Warning: minor spoilers for Runaways #34!
The X-Men’s Wolverine may be one of Marvel’s most powerful mutants, but even he knows he can never be Batman, and he admits that in the preview for Runaways #34. Wolverine has healing powers, an adamantium skeleton, and three retractable claws on each hand – not to mention the superhuman agility, stamina, reflexes, and surprisingly versatile super-senses. But what he doesn’t have are detective skills. He might be able to track his enemies across huge distances, but he’s not much for deducing where they’re hiding or what they’re up to, and as the comics just proved, he knows it.
In Runaways #33, X-Men Wolverine and Pixie came to take young hero Molly Hayes to the mutant nation of Krakoa after she apparently sent them a distress signal. A found family living under the radar to avoid their super-villain parents’ old organization, the Runaways have been growing apart recently, with Molly yearning for freedom from the team’s restrictive attitude to protecting their secret. Whether Molly did indeed signal for mutant rescue or not, she got more than she bargained for, as thanks to Wolverine’s bullheaded approach, he quickly ended up in a brawl with the Runaways’ Doombot guardian, causing chaos in the team’s base.
Now, in a Marvel Comics preview of Runaways #34 – from Rainbow Rowell and Andres Genolet – it seems like there’s more to the story than fans knew. The preview pages depict the Runaways, Wolverine, and Pixie on a combined mission to rescue a mysterious young mutant, suggesting it’s possible that Molly isn’t the one who signaled the X-Men. That would mean Wolverine’s no-holds-barred entrance was completely unnecessary; something team member Nico observes to Pixie as they search for the mutant in need of aid, setting up Logan’s own admission that he wouldn’t fare too well as the Dark Knight.
Having thawed the ice a little after the X-Men’s aggressive entrance, the scene shifts to Wolverine and the rest of the team. There, the team ask him what to do next, but Logan admits he has no idea. “Look, kid, I’m not the world’s greatest detective. Generally, in situations like this, I wait for something to show up, and then I fight it.” Fans of Batman will recognize ‘the world’s greatest detective’ as one of the nicknames applied to Bruce Wayne over in DC Comics. Batman has become the center of ‘detective comics’ for good reason. His nearly unmatched skills as an investigator basically make him synonymous with the word to fans everywhere, and Wolverine is perfectly happy to admit he doesn’t measure up in that department. Thankfully for him, it looks like his area of expertise isn’t too far away, as the next page reveals a huge threat coming for the team.
What’s nice for fans to see about the interaction is that Wolverine seems happy with his particular set of skills, telling Chase Stein, “We use what we got.” He knows his strengths, and always uses them to his advantage. In this way, Wolverine reminds fans that while Batman may be a pop culture icon, there are other ways to be a hero – you don’t have to be a genius or an unquestionable expert in your field to make a difference. Wolverine will stick to waiting for something to fight, and then fighting it. Runaways #34 will be available in local comic shops and online March 2.
