Comic Book Review - X Lives of Wolverine #2

Rob reviews X Lives of Wolverine #2...

So far the X Lives/X Deaths Of Wolverine have been an intense journey for both fans of the character and the wider Mutant community of Krakoa. As things get interesting back in the present day, Wolverine (along with Jean Grey) relives many of his past encounters.

Last time out in 'X Lives' we saw the start to Wolverine's adventures in time. This has seen the character travel to pivotal moments within his life, whilst under the constant threat of Omega Red. While issue #1 focused on one single event - James Howlett's (aka Wolverine) birth - X Lives #2 takes us on a journey around the globe. 

The bulk of this issue continues to revolve around Wolverine as he attempts to protect Charles Xavier from Omega Red. There's a lot to digest as this journey sees various time jumps that throw the reader across the globe. We see snippets of Wolverines life,  which all come with varying degrees of turmoil for the character. The opening scene sees us in Canada as a young James uses his talents in a fight against a polar bear. In true Wolverine fashion, there's plenty of claw action as he attempts to escape the bear in a semi non-lethal action. We're then shown that Wolverine is being guided through these scenes by Jean Grey - who's still in the present day (or should that be the future?). Jean appears as a Star Wars-style "Force Ghost" to keep the present-day Wolverine on track. While it's not explicitly explained why it no doubt ties into whatever Xavier is planning in the present. 

The rest of the issue focuses on a brief moment in Japan with Wolverine's wife, Itsu, to then switch to Columbia. It's here in Columbia where things take a turn for the worse. During the actual events Wolverine - along with Maverick and Sabertooth raid a cocaine lab, to then massacre the local villages. Wolverine points out to Jean that they did it as a message to fear America more than the Cartel. While Jean points out that he is here to save Xavier - and not to stop Team-X, Wolverine decides to change his past and heads out to confront his former teammates. 

Scenes then Switch to Omega Red in the recent past as he undertakes a mission for X-Force. Teaming up with Domino and Wolverine, Omega Red is tasked with infiltrating the Russian Hellfire Club in search of their suspected leader - Maxim Ivanov. Things don't exactly go to plan as Ivanov gets the jump on Red and reveals that his so-called friends have deceived him. This then sets Red on course to desert X-Force to escape back to Russia. However, as the many X reports reveal this could be a change in the timeline that's been affected by the misuse of a  Cerebro Sword.

As things switch back to Wolverine, we see him attempt to stop Team-X in Columbia. This not only sees him earn the animosity with Sabertooth, but it also causes the latter to actively hunt Wolverine for his apparent betrayal. Something that's going to play out in the future! 

When it comes to writing, time travel can often be a tricky subject. Thankfully Benjamin Percy manages to keep things personal to Wolverine, whilst pushing the central narrative forward. Percy also uses these time shifts to add more to Wolverine's already rich backstory. The scene in Columbia and Japan work well as we see the character try to write the mistakes of his past. On one hand, he's willing to change the events in Colombia - which could jeopardise his current mission. Yet when it comes to Itsu, he can't bring himself to kill her - even if doing so erases Daken from being born. 

Art continues to shine as Joshua Cassara and Frank Martin pull out all the stops. Cassara draws Wolverine incredibly well with a focus upon the characters traits, whilst maintaining the human element of Percy's script. The Wolverine we see here is a grizzled veteran of his craft and Cassara touches upon this within his art. 

Martin's use of colours works well too. There's a great variation in colours and shades as we switch between the various perspectives. The dense jungles of Columbia are a gorgeous mix of dark greens and browns, whilst those in Japan are awash with intense use of fiery orange and intense purples. 

All in all, X Lives of Wolverine #2 continues to lay the foundations for its future. The scenes between Omega Red and Rasputin, as well as the interactions with Sabertooth highlight that this story is going to have far-reaching consequences for those involved. At the moment everything feels like one big game of chess that's being played across multiple boards. While it may seem a mess, Benjamin Percy has his hands on everything and is slowly moving his characters towards their inevitable checkmate positions. 

Rating 8.5/10 

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev