In a stunning new cover, one of Wolverine’s most iconic looks finally makes sense. Superstar artist Adam Hughes unveiled his variant cover for X Lives of Wolverine #4, on sale in print and digital March 2, showing Logan decked out in his "Patch" identity. This look, used when Wolverine travels to Madripoor, is a puzzling one, as the hard-living hero puts on an air of quasi-respectability. But Hughes' art proves the look is actually just another form of Wolverine's role as an apex predator.
After soaring in popularity in the 1980s, Wolverine was finally given his own solo title in 1988. In the book’s opening arc, Logan relocated to the island nation of Madripoor, famous for its corruption and vice. Realizing he may be recognized as Wolverine, or any of the other aliases he had held over the years, he adopted a new guise: Patch. Abandoning his superhero costume for a white tuxedo and an eyepatch, Wolverine reinvented himself as a fixer for the criminal element. The citizens of Madripoor (and fans) embraced Wolverine as Patch, and the look has gone on to become one of his most well-known. Now, the Patch persona returns in a special variant cover for March’s X Lives of Wolverine #4, by artist Adam Hughes. The book will be written by Benjamin Percy, drawn by Joshua Cassara, colored by Frank Martin and lettered by Cory Petit.
In a post to his Twitter account, Adam Hughes revealed the variant cover, saying, "In Madripoor, anything goes." The cover shows Wolverine, in his Patch look, complete with the requisite eyepatch and tuxedo. He is standing in foliage at a fancy restaurant cloaking his upper body in shadows. A closer look reveals shadowy images of various high-fliers enjoying themselves at the restaurant. Stalking through this makeshift jungle, Logan is clearly on the prowl for prey, as the interior scene nevertheless portrays him as a hunter, with the shadows even replicating his claws. The cover has garnered nearly 5,000 likes and 600 retweets at time of writing.
Adam Hughes' cover highlights why the Patch persona endures, despite being an unusually suave choice for the X-Men's resident brawler. Wolverine has a (justified) reputation as coarse and abrasive, which can be impediments when trying to infiltrate an organized crime syndicate. The Patch persona allows Wolverine to “blend in” with high society, much like how he blends in with the shadows in X Lives of Wolverine #4’s variant cover. Wolverine is one of the best hunters in the Marvel Universe and he understands that he needs a variety of disguises to track his prey. The Patch persona is his camouflage in urban environments, giving him the edge over crime lords and other white-collar criminals.
It is only fitting that a book titled X Lives of Wolverine would feature one of the character’s most iconic looks, yet Adam Hughes also points out why the Patch look is one of Wolverine’s best personas, allowing him to hunt in plain sight, even when his prey has money to burn.
Source: @AH_AdamHughes