Hunt for Wolverine: Weapon Lost #1
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Matteo Buffagni
Colorist: Jim Charalampidis
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Review by Greg Brothers
Last week in Hunt for Wolverine we saw a core group of X-Men realize that their fallen teammate was missing from his final resting place. Kitty, determined to find out what happened to Wolverine’s body, set out to ask for help throughout the Marvel Universe.
Hunt for Wolverine: Weapon Lost #1 focuses on Daredevil putting together a team that he feels will best help him track down clues to the disappearance of Wolverine. We are introduced to Frank McGee, a former police officer who is now tasked with keeping New Attilan safe, and Misty Knight, another former police officer, turned private investigator. Now after dealing with a few too many supervillains and overall bad guys, she has retired. Finally, the team sets out to find Cypher, a mutant who is a living computer and can sync with and find any information one might want.
Soule starts with telling the story from Daredevil’s point of view. It works well in that readers who may be unfamiliar with Daredevil get a quick introduction to his abilities. The way that each character in introduced allows for the reader to see why each of them is being chosen. One thing that becomes obvious is that Hunt for Wolverine: Weapon Lost #1 is not just a title about finding Wolverine. Instead it represents each character, as Soule presents us with a team full of characters that are lost in one way or another. Even in this first issue it becomes obvious the team is going to help each other heal and find themselves again.
Charalampidis’ decision to go with a darker palate makes sense since in the end this is a Daredevil-driven book. Dark blues, greens, and some oranges dominate the panels, and this allows for Daredevil to stand out, even in a muted red suit. Adding to the darkness, the pages and gutters are done in a plain black. And lining the panels with thin red lines keeps the panels from getting lost in the the black pages. The look and design of Cypher fits well for the conspiracy theorist-vibe that the team decided to go with.
Verdict: Buy it.
The Hunt for Wolverine: Weapon Lost #1 paints Daredevil as the perfect leader for a team investigating conspiracies and rumors. Soule does an excellent job taking the time to introduce each character, without weighing the story down with too much exposition. If you are following the entire Hunt for Wolverine event, then this book is a perfect compliment.