There are only two good things I can say about this comic, so I might as well get them out of the way. First, the art is fairly good. There’s plenty of character detail and the fights are easy to follow. The panel with the explosion looks great in particular. Second, Wolverine has a happy ending in this story, and that doesn’t happen enough for him. Otherwise, this comic is wretched.
The major retcon at the end of the last issue suggested that Weapon X was Wolverine’s idea all along. This issue re-enforces that with a flashback that completely contradicts the original Weapon X story. This comic suggests that Wolverine willingly had Adamantium bonded to his skeleton when originally, he was kidnapped and forcefully given the metal. Jeph Loeb doesn’t bother to explain why it was Wolverine’s idea or what could have motivated him to endure such torture. Not only does this retcon make Wolverine’s past even more convoluted than it already is, but it’s pointless considering this 4 issue arc was supposed to be about Sabertooth’s return. Also, how exactly does a stab to the front of the brain bring out this lost memory?
Even ignoring the retcon, this comic simply isn’t good. The fight scene feels rushed while there’s very little story to be had. Because the fight scene is rushed, there’s very little tension and you won’t fear for anyone’s safety, including Cloak and Dagger. Why were Cloak and Dagger in this story to begin with? They didn’t do anything important to the story and they barely said anything.
If there’s a lesson to be learned from this storyline, it’s that Marvel should simply stop messing with Wolverine’s past unless it’s to simplify things. X-Factor 243 is a great example of this – Peter David sorted through Polaris’s convoluted past and gave her a simple, concrete origin story. After “Sabertooth Reborn” – which barely had Sabertooth in it – Wolverine desperately needs his history to be simplified. If Marvel can’t get someone to do that, they should simply leave Wolverine’s past alone. In short, don’t buy this comic.
healed1337 
Pingback: Comics of September 26, 2012 | healed1337
How does Jeph Loeb keep getting jobs writing comics? It boggles the mind. Does anyone actually like him as a writer? I’m sure he’s a lovely person, and it looks like he’s doing a good job as Marvel’s Head of Television. So keep him in that position. Stop letting him write comics.
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Good question. The only thing he’s written in the last 10 years that I’ve sort of liked was Avengers X-Sanction, and even that was kind of weak.
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