It’s been leading up to this. Starting off with “3 Months to Die,” it all happens here, the death of Wolverine! The loss of Wolverine’s healing factor–all led to this, the single most important X-Men event of the decade. Logan has spent over a century being the best there is at what he does…but even the best fade away eventually. Over the years, Logan has been a warrior, a hero, a renegade, a samurai, a teacher—and so much more. But now, the greatest X-Men hero will play a role he’s never played before, dead hero.

While my overall thoughts on the Death of Wolverine are much more favorable than any individual issue (except the first), the final issue of the event miniseries is just… ok. This is very much the final issue of a four issue series, not much in actual story, as opposed to action, which is overflowing in. There’s a lot packed in here, setting up enough for Marvel to milk out of the many months (maybe years, we’ve heard 3) before the eventual return of Wolverine. There is something impressive here, in that writer Charles Soule adds much to the Weapon X mythos, while at the same time he closes a chapter on it as well.

The issue to me with the issue is while it’s very much filled with action, the actual death of Wolverine is anything but. Days since reading the issue, I’m still struggling to think exactly how I feel about his “death.” Is the fact it’s muted actually fitting for a warrior? Would going out in a blaze of glory, dying from a fatal wound, been better? Would flash forwarding years later to see him die of old age been the best? I can play what if? (and just did), but in the end that’s not what matters. Something here was missing, I just couldn’t put my finger on it. There’s poetry to the ending, but one that could use one more stanza.

What’s not missing is Steve McNiven‘s art which is its usual solid work. Throughout all four issues he has created amazing visuals, and this is no exception. There’s some quibbles I have, but to list those out would spoil the actual death itself.

The issues that came before had some fantastic commentary from writer and artist dissecting the issue, this one misses that, and if ever there needed to be some thought process it’s this. I’m not a fan of how Wolverine has “died,” but I’d love to know the thought process of how he went. I don’t know what I’d of done different in all honesty, but in the end the Death of Wolverine was a bit anticlimactic.

Story: Charles Soule Art: Steve McNiven
Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75 Recommendation: Read