This issue suffers from having to follow issues #10 and #11 which are among the best issues of any comic that I have read in some time. This is not to say that this issue is bad by any means, only that it does not live up to the almost unmitigated greatness of the previous two instalments. Not a fair criticism of this issue, perhaps, but it can’t help but colour a reader’s enjoyment of this month’s outing.

Along with Wolvie/Cap barhopping, last month showed us that a team of Deathloks from the future are making like Terminator and killing people before than can become a threat in the future. Next on their list is Captain America (Bucky not Steve). So in the present day we have: the Deathloks attacking Bucky-Cap, Wolvie being told what is going on by a young woman who apparently having visions, and Wolvie jumping into the fight to help. 25 years in the future we see a future Wolvie (one who seems to be missing his hands) join up with some freedom fighters to help thwart the latest time travel schemes of the evil Roxxon, who now apparently rules things … evilly.

If all of that seems a bit convoluted and like too much going on for one single issue, it kind of is. In the last year I have become a huge fan of Jason Aaron for his characterization and his unforgiving storylines. That said, he seems at times to show a Grant Morrison-like love of big ideas and incomplete storytelling. Big ideas are great but Morrison’s problem is not taking the time to bring his audience along with him for the ride. Unfortunately Aaron seems to be doing the same here. Characters, plot points and concepts get thrown up onto the page in such a rush here that, while Aaron manages to maintain clarity on what events are taking place, it is less easy to follow why we should care.

I have always found that this is a stumbling point for “Days of Future Past” riffs like this storyline. What we learn about the nightmarish future is mostly just hints and innuendo about how things have gone to hell and how all our favourite heroes have been killed off. Trouble is there is rarely enough room in the story to properly pay off on this vision of the future and after dozens of these stories the novelty of a glimpse of this maybe-future doesn’t have the same appeal any more. And because we know nothing that happens to these future versions of characters will have any lasting importance I find it hard to feel anything for whatever misfortunes befall them.

Despite my disappointments with the plotting in this issue, Ron Garney continues to be on his game here. He shows here a great grasp of just how much detail to include in a given panel and how much to leave out. The action flows across each page and is exciting and compelling. The sequence that starts at the mid-point of the issue, the battle in the subway station, is yet another great and memorable fight from this series. The Deathlok watching Cap’s shield closing in, a bullet riddled Wolvie being dropped aside, and a severed arm still putting up a fight, all great stuff. What is also remarkable is how strong the expressions and character work is as well, Logan’s thoughts on the possibility of the cyborgs hunting Steve Rogers are right there on his face, no need to have it explained.

I definitely have my nit-picks with this issue which makes it disappointing after how strong this series has been overall and especially just recently. However, it is still a very good issue and despite being tied of “Days of Future Past” stories I am interested to see where Aaron is taking this. Considering how many books Wolverine shows up in it is surprising how rarely he is done well. Aaron and Garney are knocking this series out of the park, this is the Wolverine book. Even if you think you hate the scrappy little Canadian, those of you who think that he is over exposed and one-note, start reading Wolverine: Weapon X, you won’t regret it.