The Last Wolverine #2 Review

 

Writer: Saladin Ahmed

Artist: Edgar Salazar

Colorist: Carlos Lopez

Letterer: Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Martín Cóccolo & Matthew Wilson; Tony Daniel & Jay David Ramos; InHyuk Lee; Gerald Parel

Designer: Jay Bowen

Editors: Cy Pedro Beltran, Mark Basso, Tom Brevoort & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 19, 2025

 

When Revelation unleashed the X-Virus, it turned Humans into Mutants or killed them. Yet, the Mutants were not immune to its power. It made some more of what they were. Others who fled the area of infection lost their former Mutant abilities and appearance.

 

In Vancouver, British Columbia, Leonard Two Bears is about as far from where the Gene Bomb detonated as he can be in North America. When Vindicator breaks into his apartment, she tells him that the X-Virus is still spreading. It will eventually overtake not just Vancouver, but all of North America, and eventually the entire world. Then Heather Hudson raises the subject of her husband, and the man who helped Leonard become The Heavenly Wolverine. Will Leonard agree to help Heather? And can they free Logan from Revelation's control? Let’s leap into The Last Wolverine #2 and see!

 

Story

The X-Virus has killed millions. In the Revelation Territories, formerly bustling cities are overgrown, with nature reclaiming the urban landscape. The virus has also swept through Eastern Canada, overtaking cities and leaving villages behind. In areas safe for habitation, Humans have even opted for cybernetic companions instead of seeking a Human mate.

 

In The Last Wolverine #2, Kurt Waggoner is one of the lucky ones. Like Leonard, he traded the Revelation Territories for Vancouver. Outside the X-Virus’ influence, Leonard made peace with his Wendigo spirit, while Kurt lost his Mutant abilities. Like Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame, Kurt enjoys life with his Human wife and children. But Logan was his friend. And after Humans turned Professor Xavier’s school into a prison for Mutants, Kurt and Logan helped Rogue and Gambit mentor the Outliers. 

 

 

 

In Saladin Ahmed’s story, Vindicator promises Leonard they can save Logan. But the X-Virus will affect them long before they reach him. Heather Hudson is Human. Her Vindicator suit will have to work overtime to filter out the X-Virus, leaving no power to help combat Revelation's Seraphs. And as they travel, Revelation's agents will try to stop them.

 

For The Heavenly Wolverine and Vindicator to have a chance of succeeding, they need Nightcrawler. They're not certain Kurt can regain what he lost. Heather may succumb to the X-Virus. The Wendigo's ferocity may overcome Leonard's reason. But all three are desperate to save their friend, mentor, and husband from the brainwashed killer he has become.

 

 

 

Art

While blues and greens surround Vancouver, buildings rise toward hovering electric billboards. As Leonard and Heather converse on a rooftop, they behold the sanctuary they are leaving behind. The duo's yellow, blue, and red clothes echo the surrounding windows, while Leonard's white fur links him with Heather's suit. The tiger-stripe design of his suit seems at home with Heather's leonine orange hair. Yet a black, white, and red memory of Wolverine pairs with Heather's Vindicator suit. With her eyepatch, Heather evokes Nick Fury, while Leonard's fur and features recall Beast.

 

Carlos Lopez’s colors take on neon hues when Leonard, Heather, and Kurt meet in Stanley Park. White energy ripples across the belly of a decloaking plane as thrusters expel white pillars. As in Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, a plane streaks across a map in The Last Wolverine #2. Then Edgar Salazar reveals how nature is overtaking civilization, as greenery obscures historic landmarks, like in Logan's Run and Planet of the Apes.

 

As three heroes mount their desperate mission, Cory Petit snikts black uppercase words into white dialogue balloons, narrative boxes, and clouds. The letters grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects accompany hand-to-hand combat, weapons fire, and a hero reclaiming his powers in The Last Wolverine #2. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Everyone needs a cause to fight for. But when we listen to voices telling us what we should do, it's easy to lose sight of who we are. Filled with likeable characters, scenic vistas, and vibrant coloring, The Last Wolverine #2 reminds us of the dangers of letting our zeal for a cause overcome our compassion.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Amazing Spider-Man #2 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Artist: Pepe Larraz

Colorist: Marte Gracia

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia; Paolo Rivera; Chris Giarrusso; Pablo Villalobos; Tony Daniel & Marcelo Maiolo

Designer: Jay Bowen

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 23, 2025

 

After fifteen interviews in nine days, Peter Parker gets a break. Thanks to an internal recommendation, Peter is now the Supervising Engineer of Cooperative Disciplines at Rand Industries. But the Rhino nearly spoils Peter's party. A rampage through the street ends with a totaled truck and Rhino's heart going Big Bada Boom.

 

While enjoying drinks with Shay Marken and wine with Brie, Randy Robertson mentions that his clients in East Harlem are frightened. Peter dislikes coincidences, so he thwips over to the Rhino’s neighborhood for a superhero snoop. Instead, he finds a villain meetup that makes The Bar With No Name resemble The Electric Company. Is Spider-Man ready for a battle with the Terrible Twelve? Let's grab a packet of Jelly Belly beans, leap into Amazing Spider-Man #2, and see!

 

Story

Like fighting a tribe of Tuskin Raiders without a lightsaber, Peter's life has become a nightmare. But then, battling a supervillain dirty dozen will test even the strongest spider-hero. Worse, the civilians seem to shrink as he fights, making them rebel soldiers struggling to avoid getting squashed by a herd of rampaging AT-AT Walkers.

 

Recently, Spider-Man saved Bailey Briggs when he lost his anchor in the Web Of Life And Destiny. In Amazing Spider-Man #2, Peter Parker gets cut adrift from time. One moment, he fights for his life. The next, he awakens amid discussions at work. Like Michael Newman in Click, Peter’s universal remote has gone out of control. Peter is fast-forwarding through his life and awakening from battles to wonder what he has missed.  

 

 

 

Others consider Norman Osborn a geek celebrity, but Peter calls him a friend. Norman may be busy shutting down Oscorp, but he's still there for Peter. He wants to understand what happened to Peter in the Rhino's apartment. Given time, Norman can concoct an antidote. But whoever sent Rhino and Peter to hallucination hell is also harming people in East Harlem. Who knows how many people in New York could get hurt or killed from this strange malaise?

 

In Amazing Spider-Man #2, Peter races for a cure. Whoever infected Rhino also attacked him. Until he discovers the culprit, it could happen again. He could die. Worse, trapped in a land of illusions, he could kill others. And like Admiral Ackbar, Peter doesn’t want to wander into another trap. 

 

 

 

Art

Marte Gracia cloaks Spider-Man’s worst enemies in red and purple. As they battle amid yellow and orange, people in the full-color world behold the Arachnobatic Demolition Man. Monocolored foreground characters keep the focus on the action, while black-and-white memories weigh down Peter with guilt.

 

Pepe Larraz wraps Peter's hands like a martial artist in Amazing Spider-Man #2. Dr Maira Osmani-Milton seems an upscale version of nurse Shay Marken as she speaks of uplifting people through dignity. Brian Nehring smiles behind his glasses like Dr Ian Malcolm, linking memories of mayhem with the chaos detonating Peter's life. And in this era of deregulation, boots tramp through blood in explosive, cinemascope scenes. 

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Words grow bold for inflection, swell and change color for volume, and rarely shrink. White letters in edgy black balloons hail a villain's return, while green laughter suggests another revivification. Sound effects enliven a spectacular battle, an astonishing rescue, and a spine-tingling yell. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As Peter Parker plays detective, the clock is ticking. Shay Marken demands his best in their relationship. His new boss, Dr Maira Osmani-Milton, demands Peter’s complete focus at work. And then there is his childhood friend. Brian Nehring claims he is looking out for Peter but also admits he breeds magic mushrooms. After frightening New Yorkers and South Korean auto workers, Peter must discover the culprit before they blow up his life in Amazing Spider-Man #2.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Amazing Spider-Man #53 Review

 

Writers: Zeb Wells

Pencilers: Todd Nauck & Ed McGuinness

Inker: Todd Nauck & Wade Von Grawbadger

Colorists: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness & Marcio Menyz; Ivan Bigarella; Tony Daniel & Marcelo Maiolo; Russell Dauterman; Gabriele Dell’Otto

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 10, 2024

 

The Green Goblin transformed Peter Parker into Spider-Goblin. Chasm loosened the Golbin's hold on his mind. But then Peter ignores the plans he made for the Goblin's return. Without Spider-Man leading the Goblin Resistance, will Ms. Marvel, J Jonah Jameson, Dr Curt Connors, the Walking Brain, and their Web-Whanging replacement commemorate their victory with Riesling and Gorgonzola? Or will the Green Goblin detonate their new plans with a flurry of pumpkin bombs? Let's thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #53, Big Believers, and find out!

 

Story

The Emissary transported Peter Parker and Mary Jane to an alternate Earth. When Paul sent Peter back to Earth-616, Norman helped Peter return to rescue Mary Jane. Even though Norman was helping his friend, Ms Marvel blames Norman for instigating the events that led to her death. If the Green Goblin influenced Norman's actions, that also makes him responsible for wrecking Peter’s love life and Mary Jane becoming the superhero Jackpot. Whatever the case, Ms Marvel’s not in a hurry to die again. So she teams with the Walking Brain’s posse and invades Oscorp.

 

Norman Osborn currently owns Oscorp, but Peter, Kamala, Dr Curt Connors, and his assistant Doug have spent days and years there. It's as familiar a battleground for the participants as Central Park was for the gangs of New York. Still, much is uncertain in Amazing Spider-Man #53. In Peter's absence, Dr Curt Connors tries to control Doc Ock’s old mechanical legs, the Walking Brain furiously calculates the Green Goblin’s goal, and Norman’s former intern takes on a supervillain with decades of fighting expertise. Yes, Rek-Rap, it is indeed slobberin’ time.

 

 

 

Chasm’s psychoreactive goo helped Peter's consciousness return. But like Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up," once Peter hears the Green Goblin's thoughts, he can't get them out of his head. So, like many of us, he struggles to ignore distracting thoughts and concentrate on what he wants to do. Peter has a plan to combat the Green Goblin. It involves a spear that gave him Norman Osborn's sins and a machine that turns people into goblins. Peter told Hallows' Eve that no good ever came from the Winkler machine. He insisted the machine couldn’t heal Chasm. So why does Peter think that a sin-filled spear and a machine up to no good can heal Norman Osborn?

 

In Amazing Spider-Man #53, the protagonists battle a superior adversary. They struggle and fall. And a hero descends into the darkness to relieve his friend of his inner demons.

 

 

Art

After glaring at faces on a monitor, Norman stands beside his goblin suit and loosens his tie. Norman never looked as happy in a business suit as when clad in his beloved green and purple costume. As Ms Marvel shows how she invaded Oscorp, a goblin glider enters the room. Todd Nauck and Ed McGuinness maintain the tension through character expressions and body language in Amazing Spider-Man #53. Peter hunches over his workbench before clasping his adapted spear. Ms Marvel’s long arms reach out for Norman as Curt Connors scrambles atop Doc Ock’s old mechanical legs. Rek-Rap grabs Green Goblin upside down and stares deeply into his eyes. Hey! That's Mary Jane and Spider-Man's special move, Rek-Rap!

 

 

 

Marcio Menyz adorns heroes and villains with bold, eye-catching colors. Orange and yellow replace gray backgrounds when Green Goblin leaps aboard his glider, and the Walking Brain executes his endgame. Waves of red radiate from Peter as he struggles to control his thoughts, while the Walking Brain and Green Goblin share the same bright color. In the lair of the Sinister Six, Kraven surveys his unconscious associates. If the Green Goblin, Mysterio, Elektro, Vulture, Doc Ock, and Sandman all wear green, does that mean the Walking Brain is evil too?

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The fonts grow bold for inflection, swell for increased volume, get italicized for machine-speak, and rarely shrink for lowered voices. The Green Goblin’s giant red “Me” seeks harmony with Peter Parker’s “No,” while Rek-Rap’s Chud opposes the Goblin’s red laughter. Kraven’s orange narrative boxes follow Ms Marvel’s distraught orange cry, reminding readers that popular characters can die in Amazing Spider-Man #53. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As Ms Marvel assembles a team of people more accustomed to using their minds than their fists, Spider-Man attempts to banish Norman's thoughts from his mind. Amazing Spider-Man #53 speaks to the duality inside each of us and reminds us of the importance of our mental health.

 

9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Amazing Spider-Man #40 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Penciler: John Romita Jr.

Inker: Scott Hanna

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; J. Scott Campbell & Tanya Lehoux; Tony Daniel & Sonia Oback; Anthony Francisco; Sean Galloway; Peach Momoko; Joey Vazquez

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $5.99

Release Date: December 20, 2023

 

Madame Masque organized all this chaos, but can she control it? Janice Lincoln loves her father, but then she ousts him as head of his territory. And who does Spidey team up with this issue? Let’s thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #40 and find out!

 

Story

Digger is back and working for a hooded figure who wears a rose. Beetle insists on taking Diamondback's territory. And Madame Masque tells an injured Hammerhead, "Fine. Call in your boys. Go ahead. Make my day!"

 

Madame Masque grabs the headlines in Amazing Spider-Man #40. She played understudy for years. Now she's taking the stage. She believes she'll win this Game Of Thrones. But does she hold all the cards?

 

Aside from She-Hulk, Spider-Man couldn’t keep his team together. So Peter accepts Tombstone’s offer to repeat their former partnership. This time, Tombstone's making no bones about his involvement. He’s a master strategist and knows what this play will cost him. Still, his daughter’s worth it.

 

 

 

Janet Lincoln has finally thrown in the towel with Randy Robertson and embraced the Dark Side. With Randy in hospital and no longer campaigning to overturn Fisk’s Law, she’s building a new future without him. Aside from losing Randy, one wonders what else her actions will cost her. With Luke Cage ignoring Fisk’s Law by coordinating with superheroes and covertly fighting foes as Power Man, will he face the consequences of his actions? With Wilson Fisk back in New York City, might the Kingpin use this Gang War to his advantage? Does anyone think he wants his master-crafted anti-vigilante law overturned? 

 

 

 

Art

John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna preserve the Rose’s anonymity in their opening page. Then the Art Bros show us the Tracksuit Mafia poised to take down the Inner Demons. She-Hulk practices her fastball while Spider-Man scores a strike. Madame Masque’s body language reinforces her confidence, and Hammerhead's crew pays her respect. While Janice looks determined, she betrays none of the joy she revealed with Randy. Tombstone can't help but smile as he helps Spidey and Shulkie take on the Tracksuite Bros. Yet Tombstone’s not smiling when he discusses the future with his temporary teammates. 

 

 

 

A closeup of Tombstone pouring drinks affords readers a glimpse of Spider-Man. Smoke rises behind Tombstone, reminding us of the anarchy ruling the crime lord's streets. The Beetle makes a powerful statement as she busts into Diamondback's headquarters. John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna close Amazing Spider-Man #40 by showing a worried father beside his confident daughter as each confronts different crime lords.

 

Marcio Menyz paints pages using a palette loaded with bold colors. Light sources and shadows give scenes drama. While bathing closeups of Madame Masque and Hammerhead in gray tones, the mansion's façade glows with color and reflects gold like her shiny mask. Menyz and Erick Arciniega signaled Hammerhead’s ambition in ASM #35 by showing the crime lord’s reflection in a pool of blood. Now blood coats Hammerhead’s face in Amazing Spider-Man #40.

 

 

 

Vibrant sound effects report gunfire and toppled boxes in a warehouse wrangle. Madame Masque crunches her victims from great heights and underfoot. While Joe Caramagna thwips easily readable uppercase black letters into most of his white balloons, Tombstone’s tell tiny tales. But then, after his extended hospital stay, it’s understandable Tombstone's reflecting on his mortality and the model he set for his daughter.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing this essential chapter of the Gang War saga for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Spider-Man, She-Hulk, and the Beetle tackle symptoms while Madame Masque, Tombstone, and perhaps another player concentrate on curing New York City’s disease in Amazing Spider-Man #40.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.