Wolverine #28 Review – Empty Calories

Wolverine #28 (Marvel, 9/23/26): Writer Saladin Ahmed & artist Martín Cóccolo find Logan in Dallas with Forge for a quest to restore his broken claw. Unfortunately, Lady Deathstrike ruins the night. Ahmed’s script reads like an epilogue to end the series, and maybe it should be. Verdict: A whole lot of fluff.

• Writer: Saladin Ahmed
• Artist: Martín Cóccolo
• Colorist: Jesus Aburtov
• Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
• Cover Artist: Dan Panosian (cover A)
• Publisher: Marvel Comics
• Release Date: September 23, 2026
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: 26
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of Wolverine #28:

First Impressions:

It’s been a while since we caught up with Saladin Ahmed’s turn on Wolverine, so I had no idea how much had transpired. It turns out, not much. That, indeed, is a very bad sign.

Recap:

During an epic battle with the Adamantine, the spirit of the metal that adamantium was based on, Wolverine’s seemingly unbreakable adamantium claws were shattered, leaving painful bone nubs on his right hand. Facing his enemies without a healing factor and one set of claws proved difficult, but Wolverine eventually regained his healing factor and defeated the Adamantine once and for all. However, Logan was left with a mismatched set of adamantium and bone claws, raising the question of whether he was still the best there was at what he did.

Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):

The issue begins with Logan and Forge knocking back a few beers at a restaurant in Dallas when Forge receives an alert. A highly skilled intruder has broken through Forge’s multi-layered security at his penthouse lab. Logan and Forge rush back to the building. Along the way, they’re hit with bazooka fire, injuring Forge. Logan tracks the assassin to Forge’s building and is met with a squad of sword-wielding Yakuza.

Logan fights his way through the sword-wielders and makes his way through Forge’s security systems to reach the penthouse. There, he encounters Lady Deathstrike attempting to steal Forge’s supply of liquified Adamantium. Logan stops the theft, but Lady Deathstrike gets away.

Later, Forge restores the missing Adamantium to Logan’s right claws, and Logan returns to New Orleans. There, he relaxes during a game of cards with Nightcrawler. After the game, Logan gets a call from Leonard, who thanks Logan for inspiring him to get a job and his High School diploma.

And they all lived happily ever after… The End.

How is the story in Wolverine #28?

The last line in the synopsis above is a bit facetious, but that’s what this issue feels like. Saladin Ahmed’s script has much too much internal dialogue of Logan thinking about how he feels about everything, while a VERY milquetoast adventure plays out. The adventure ends with as much urgency and drama as one of those Hostess Fruit Pie adventures in the Marvel comics of the 80s. You might as well have Lady Deathstrike say “Curse you, Wolverine. I’ll get you next time.” while she shakes her fist at him. If you’re looking for an example of what phoning in a script looks like, this is it.

How is the art in Wolverine #28?

Martín Cóccolo’s artwork is perfectly fit for purpose. I’ll be kind here and say that I’ve seen Cóccolo do better, but you could certainly do worse. The action is perfectly fine, and the characters are recognizable, but there’s a certain wonkiness with the forced perspective panels wherein the characters look mildly distorted. It’s not enough to pull you out of the story completely, but there are a few panels where you’ll be saying, “Oh, that doesn’t look great.”

Characters

Wolverine is the star of the show, and he’s the focal point from start to finish. Lady Deathstrike’s rationale for taking the Adamantium is a bit thin, but Logan does what he does best by slashing his way through every obstacle in sight. Plus, there are tons of captions where you get Logan narrating his inner thoughts. Arguably, the captions are too much.

Originality & Concept Execution

Lady Deathstrike wants to steal a thing, and Logan leaps into action to stop her. There’s not a hint of shock, surprise, or originality on any page.

Pros and Cons

What We Loved

• Plenty of claw-slashing action
• It’s a technically complete story
• A Nightcrawler sighting is always welcome

Room for Improvement

• The script is as basic as it gets
• The art is as mediocre as it gets
• The issue reads like a light epilogue just to fill space

Art Samples:

The Scorecard:

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 1.5/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 0/2

Final Thoughts:

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Wolverine #28 is a lightweight issue that seeks to do nothing more than fill space, with bland motivations, humdrum action, and an ending that reads like an Afterschool Special. On every level, the creative team phoned this one in.

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