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Reviews

Ultimate Wolverine #4 Review

  • Written by: Chris Condon
  • Art by: Alessandro Cappuccio
  • Colors by: Bryan Valenza
  • Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
  • Cover art by: Alessandro Cappuccio, Frank Martin (cover A)
  • Cover price: $4.99
  • Release date: April 16, 2025

Ultimate Wolverine #4, by Marvel on 4/16/25, finds the Winter Soldier grappling with the fallout from his meeting with Kitty Pryde, pitting his personality against his programming.

Is Ultimate Wolverine #4 Good?

Recap

When we last left the Winter Soldier in Ultimate Wolverine #3, the clawed one was sent out on a strike mission against the next stronghold of rebellious mutants. Who were the targets? Kitty Pryde and Gambit. During the fight, Kitty unlocked memories in the Winter Soldier’s mind, planting the seeds of internal conflict.

Plot Synopsis

In Ultimate Wolverine #4, Directorate X is deathly afraid they’re losing control of their prized asset. The issue begins with a sixteen-page silent fight, in slow motion, between a wolf and a polar bear in the woods. The fight is overlayed by a group of scientists becoming increasingly frantic that the Winter Soldier is breaking his conditioning inside his suspension chamber. You never see the scientists or said “breaking” as the fight between wolf and bear appears to be a symbolic struggle within The Winter Soldier’s mind.

The wilderness battle ends when Dr. Postrovich arrives to calm the Winter Soldier down after he apparently broke free from the suspension chamber and slaughtered scientists and armed guards. Postrovich calmly ordered the Winter Soldier to be cuffed and led to a Cerebro-like structure in the bowels of the facility. There, we see Jean Grey, with her brain separated from her body and attached to Cerebro as a tool for re-establishing Directorate X’s control over the Winter Soldier.

First Impressions

Great art, terrible pacing, and almost no plot. Chris Condon takes the hint from every other Ultimates title by following the slowest possible road to the Maker’s return. Visually and viscerally, Ultimate Wolverine #4 depicts a brutal character evolving into something more, but the do-nothing, go-nowhere pace is a killer (no pun intended).

How’s the Art?

The art from Alessandro Cappuccio is, by far, the highlight of the issue and the only reason to buy this comic. Cappuccio crafts a beast fight that feels primal, savage, and evocative of all the beastly instincts you’d expect to find in a Wolverine character. Plus, the shocking bit of gore we witness when the narrative switches back to the real world elevates the Winter Soldier’s lethal cred.

What’s great about Ultimate Wolverine #4?

If you’re into brutal, savage fights that result in bloodshed, this is the comic for you. Chris Condon’s script doesn’t go very far, but it acts as an excellent showcase for Alessandro Cappuccio’s art. Plus, the twist reveal about Jean Grey’s torturous fate at the end is heartbreaking (in a good way).

What’s not great about Ultimate Wolverine #4?

Again, the pacing is a killer. Presumably, Chris Condon is ramping the Winter Soldier up to take part in the fight against the Maker when the supervillain returns later this year, but somehow, Condon was given the instructions to slow-walk Winter Soldier’s debut and tread water as casually as possible while waiting. Instead of telling compelling stories and giving readers a reason to get hooked on this character, Condon fills space while readers wait.

Barring Cappuccio’s art, this issue feels like a waste of time and money.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

Ultimate Wolverine #4 shows the savage fallout from the Winter Soldier’s interaction with Kitty Pryde, but Chris Condon’s script takes an entire issue to symbolically show the titular character losing control. The script is little more than a single, inconsequential scene with a twist ending, so the only reason to buy it is for the outstanding art by Alessandro Cappuccio.

5/10

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