After Kitty Pryde cracked Logan’s mental programming in issue #3, the Winter Soldier we’ve come to know in Marvel’s Ultimate Universe started to glitch — badly. Now, Ultimate Wolverine #4 picks up with Logan teetering between man and monster, memory and machine, and it does so through a bold, metaphor-heavy choice that’s equal parts haunting and hypnotic.
“The Wolf and the Bear” is an excellent metaphorical opener that sets the tone for a bloody, brain-bending installment. Most of this issue is just a wolf fighting a bear in the snow — for real. That’s the story, at least on the surface. But we’re not just watching wildlife on National Geographic. The battle acts as a metaphor for Wolverine’s fractured psyche and his internal war against the programming that has caged him. Behind the scenes, a group of increasingly panicked scientists narrates the situation, trying to understand why Logan is breaking protocol, waking up mid-suspension, and tearing their lab apart.
Eventually, the wolf-bear clash explodes into a bloody double-page spread, and that’s when we sync back into reality. Wolverine (or Logan, or the Winter Soldier — take your pick) is loose. Kind of. Dr. Prostovich calms the chaos, revealing the terrifying extent of Logan’s mental conditioning. Three layers deep — sedatives, reeducation, and psychic control — all enforced by mutants we’ve seen before, now twisted into tools. It’s messed up. And compelling as hell.
Credit: Marvel Comics
Watching this issue unfold is like staring at a Rorschach test with claws — it’s violent, poetic, and refuses to spoon-feed anything. This isn’t a typical action-packed Wolverine bloodbath, even if plenty of blood is spilled. Instead, it’s a slow burn built on symbols, color-coded dialogue, and visual metaphors. That wolf and bear? They’re stand-ins. For Logan. For Russia. For everything. And the way the creative team plays with this idea — letting the metaphor carry the narrative while literal events unfold off-panel — is ballsy. But it works.
There’s this tension the whole way through, like your brain’s trying to piece together a dream right after waking up. It forces you to read closely, absorb the colors, track the caption voices (shoutout to Cory Petit’s clever lettering work), and try to grasp what Logan is going through without ever being told. It’s rewarding if you’re in the mood to think. Frustrating if you’re just here for claws and carnage.
That said, Alessandro Cappuccio goes full beast mode when the claws do come out. Logan looks terrifying. Hair-trigger feral. Covered in gore. There’s a two-page spread post-rampage that’s just pure visual horror. And the last few pages take the twisted factor even higher with a reveal involving Jean Grey that feels straight out of Event Horizon. Ultimately, this issue is bold and thoughtful, but won’t be for everyone.
On the plus side, the art is stunning, the storytelling structure is smart, and the metaphors are rich. Cappuccio’s use of negative space, stark contrasts, and expressive detail is practically a masterclass. Bryan Valenza’s colors are moody and punchy, keeping the tone heavy. Condon’s script trusts readers to keep up, which is refreshing. There is no hand-holding here.
Credit: Marvel Comics
The opening wolf vs. bear scene is lengthy (16 pages, no humans!), which might lose you if you’re not looking for allegory. The comic offers substance, but might disappoint if you expected straightforward action instead of symbolism. Despite that, it’s a top pick for fans wanting psychological depth in their Marvel stories.
Ultimate Wolverine #4 pits Logan against himself, using a confrontation with a bear as a vehicle for introspection. The issue employs unique visual, emotional, and metaphorical language to delve deep into what makes Wolverine tick. It feels more like an art film than an action flick, but the approach is ultimately effective.
‘Ultimate Wolverine’ #4 Offers Savage Action, Shattered Mind
Ultimate Wolverine #4 pits Logan against himself, using a confrontation with a bear as a vehicle for introspection. This issue feels more like an art film than an action flick, but the approach is ultimately effective.
