Return of the Native

• Writer - Greg Rucka
• Penciler - Darick Robertson
• Inker - Tom Palmer
• Inker - Jimmy Palmiotti
• Colorist - Studio F
• Lettering - Virtual Calligraphy
• Lettering - Rus Wooton
• Ass't Editor - Axel Alonso
• Editor - Warren Simons
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  Wolverine has been the poster child for decompressed titles lately, and we're now up to the penultimate chapter of "Return of the Native" - clocking in at a mighty total of seven parts. And let's be honest, it's not exactly bursting in complicated plot.

  The usual disclaimer applies for books like this - it'll doubtless read much better in the trade paperback, where the pacing gets the chance to breathe, and the atmospherics aren't disrupted by those bloody adverts every second page. When the next issue comes out, I'll sit down and re-read the whole thing in one go, and chances are I'll suddenly discover that I like it after all.

  Actually, the pace is picking up this issue, as we build to a climax. Wolverine rescues the Native from her captors, while Sabretooth is likewise unimpressed with the employers who betrayed him. With all of them out of the way, we're set up for Wolverine v Sabretooth next issue.

  It's a nice enough action issue, with Rucka and Robertson providing some well-written showdowns between Wolverine, Sabretooth and their Weapon X opponents. I really wish they hadn't chosen to name the doctor Vapor, of all things, because it seems to have nothing to do with the plot, and just led to me spending two issues wondering whether it was meant to be the woman from the U-Foes. And if so, what the heck she was doing here.

  (It isn't her. I think.)

  Anyway, if you're not reading the storyline already, not much point starting now. Wait for the reviews of next issue and see if it reads any better in one go.

  Rating: B-

Summary

  Two guards are sent out to the gate and find Creed, awake but still under the Humvee, demanding to be freed. They report in; Logan slices the throat of their supervisor and takes his hat. Wearing it, he walks into the building, attacks the next guard, and takes his ID card. On a security monitor, Willoughby and Murray see him approaching, though he's supposed to be dead. They hit the silent alarm and have Creed brought in.

  Logan jumps down on guards from the ceiling, daring them to shoot him, because he'll still kill them all. (Note: dedicated to protect a world that hates and fears them....) He keeps the last one alive to guide him to the Native.

  Willoughby and Murray apologize for Creed for trying to kill him and offer him $5mil to "neutralize" Logan, whom they know he hates. He guts Murray and then chases Willoughby down, annoyed he won't even die like a man. Then he lunges at the guards.

  Logan gets to the operating room and tells the guard to run; he claws the door lock, shorting it, and tells Vapor to back off if she wants to live. The Native wakes, and Logan lifts her from the table. Vapor explains she had to neutralize her healing factor; Logan tells the Native to trust him and slices out the radioactive rod. He threatens to insert it into Vapor if she doesn't talk; she says the Native's eggs were already taken away for sale; the Native pops claws, and Logan grabs Vapor by the throat. She tells him not to be so outraged, since they aren't even human. He retracts his claws; she falls dead; he takes the Native out and tells her not to look back.

  Creed sees them go and plans to finish what he started.