Review by Win Wiacek
While worse was to follow, Paul Cornell’s Wolverine stories detail the most groundbreaking shake-up of his long and bloody life. In Killable his mutant healing factor – and therefore his virtual immortality – were removed by a sentient virus from an incredible alien microverse.
Three Months to Die Book 1 (or Mortal in the UK edition) recounted Wolverine’s undercover mission on S.H.I.E.L.D’s behalf to prevent Sabretooth acquiring a weapon of cosmic capacity. Fully immersed in his covert role, Wolverine began an affair with new crony Pinch, who subsequently came into possession of the reality-rending device when Sabretooth caught up to the gang. The previous volume ended on the cliffhanger of who she’d turn it over to. This concludes the shocking saga of the fall of a legend.
The action begins with an eerie and portentous two-part digression as ‘Games of Deceit and Death’ illustrated by Kris Anka, suddenly finds Wolverine transported to the island of Itsukushima. Master of Kung Fu Shang-Chi and living weapon Iron Fist offer a spiritual solution for the baffled, desperate and demoralised Logan, which involves having a heart-to-heart with the conceptual being who is the embodiment of Death. Meanwhile in Sabretooth’s lair the Hand’s master is still dickering with Pinch for possession of the world-warping globe, when the negotiations take a most unwelcome turn. Meanwhile, Wolverine learns a few startling truths from the creature he has for so long fed whilst himself avoiding.
Logan is spiritually reinvigorated and fortified for the final confrontation with Sabretooth, utterly oblivious to the fact he’s been played as part of a much deeper game. ‘The Last Wolverine Story’ drawn by Pete Woods (sample art) opens as Wolverine returns to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning for a reconciliation with his mutant students and X-Men comrades before going after Sabretooth in his New York base. The villain intends to rewrite reality, creating a world perfectly tailored to his highly specific predatory needs. He has also realigned himself with Machiavellian shapeshifting schemer Mystique to ensure his every dream comes bloodily true.
Despite the willing legion at his back, for strategic reasons Logan opts to invade alone to free the hostages, but inevitably his mission ends up in a massive and escalating running battle. As the good guys are increasingly tied up fighting wicked alternate universe versions of themselves, the pivotal contest becomes the one it always has been: Wolverine against Sabretooth. This time however it doesn’t end in the usual oft-replayed, inconclusive stalemate, but a catastrophic, catagoric conclusion.
Cornell with Salvador Larroca then supplies a short What If? vignette re-examining the pivotal moment ending Killable before ‘Wolf and Cub’ by Elliot Kalan and Jonathan Marks ends this iteration of the long-lived legendary hero. Logan, feeling his age at last, takes adoptive daughter/former mutant/friendly vampire Jubilation Lee and her own recently-adopted baby Shogo for a walk on the wild side to meet the wolves who adopted him when he was at his most feral and mindless.
It feeds into the tense suspense, non-stop visceral action, compelling mystery and aura of impending, inescapable doom flavour this enticing chronicle from high-octane start to fraught finish. It’s a splendidly entertaining treat, both verbally and visually.
Once again, the title of the UK edition differs slightly, being 3 Months to Die, and from here events lead into the Death of Wolverine sequence. This content was combined with the first book as Death of Wolverine Prelude: Three Months to Die.
