Following the finale of the event 'X of Swords,' the next big X-Men event will be December's 350th issue of Wolverine.
Following the X-Men's fall event – "X of Swords", the Wolverine ongoing series celebrates its 350th legacy numbering with an extra-sized Wolverine #8. Creative team, Benjamin Percy and Adam Kubert with contributions from Viktor Bogdanovic, join forces to tell a story that Kubert describes as, "a definite James Bond vibe.... very fast-paced and reckless."
Wolverine #8/#350 hits comic book stands December 30th, and Newsarama was lucky enough to chat with legendary Wolverine artist Adam Kubert about his contribution to the issue. We discuss the return of Maverick, working within the Hickman era of X-Men, and the exciting visual elements fans can expect with this milestone issue.
Newsarama: Adam, you have a very long history with Wolverine, were there elements from your previous work you wanted to add to this legacy issue?
Adam Kubert: Not consciously, no. The most important thing for me is to tell the story clearly and dramatically. That's what I tried to do years ago and what I try to do now. So, in a way, I guess I am ;)
Nrama: What have you enjoyed the most about working in the Hickman era of the X-Men?
Kubert: Hickman era is right! The guy is a creative powerhouse. That said, something really special is happening with these books... you can feel it. And honestly, there's such a high level of talent attached to this line and I feel honored to be a part of it.
Nrama: What was it like reintroducing Maverick into the story?
Kubert: It was like putting on an old shoe.
Nrama: Visually, what was your favorite aspect of Wolverine #8/#350?
Kubert: Well, for me it's always the story that dictates how it should be told. And this one (written by the talented Ben Percy!) had a definite James Bond vibe to it.... very fast-paced and reckless. So, I wanted to tell the story in a way that would best suit this.
Without giving anything away, I decided to use a lot of panels with quick cuts to help speed up the action and ratchet the drama. To help pull this off, I decided to use a sixteen-panel grid for the entire story. This allowed me to mess with the timing and create a cohesive feel from beginning to end.
Nrama: For Wolverine fans (old and new), why is issue #350 a must-read?
Kubert: Because there are two great stories! The latter was drawn by Viktor Bogdonovic, a crazy good artist with whom I shared artistic duties on the first issue of Wolverine.
Nrama: To wrap, why do you enjoy working on Wolverine? What makes you keep coming back to him?
Kubert: Because he's the greatest character! He's multi-dimensional. He follows his own instincts. He does what he feels is right. He's relatable. He's got cool claws. He rides a Harley. He's the best there is at what he does, and what he does isn't very nice. And most of all, because it's fun!
Adam Kubert has drawn memorable Wolverine stories before, but how will this rank? Check out our list of the best Wolverine stories of all time.
