All-New Wolverine #13 Review

Creep Show 5: The Scent

Written by: Tom Taylor
Art by: Nik Virella, Scott Hanna, Michael Garland and Cory Petit
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 10, 2016

With all this hoopla about the Marvel Now stuff, is it wrong to say that All-New Wolverine was the
book I was looking forward to most this week?  Oh well, if you answered "yes" to that, I guess I am not in the cool group.  I'm used to it...back to eating your lunch all alone, Jim.  Damn it, I'm never going to get back with the in-crowd if I keep talking to myself like this.  Now everyone's staring at me!  Damn it!!! Where was I?  Oh yea, All-New Wolverine.  So, was it as good as usual this week? Let's find out...



The issue opens up with a crazy scene where the poor town of Daylesville, CA has gone teats up thanks to Laura...or at least that's what we are made to believe.  I know that looks can be deceiving, but explosions + bloody dead bodies + Wolverine claws extended = one very guilty looking Laura. We aren't given answers just yet as we go back three days in the past to see what lead to all of this mayhem.

It all starts with a mysterious package and when Laura sees what it contains, it's road trip time for her, Gabby and Jonathan.  We also get a very quick and funny synopsis of the troubles our Wolverine has gotten into lately.  She really does need a vacation, but this doesn't feel like the start of the R&R she desperately needs!

That vibe continues as they get stuck in traffic leaving New York City to head to a "Cabin in the Woods" across the country.  Yea, Gabby took the words right out of my mouth when she said that it all sounds like the beginning of a horror movie.

Since it's a long trip, there is plenty of time for talk and that's good because we get the sitch on what was in the mystery package from earlier.  It's a Trigger Scent that was used when Laura was controlled by the Facility and it's not a good thing.  Actually, it's an everybody ends up bloody and dead when she smells it kind of thing.  Sound familiar?!?  This is also a pretty good setup for Laura to tell her whole back story and because of that, we have a really good jumping on point for new readers.

It's obvious that the most important part of this recap is learning about Kimura, Laura's handler. The thing I was left wondering, though, was if this was more recap or foreshadowing and in the end, my guess is it was both.  While I was half expecting Kimura to jump out of the woods at any time, the road trip ends with little fanfare as they reach their destination.

The issue ends with a bit of a horror movie setup (I knew it!!!), but that's nothing compared to the horrors that the cliffhanger promises.  Actually, we seem to have already seen them, but now I'm really hoping that looks ARE deceiving!  I guess we will all have to wait until next month to find out.

This issue is a whole bunch of recap and setup and yet, I really liked it.  It doesn't hurt that I love Laura and Gabby's interactions and in fact, my only complaint is we didn't get enough of the road trip.  I can only imagine the hijinks that the gals and Jonathan could have gotten into.  Oh well, we did get an awesome setup to what should be a brutal next issue that I want to read right now.

Nik Virella's art is good, but there is nothing here that "wowed" me at all.  She doesn't get in the way of the storytelling, but doesn't really do anything to enhance the experience.  In her defense, not a whole lot happened so I guess I'm saying that she did a decent job.

Bits and Pieces:

Tom Taylor gives the reader a pretty kick ass start to the Enemy of the State story and I'm all in. Things are about to get very bloody and it's not only exciting, it's personal.  While the issue may be more recap than long time readers would like, I appreciated it and think that anybody looking to jump on this book would as well.  Really, there is no reason not to join the party this month!

8.5/10