Comic Review: Wolverine #3 – In Emotion and Chaos. Good, But With Caveats

 

The third issue of the current Wolverine series, written by Saladin Ahmed with art by Martín Cóccolo, is an interesting, albeit uneven installment. The series continues to explore the introspective, seasoned Logan who grapples not just with external threats but with his own inner demons. There's heart, emotion, and blood—but also narrative chaos, too much time spent on unimportant fight scenes, and several plot decisions that break the mood.

Art – Good Style, But… Undercooked

Let’s start with the visuals. Martín Cóccolo can deliver really strong panels—moments when Logan stands alone in the forest or battles the Wendigo have atmosphere and weight. But it’s hard not to notice that some pages are simply… unfinished. Faces are weirdly blurred, proportions are off, and some sequences look like rough drafts. The rushed feeling dominates—and while it doesn’t ruin the experience entirely, it does break immersion. It seems the artist needed more time. A short delay in publication might have helped.

Narrative – Free-flowing or Scattered?

Ahmed continues what he started in the previous issues—a story focused on Wolverine’s emotional side. His internal monologues are really good—reflective, raw, and full of past trauma. It’s clear that post-Krakoa Logan isn’t just a wild animal, but a character with enormous emotional baggage and some earned wisdom. And those are the moments—the contemplation, the conversations with Leonard, the contrast with the Wendigo—that give the comic its soul.

But. And it’s a big “but”—unfortunately, too much time is spent on fights and scene jumps that don’t add much. The action is sometimes chaotic, characters pop in and out, and some plotlines are cut off before they can develop. The end result is a lack of clear direction and a strange pacing.

Logan and Leonard – A Reflective Mirror

One of the strongest points of this issue is Logan’s relationship with Leonard—a young kid struggling with his animalistic nature, just like Logan once did. It’s not a new theme (see: X-23), but it’s done with nuance. The clash of two people carrying similar internal burdens brings real emotional weight. Especially when contrasted with the Wendigo—a creature that symbolizes the total loss of humanity.

Lady Deathstrike, Gold Adamantium, and… the Blood Thing

As a side note: the gold adamantium element is visually disturbing and intriguing—Cóccolo renders it in a powerful way—but narratively it’s not convincing. It veers too far into sci-fi and detracts from the emotional tone Ahmed seems more invested in.

Now the worst part of the issue: Wolverine’s healing blood. Not only is it logically questionable (his blood should be toxic, not healing), but it also morally breaks the character. If Logan can heal people with his blood, why isn’t he doing that on a massive scale? It makes him look worse as a person, not better. The idea is ungrounded, unneeded, and thematically out of place in this otherwise serious, grounded story.

Broken Flow – An Ending Without Impact

Another issue is the ending—after emotional build-up in the forest, we suddenly cut to what the villains are doing. And unfortunately, it ruins the atmosphere. Instead of staying with Logan and his thoughts, we get a jarring shift. The finale feels rushed—almost like someone said, “Oops, we need to show the bad guys or readers won’t know what’s happening.”

Conclusion – There’s Heart, But the Form Falters

Wolverine #3 has a lot of potential. Logan is well-developed, his relationships and reflections are moving. Ahmed understands this character and writes him with depth. But this issue is a step back—artistically uneven, narratively inconsistent, and with a few plot choices that are hard to accept. Still, the series is worth following—because it remains sincere and clearly wants to tell more than just another story about a guy with claws.

My Score: 6.5/10

Too chaotic and narratively unfocused to shine, but emotional and thoughtful enough to avoid disappointment. Wolverine deserves more—and hopefully the next issue delivers.