X Lives of Wolverine # 3: Lives to Regret Review

[Wolverine12]

Synopsis

-Issue begins with Logan monologuing about living forever and it's downfalls. We also see a collage of Logan fighting Omega Red in different past time periods
-We go back to the ship from last issue with an ancestor of Professor X fighting off Omega possessed crew members, he's doing pretty well but eventually gets snagged, Logan comes in on a dog sled just in time to save him. Immediately after the last crew member is killed a giant Omega possessed whale crashes through the ice and attacks the ship
- Cut back to Logan and Itsu fighting. Logan is taking a beating from her since he knows that if he kills her that could mean Daken gets snapped out of reality. He's desperately asking Jean for help, she asks what can she do and he tells her he needs to know if they can save Daken if Itsu dies in their fight. Jean asks Prof X if it's possible and he says only if they had a cerebro unit in a black hole which is not an option right now since they need an immediate solution. The fight pauses as Romulus shows up (booooo!) and stabs Itsu through her back and out her chest
-Data page summarizing the original time line of Daken's "birth" and the new anomaly time line created by Logan and Omega fighting, it's seems that the most efficient way for Daken to live is if Logan dies in the fight, also a side note about telling the QC that they need to store a cerebro unit in a black hole, surely that won't come back to bite them as the phalanx could never get a hold of the cerebro unit in the black hole lol.
-Now we go to Omega and Mikhail talking about how X-Force used Omega as a pawn. Omega is angry but has not forgotten that Russia was even worse to him. Mikhail asks Omega to partner up of his own free will so they and Colossus can take down Krakoa. Omega agrees so Mikhail uses his reality warping powers to remove the carbonadium synthesizer from OR chest and then he plunges the cerebro sword into Omega's chest. To me this implies that is how Omega is able to use his conscious to time travel and possess people, a combination of the sword and Mikhail assisting him
-Jump to Columbia and Team X. Sabertooth is chasing Logan through the jungle and is going to kill him for betraying the mission/team. Logan is running to where Jean and Professor X said Omega is going to show up to try to kill a past version of Prof. As Logan is running he shoots a wasp's nest so it lands on Creed's head, very Looney Tunes but I thought it was pretty funny.
-We're now back on the ship with Prof X ancestor. Logan is fighting the Omega whale while the Prof X ancestor is lighting a canister of explosives. As Logan is fighting the OW they explosives are tossed into the whales mouth by the captain, together they defeat the beast
-Data page of a convo b/t Jean and Prof X. X tells Jean he's struggling with his part, his connection to the cerebro sword is weakening and like a radio station that fades in and out. He admits that OR and Mikhail are getting better at evading them and doing everything through space and time. X asks how Logan is doing, Jean tells him his healing factor is doing it's part but that it doesn't heal his emotions, his mental defenses are down. She says "sometimes it's better to forget." Feels like foreshadowing to me
-Back to Japan where Logan is battling Romulus (booooo!). Possessed Itsu is mocking Logan for being helpless to save her and Daken while he fights Romulus, she's trying to convince Logan to sacrifice Prof X to save his family. This angers Logan greatly and he uses the anger to quickly hurt Romulus enough that her retreats. Itsu has regained control of her mind. Logan comforts Itsu but Jean's astral form is floating over Logan and Itsu, she says Logan has to leave immediately. It's not implicitly shown how Itsu regains control, either Jean freed her or OR possessing her was a set up to weaken Logan's mental defenses for the next fight.
-The final scene is back in Columbia with Team X Logan. He is running to a press gathering where past Prof X is giving a speech about saving the rain forest. OR is nowhere in the crowd or among the reporters. Jean and Prof X are confused and are sure OR is supposed to be there, Logan interrupts and says "Jeannie, I think I'm the one we should be afraid of" and the last page shows an OR possessed Logan with bone claws and bone tentacles extended.

This issue was fantastic!! I love that the pace has been non stop since issue one, it really creates a sense of urgency and dire consequences. Cassarra is killing it as usual, his depictions of the possessed beings is so chilling and the attention to detail is out of this world. Specifically for me it's small stuff like showing torn flesh around the area where OR is protruding his bone tentacles that really make his work pop, it's just that extra bit of grime that makes it just a little more scary. I also like that under Percy we've seen some growth in Logan relying on his team for help more frequently, it's not often we see this from Logan and it has really added some new characterization that feels natural. I honestly don't know which half of this series I like better. I know comic book companies always hype up events but more often than not they don't live up to it. With this event so far they are delivering us everything they promised. This issue especially, 10/10.

[Rift]

The art is nice.

[Jackraow21]

Love the pace, the art… the only thing I didn’t love was seeing Romulus again. But oddly I didn’t mind his appearance too much. Thus far this series has delivered for Wolverine fans. I’m enjoying it a lot.

[Wolverine12]

Love the pace, the art… the only thing I didn’t love was seeing Romulus again. But oddly I didn’t mind his appearance too much. Thus far this series has delivered for Wolverine fans. I’m enjoying it a lot.

I hope that’s the last we see of Romulus. I really think that run is better left unspoken about and in the past.

[Jackraow21]

I kind of wish he’d get retconned into some pet assassin of Apocalypse’s with delusions of grandeur who was mostly full of shit. Ha. That to me would settle it, and then he wouldn’t be so bad. Just another wannabe (in a long line of them) who’s fixated on “the best there is.”

[Wolverine12]

I kind of wish he’d get retconned into some pet assassin of Apocalypse’s with delusions of grandeur who was mostly full of shit. Ha. That to me would settle it, and then he wouldn’t be so bad. Just another wannabe (in a long line of them) who’s fixated on “the best there is.”

I’d roll with that, but it would have to be a throw away line, I don’t want an issue devoted to it lol.

[Mercury]

The art and colors are gorgeous, and the writing has me hooked on both series.

[Weather]

The issue was amazing. I'm loving Percy's writing ad dialogues. The rythm is very fast and keeps us engaged.

And the art, wow! Phenomenal. The event is going very strong, and coming out every week really keeps the pace.

[Exodus]

The art and colors are gorgeous, and the writing has me hooked on both series.

As a swan song for Jean's costume, I love the art we are getting here!

[Mercury]

As a swan song for Jean's costume, I love the art we are getting here!

Josh Cassara is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists, along with Frank Martin one of my favorite colorists, because of this series. Just brilliant work. If this team replaced Larraz and Gracia on X-Men, I wouldn't complain!