X-Force #13

Wolverine meets his match in Hell in X-Force #13, by writer Benjamin Percy, artist Victor Bogdanovic, colorist Matthew Wilson, and letterer Joe Caramagna. This issue continues the story Percy and company started in Wolverine #6 and is part four of X Of Swords.

This issue starts in flashback, as Wolverine enters the temple and fights against Hand ninjas. He falls through the portal to Hell and encounters Muramasa, forging a blade as Wolverine burns in the fires. Later, as he regenerates, the Arrako champion Solem comes to him and tells him how he got to Hell. The two agree to help each other get out of where they are and interrupt a wedding that would solidify the alliance between the Hand and the Beast. Muramasa forged two blades, and Solem gets his hands on both of them as Wolverine fights off the ninjas. Solem offers Wolverine a deal for one of the blades, one he accepts. Wolverine returns to Krakoa to stand with Magik as one who has found their sword.

This issue basically feels like Wolverine #7, which is a good thing, since Wolverine #6 was so very good. Much like that issue, this issue could be just a regular non-X Of Swords comic, with Wolverine trying to get his hand on the sword that could kill him and having to team up with a new enemy to get it. There are a few places where it feels like Percy didn’t have to be so long-winded, like with Muramasa’s speech about making swords, and could have explained what was going with The Hand and their little wedding better, but that part wasn’t as important as just moving things forward.

Solem is a very interesting character, and it would be kind of cool if he stuck around after X Of Swords. There’s something that’s quite erudite about him. He’s willing to do what it takes to get done what he has to, but he’s also all about seduction and making deals. It’s not revealed what the deal he made with Wolverine in this issue, and that’s a nice little touch. He doesn’t hate Wolverine, but he’s going to fight him and win if he can. The two men are very similar in that this isn’t their fight, but they’ll fight it all the same, for their own reasons. It’s an interesting little dichotomy that hopefully Percy will get to play within future issues.

Victor Bogdanovic and Matthew Wilson are back on art for this issue, and it’s pretty great. The two work together well. While there’s nothing super special that stands out about the art, it all looks very good, and the artistic continuity with Wolverine #6 is a nice touch for a story that is a continuation of that.

X-Force #13 is a great Wolverine comic, and that’s a good thing. Percy’s chapters of X Of Swords are the best so far because they not only move that story forward but also don’t feel at all like crossover issues. Some corners are cut that wouldn’t if this wasn’t a crossover comic, but that’s okay. Bogdanovic and Wilson are on art for this one again, and the book looks great, giving the story some nice artistic continuity with Wolverine #6. If every part of X Of Swords can be as good as the Percy written parts, this should be a great crossover.

Grade: A