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| Essential Wolverine, Vol. 4 (Marvel Essentials) | 
| Authors: Larry Hama, Dwayne Turner, Jim Fern, Adam Kubert, Tomm Coker, Ian Churchill, Bob Mcleod, Ron Wagner, Ron Garney, Fabio Laguna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Category: Book
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $3.53
You Save: $13.46 (79%)
New (30) from $3.53
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 336101
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 544
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 6.6 x 1.4
ISBN: 0785120599
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN: 9780785120599
ASIN: 0785120599
Publication Date: May 17, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: THIS ITEM IS UNUSED AND IN GOOD CONDITION. IT MAY HAVE SLIGHT SHELFWEAR BUT OTHERWISE IT IS FINE.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Defective Binding? February 8, 2008
I have purchased the other three Wolverine Essentials and have had zero problems. When I received my package in the mail I opened the book to fan through the pages and the cover totally seperated from the pages. I figured it was a defective product and reordered assuming my next one would be worry free. HA. Not so. The same thing happened AGAIN to my second copy. I'm stuck with two pieces of trash that I will have to go through the hassle of returning. Not to mention I am terrified to order a third copy because of what happened to the first two.
greyscale nightmare II January 27, 2008
I have purchased about 20 of the marvel essential, and showcase presents
books, and for the other 19 I can only say I am extremely thankful and
grateful for receiving classic artwork and stories at such an amazingly
low price. In the case of Wolverine vol. 4, this is a different story
entirely. The "greyscale nightmare" review sums things up perfectly. The way the artwork was reproduced in this Vol.4 does not work. I hope that whoever conceived of this method of reproducing Wolverine issues # 70-90 learned from their resulting product, which is Wolverine Vol. 4, that they made a mistake, and that under no circumstances should they ever reproduce artwork the way it appears in Wolverine Vol. 4, because it is an injustice to everyone involved, that is: the Marvel brand, the Marvel creative teams, and anyone who holds this book in their hands. I would recommend not purchasing this product if you love and respect comics, because you will not appreciate the way this looks. But, if you are a diehard fan and need to know what happened to Wolverine in issues # 70-90
then do what you must. With great love and respect.
 If you dislike superheroes, skip, otherwise... January 18, 2008
If you don't bear major grudge against Marvel or DC, or if you liked movie version of Wolverine, I think you should get all four books.
First two are written and illustrated by old-timer legends, then you have Marc Silvestri and Mark Texeira in volume three, my favorite.
Volume four is maybe even better story wise but you will have to adapt to , ahem: NOT black and white BUT black white and dark gray pages. Couldn't they process pages through some computer filter and make them look just ink over pencil?
I understand that color Essentials would be too expensive, but I preferred black and white without dark gray shades.
Greyscale nightmare January 3, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
As a lover of comic book art, I have loved the fact that Marvel have released their old books in this format - the old comic book colouring process used to, in my opinion, often detract from, if not outright ruin, the line art. Colour wasn't really part of the art until Image raised the stakes and forced the computer generated quality we take for granted today.
Being able to have John Byrne's X-Men run showing only the beautiful pencils and Terry Austin's inks was fantastic. I enjoy these black and white reprints more than the originals, because of the pure representation of the artists original work - and it also allows me to leave the originals in their bags.
So, even though I own all the original Wolverine issues, I have bought the Essential series to enjoy the artwork.
However, this volume does not reproduce the just the pencils and inks - this volume is nothing more than photocopies of the original comics - colour included!
This volume is a greyscale sludge that damages the eyes. Unless you desparately want to follow the history of Wolverine and can't afford the originals, then this volume is not for you.
If you are like me and have been buying the essentials to enjoy the artwork, save your cash - unless you want Wolverine themed toilet paper.
I've been patiently waiting for Jim Lee's X-Men run to make it to the Essentials format, but if Wolverine 4 represents the way Marvel intend to reproduce the volumes from now on, I'll be sticking to the originals.
 Even stripped to the bone, he's still the best at what he does. July 5, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
How many people here remember what Marvel comics were like in the early to mid-90's? It was the time of the anti-hero, where nearly every headlining character carried around guns the size of killer whales and routinely filled their foes with so much lead they could be used as pencils. Given life by such testosterone-fueled writers and artists as Rob Liefeld, these guys had muscles over the muscles over their muscles and yet feet so unbelievably tiny they could fit inside their ears. Yes, I remember how Marvel comics were back then, and as such I've largely given those stories a very wide berth.
I collect all of the Marvel Essentials and the volumes of Wolverine's ongoing 90's series have been my least anticipated because the stories seemed to be all brutal violence bereft of moral consequences. Claremont's X-Men series was about the corrupting evils of prejudice and hatred; Hama's Wolverine series was about Logan cutting hundreds of ninjas to ribbons. It also was sorely lacking in overarching plots and attempts at continuity with Wolvie's appearances in the other X-books (This of course has become a serious bone of contention with comic fans today since recently Wolverine has simultaneously been a member of three different mutant teams and the New Avengers, all the while maintaining his own solo series. How full must his daily planner be?). The only story in the first three volumes that really remains in my mind is the Death of Mariko in issue #57. It was like a modern Greek tragedy about how the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, but even so the crux of the story was still the same rote let's-snuff-out-a-hero's-girlfriend plot device that Marvel had been exploiting for instant catharsis for decades (I refer to it as the Gwen Stacy Syndrome).
Hence, I was not terribly enthusiastic about reading the new fourth installment. However, since Marvel was gracious enough to produce three X-Men Essential products in a row, I felt compelled to buy and review them. And so without further ado, let's go, bub.
The tome begins with two decidely above-average three-parters. The first involves Wolverine, Jubilee, and Rogue jetting down to Antarctica and facing off against underused Silver Age creations Sauron and the Savage Land Mutates (By the way, the first story in this arc was the last issue in the third Essential, making this the conclusion to a lengthy cliffhanger for Essential fans like myself). The gang is down south to follow someone's trail and, in spite of the meager attempts of the writer to obfuscate the target's identity, that someone is very, very obviously Magneto. I see no reason to avoid revealing that here since Mr. Lehnsherr makes his presence known to our protagonist very soon afterward. Before that happens, Wolvie and Jubes embark on an investigation into the Anthill, an obscure former staging ground of an autonomous faction of Sentinels (This is a callback all the way to Avengers #102! The Essential Avengers #5 arrived just in time!). While there, they inadvertently power up a dozen giant robots (natch) who pick up on their original goal to end biological mutation by sterilizing the entire human race. I'd hate to spoil another story as I did for the last one, but I feel that the thesis of my review requires it. Jubilee gives pause to the cold, emotionless Sentinels by refusing to "deactivate" one of her fallen foes. The robots' leader decides not to undertake the extermination of humanity until it can understand the quality of mercy in purely mathematical terms (which, as any philosophy major might tell you, is basically impossible). Later, Jubilee is able to finally corner her parents' assassins but realizes that she can't betray her own inherent compassion by taking revenge after what had happened at the Anthill. Since so many comics at this time that I'd seen had a grim shoot-first-don't-ask-questions-at-all mentality to them, this story was like a cool refreshing breeze to me. Perhaps I'm just used to reading "sugarcoated" Silver and Bronze age tales, but I could not have asked for a better opening act for an Essential Wolverine.
The biggest draw of this collection for many readers, though, will probably be the chapters on two of the biggest crossovers of the time: Fatal Attractions and the Phalanx Covenant. To the average person, the phrase "Fatal Attractions" is most likely to evoke the image of Michael Douglas drowning Glenn Close in a bathtub. However, any X-Men fan worth his/her salt would first think about Magneto yanking all the adamantium out of Wolverine's body. Although the X-Men issue that contains that "money shot" is not here, there is an issue devoted to Professor Xavier, Jean Grey, and Moira MacTaggert combining their respective skills and talents to prevent the utterly traumatized Logan from succumbing to his unimaginable agony. I should also mention that this highly delicate medical procedure is set on the battle-scarred Blackbird's white-knuckle reentry from Asteroid M back to Earth. It's a harrowing and memorable milestone of a story to be sure. The series also includes one tie-in issue to the Phalanx Covenant, which features an alien race of "techno-organic" amorphous beings who'd like to re-sculpt the planet to their likings (think the Borg, but with necessities in special effects that would have destroyed ST:TNG's budget). Since two of their earliest assimilations were Steven Lang, Sentinel designer and oft-described "government wacko", and Cameron Hodge, X-Factor's personal Benedict Arnold, the Phalanx has a particular mad-on for mutants. As I said, the volume only has one installment of the event, but there is a page of text that gives us the gist of the story from the other books. Apparently, the X-Men won.
Getting back to Fatal Attractions, I have to say that the removal of the canuckle-head's inherent invulnerability opened up a good opportunity for his solo series to take. With brittle claws made of bone and an overtaxed, less efficacious healing factor, Logan deems himself unworthy to continue as an X-Man and heads off alone on to a long road to the recovery of his body and soul (conveniently freeing him from cross-continuity qualms). He seeks solace with old friends like Vindicator, Puck, Guardian, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Forge, and Gambit. He's also preyed upon by a fair number of old enemies like the olde English-spouting vampire Bloodscream, the enraged cyborg Cylla, the mythical beast Hunter-in-Darkness, and the comically mismatched android duo of Albert and Elsie Dee. He even gets a visit from the Adversary, the Native American demon-god whom I sufficiently ridiculed in my review of the Essential X-Men #7. Lady Deathstrike hopes to end her vendetta in blood but questions the honor in slaying an opponent who has been made handicapped; on the other hand, Cyber (he of the big toothy grin and adamantium skin) revels in the chance. Logan gets to return to Japan to check up on Amiko, the young girl orphaned during a fiasco that the X-Men accidentally caused upon their return from the Secret Wars. Then we are treated to appearances by Deadpool, who has a deadly agenda with fellow Weapon X-er Kane, and the Dan Ketch Ghost Rider, who assists Logan against the occult machinations of his phantasmal former teacher Ogun. The very last issue in this compilation is the fan favorite in which Wolvie scratches an itch that Sabertooth may or may not have had in his frontal cortex. At first I was concerned that the stories were going to remove Logan from the greater Marvel Universe; instead it honed his focus and allowed several characters (some in their Essential debuts) to have ample time in the spotlight.
I recognized that I had a strong bias against this book before I read it. But now, looking back for the sake of this review, I am astonished to realize that there was not a single issue that I didn't genuinely enjoy on some level. When Wolverine can't give or take nearly as much damage as he once could, he can use his wits, subtlety, and numerous allies to prevail as often as when he was a blunt and violent loner. This volume breaks away from that kind of complacency and I believe it greatly benefits from the added subtext (As Stan Lee would say, a reader can't establish a rapport with a hero who has no weakness). I can also be thankful that scripter Larry Hama wrote the series since the beginning and all of his accrued experience places him at the top of his game here. Amazingly enough, I actually feel like doing something I was once resolute about never doing again: rereading the first three volumes. For single-handedly changing my disposition toward an entire era of comics, the Essential Wolverine #4 earns my highest commendation. Driver, take me to Claw City!
P.S. I may have turned over a new leaf, but if the Essential X-Force is announced tomorrow, you can still count on me to berate it to within an inch of its life.
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