes … and not for the better. A strikingly brutal issue from Chris Condon, Alessandro Cappuccio, Bryan Valenza, and Cory Petit.

-SPOILERS FOLLOW-

In the last few months, Marvel Comics has shared news of the Ultimate Universe’s upcoming end. If that apocalyptic announcement wasn’t clear enough, issues like this sure make it clear that the finish line is nearer than ever.

The Rasputins strike against the Opposition and strike hard. With the drop of an Xavier-brain-centered bomb, everyone (save Sabretooth, Artie, and Leech) that Logan stood alongside in this fight is gone. All wiped out in an explosion of psychic energy that seemingly left their brains empty and their bodies battered. Only Logan remains, the sole survivor of a massacre.

Condon pulled no punches here, just like the rest of the series. Being an alternate universe — a limited one at that — no one is truly safe. We watched Beast and Abigail Brand die brutally a few issues ago and kicked things off with Logan slaughtering Nightcrawler and Mystique. This one, though, was a bigger gut punch.

There is nothing left of the group trying to rise up against the hard regime that rules over this continent. Except, there kind of is.

Before the Opposition was wiped out, the move to go public with their existence paid off. Logan didn’t agree with this, but now that his friends are no more, the mission has been picked up by the people. A seed was planted and opposition has bloomed bigger and wider than expected.

Not that Logan will be all that concerned with this. No doubt this man has something bigger on his brain: final revenge against Colossus and Magik.

Dark and rough. Those describe not just the overall story itself but how Cappuccio depicts everything on the page. It’s always good to have the artist who started it all back on the book, really delivering the right tonal aesthetics.

Figures cut a striking path through panels with sharp angles blunted with softer, fuzzier bits. It all really highlights the world in a dense and detailed depiction, crystalizing on the characters’ emotional range. Facial expressions tell their own stories as these figures deal with the hardness of their surroundings and what stands before them.

A whole gamut of emotions is poured through the pages as every character approaches the moment differently. The balance also shifts multiple times, with Cappuccio nailing every one.

Each panel choice really hits home the organized chaos by shifting the shape or placement of each panel to add additional elements of tension, toughness, and anticipation.

All of it is buoyed by the color palette choices and depth. Once more, Valenza taps deep into the energy of the sequences. Darker, heavier tones are prevalent at all times mixed alongside those that are lighter and starker. And it is all kept at a much toned-down level which gives the backdrops and spaces a more familiar appeal. They also allow the flashier moments more room to breathe and be even more impactful.

Numerous choices around the Opposition evoke a lighter, more hopeful feeling. Soured by Logan’s opinions — which unfortunately turned out to be right — the colors still persist while we the audience knows something terrible is on the way. Even with the characters bloodied, broken, and gone, those colors remain to remind us what was lost in this moment.

A lot must be told in this issue as the bomb and other bits of world-building have to be established. Petit never wavers as it all naturally flows and delivers on the page. It never becomes overwhelming or a too-hard-to-parse situation. Much like the art and colors, the lettering is infused with all the emotional energy on display.

Character’s voices feel unique despite their commonality. Their specific circumstances and shifts in presentation make sure the voices ring true and loud.

Ultimate Wolverine #11 is now available from Marvel Comics.