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Storm 5 cover art by Stephanie Hans.

Death of Wolverine: Aftermath

Storm #5 is the concluding issue of the fallout from the death of Wolverine, as the cover demonstrates.

Stephanie Hans continues to provide the covers with electrifying homages to Wolverine. Storm is resplendent, standing over a pile of knocked-out bad guys, with lightening shooting from her hands in the fashion of claws.

The imagery is fierce and strong, an extreme contrast to the cover for Storm #4. The emotional weight that Hans brings to the cover art is fantastic and seems to show the various stages of grief Storm is experiencing, from depressive crying to burning anger, all of which can be found in the emotions of the weather.

The eye of a storm is the center of calmness among the destructive forces of nature. It is a period of respite to gather one's wits and prepare to battle again as the eye passes by. Consider this a strategic time when a person caught in a terrible storm could yet survive, depending on how they use this time to plan. As we move through Storm #5 it is uncanny how we see Storm act when she has a moment to gather her thoughts and approach the next course of action: facing off in battle against a champion of an opposing organized crime clan.

The gauntlet is thrown down.

As Storm soon finds out, the precarious balance that Wolverine held in place with Yukio is difficult to maintain. Storm #5 shows just how much of a master strategist Storm is, as she tries to maintain this balance of power. While reluctant to fight in the place of her former lover, Storm realizes that Wolverine's aggressive approach hid a more calculated understanding of such clan politics.

Yukio explains the balance Wolverine helped build.

Greg Pak delivers one of the best issues in the series thus far. As an ongoing series, Storm has been held together by Pak showing the audience what a complex character Storm is. This has taken place in a variety of locations and among diverse situations. This issue is the first carryover story that spans sequential issues. By achieving this, Pak builds a better narrative, which feels less interrupted by the next issue.

As the story races to its climax and Storm sets up her plan to balance the clan's infighting, her strategy is undermined  by an interesting twist from Yukio. The overall story is a fine tribute to the relationship of Wolverine and Storm; it is fitting that Storm is attending to Wolverine's unfinished business in a manner that would please him. It echoes the gentler and more thoughtful man encased in an adamantium shell that we saw, not the berserker Wolverine was once known as.

Storm #5 continues a strong art run by Victor Ibanez and Ruth Redmond. This issue also sees Craig Yeung pick up some work on the inking process with Ibanez. The inks have a heavy set feature against Redmond's colors. The earthy tone and feel is carried over from earlier issues, as the backdrop of a desert setting plays host to many of the scenes. Redmond plays with a lot of brown and red as the setting turns from a brazen twilight through to the dark of night. As we have seen, Ibanez shows a lot of emotion, with careful attention to facial depiction and anatomical structure. It is the nuances of a character's face and the intentional but fleeting gesture of an arm or shoulder that carries a lot in the art of Storm.

Storm prepares for battle.

As a combined package, the creators on Storm impress each issue. This is a monthly book I look forward to picking up and savoring the reading experience. Some Marvel solicitations are seeing the end of some fine runs of both art and storytelling, but I certainly hope Storm bucks that trend and can go on strongly.

Make sure if you aren't already, you stick this one on your pull list and your local comic book shop and then as always come and let us know what you think, by leaving a comment below.