Wolverine is on the hunt for Arakkii mutant Solem in August 25's Wolverine #15, with his quest to track down his latest rival putting him in the crosshairs of another Arakkii warrior - namely Sevyr Blackmore, described by Marvel as a "pirate crime lord."
We've got an advance look at some interior pages from the issue by writer Benjamin Percy, artist Adam Kubert, and colorist Frank Martin, which show off the massive (literally) challenge Wolverine is about to face when he squares off with the towering Sevyr Blackmore on his hunt for Solem.
Incidentally, if you're looking for a decent soundtrack for the issue, Marvel's solicitation text may hint at some music to put on with a particularly niche pun, seemingly geared toward the '70s heavy metal fans among us.
"Blackmore's Fight!" reads a somewhat cheeky portion of the solicitation text. "Wolverine comes face-to-face with Arakki pirate crime lord Sevyr Blackmore!"
For those readers who aren't Deep Purple fans, 'Blackmore's Fight' is a bit of a pun on the band name Blackmore's Night, the side project of on-again-off-again Deep Purple guitarist Richie Blackmore. If you dig medieval-inspired acoustic folk metal with surprisingly intricate guitar work, Blackmore's Night may be up your alley - even if it makes for an interesting soundtrack for a Wolverine fight.
Here's the gallery of pages and covers from Wolverine #15:
As for Solem, the villain Wolverine is tracking in his current arc, the Arakkii warrior was introduced in 'X of Swords' as one of the Swordbearers of Arakko who fought Logan during their quest to retrieve two swords from Hell itself. Solem's mutant power consists of nigh-unbreakable adamantium skin, making him a formidable opponent for Wolverine's own adamantium skeleton and mutant healing factor - especially, coupled with Solem's very un-Wolverine like gifts of manipulation and subterfuge.
Back when Solem was first introduced in 'X of Swords,' writer Benjamin Percy billed him as the "Loki to Wolverine's Thor," drawing a fine point on their contrasting attitudes and personalities in the lead-up to the crossover.
"I won't tell you everything about his history, but I will say that coming out of this event, he's going to be a major new player in the mainline," Percy told Newsarama of Solem's place in Wolverine's story, back during the lead up to 'X of Swords'. "Think of him as a Loki to Wolverine's Thor. He's…delightfully evil, a charming bastard, and impossibly deadly."
Wolverine #15 goes on sale on August 25.
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