Marvel Comics Presents #23 (July 1989) (Wheels' Story)

When the Wolfpack are not fighting the likes of drug dealers, criminals, or the Nine, they are regular New York City teenagers of the late-1980s. Sure, they have skills and talents most teenagers don't, but that doesn't mean they don't also have to deal with regular teenage issues. One example is Nico "Wheels" Wolinski. The young man has a brilliant mind, and he's regarded as a master planner and strategist. But he's still human. And like most humans, he's not immune to being hit by the arrow of Cupid. This little story shows Wheels encountering his first taste of true love. This is Wheels's tale in Marvel Comics Presents #23!

The cover is a Bret Blevins piece. It's a wraparound cover. My favorite bit of it is showing Cyclops fighting some kind of yellow cousins of the famous grey aliens. You know, the ones with the big black eyes? The back cover shows the other characters who have stories here. Not really in any action poses. But our man Wheels is there giving a thumbs up, the cover promising that he's in a love story in the mighty Marvel tradition. I do like the cover, but I wish there was another way to show the other characters previewing their adventures. 

"Lady Jane"
Writer: John Figueroa
Penciler: Ron Wilson
Inker: Tex Blaisdell
Colorist: Evelyn Stein
Letterer: Diana Albers
Editor: Terry Kavanagh
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins in a baseball diamond in the South Bronx. Wheels is playing a bit of the sport considered one of the Great American Pastimes with some local kids. Our man is shown to be talented player, good at hitting the ball and sending it flying. He calculates that he has about 15 seconds to get to third base. Showing how fast he can be, he manages to make the base with time to spare. It allows him to test the newest modification to his wheelchair: Power brakes. 

"And NASCAR laughed at me!"

Much to his joy, they worked perfectly, allowing him to stop on a dime.

Wheels then spots a pretty girl standing on the sideline.

Right now, Cutting Crew is playing in Wheels' head...

Meet Jane. Everything about this young lady gets our man all flustered and love-struck. She's the girl of his dreams. He wants to talk to her, but he can't seem to muster up the courage. He sees himself as a coward. He's able to face drug dealers and the Nine, but he can't talk to a pretty girl. Poor Wheels. 

Another boy, Benny by name, yells at her to stop talking to Wheels, seeing the Wolfpack member as unworthy of attention. He wants to know why she hasn't spoken to him in a week. Thing is, Jane wanting nothing more to do with Benny, as he's become a drug dealer. Benny, though, is a man who does not take "no" for an answer. He grabs at Jane's arm, prompting Wheels to step in.

Benny wants Wheels to butt out, and he is willing to try and stomp our man to make his point. However, Wheels has martial arts training, and a wheelchair filled with tricks, as he demonstrates.

Benny managed to cover the entire baseball diamond in vomit.

Benny is furious at the Wolfpack member, and vows to meet him after school. Later that day, Jane and Wheels are walking down a street. Benny and a compatriot of his drive up, and they got a gun. Yup, they plan to add some hot lead to Wheels' diet. However, the Pack's resident master planner has, you guessed it, a plan for that. 

"I found some bulletproof glass in shop. I didn't ask any questions."

Not only does his wheelchair have bulletproof shielding, it is also equipped with a powerful engine, powerful enough to race with a car, if need be. Benny and his bud continue shooting at Wheels and Jane, but the redheaded genius built his shields tough, easily able to withstand the assault. Jane screams for Wheels to do something. 

After all, they can't stay on the defensive forever. But again, Wheels has a plan. He made another new modification to his chair: the ability to create slippery oil slicks behind him.

Cliche, but it works.

Evidently, Wheels is a fan of Spy Hunter. The oil slick causes the car to hit a police cruiser.

Nobody is hurt, but this causes the cops to catch Benny and his friend with their gun. They also discover that the trunk has enough drugs to get half the city high. With the danger passed, Wheels takes Jane home. He offers to walk her home every day if she wishes it. Jane finds that idea very nice. And she gives him a little reward for being her knight in shining armor.

💖

She heads to her home, saying that she'll see Wheels tomorrow. A happy Wheels, well...wheels away, vowing to be a hero to his beloved Lady Jane...

This was a cute little story. Wheels gets to save the day and get the girl. I think any real issues I have is mainly due to the length. The story has only so many pages to work with, and as such, the story didn't have a lot of room to really explore Jane as a character. It's a shame, because the Wolfpack's stories hardly ever gave much focus to any of the group's supporting cast.

I do think that Wilson's pencils are a bit stronger here than in the main Wolfpack series, mainly because there's less pages for him to work on? Evelyn Stein's colors and Tex Blaisdell's inks go very well with the art. I found myself wishing they were on the maxiseries. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback Wolfpack: The Complete Collection. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off1 Take care of yourselves, and each other! See you next time!

Wolfpack #11 (June 1989)

It's that time again! It's time to rejoin the Wolfpack in their greatest battle against the evil Nine. Last time, the group suffered a horrible tragedy and ended up having to bury one of their own. So, where do we go from here? Let's find out in Wolfpack #11!

The cover is a Ron Wilson and Chris Ivy piece. It's pretty cool. It depicts the Wolfpack being attacked by a group we'll meet in the comic. One of the members of this group is front and center, implying that we'll have to keep an eye on him.

"Nine Ways to Die"
Writer: John Figueroa
Penciler: Ron Wilson
Inker: Chris Ivy
Colorist: Max Scheele
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Editor: Terry Kavanagh
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins...with a geography fail.

This hotel is admittedly quite remote, but it has great views and amenities.

Yeah, this is supposed to be a place called Pagoda Ridge, in China. Thing is, there is a Pagoda Ridge, but it's not in China. It's in Antartica. Whoops. I don't know what Wilson was thinking here. There are plenty of actual mountains in China they could have used. Yeah, it's the geography nerd in me. Anyway, this building is the central HQ of the Nine, the evil organization that the Pack have supposedly been fighting this whole time. They're discussing our heroes, showing that they've managed to cause a lot of problems for this group in New York. Not bad for a bunch of teenagers that have presumably never stepped foot outside of New York City before now. 

The Nine are getting really fed up with the Pack and their antics, so they're bringing in the big guns.

When it comes to their assassins, the Nine always emphasize leg day.

This bunch are the Nine's top team of assassins. When they want someone dead, and I mean really dead, the Nine bring in this bunch. I do like that the assassins' uniforms all have some individual touches to them. The shoulders and color scheme all help show they are a unified group, but they all are unique in their own way. And many of them are quite proud of their legs. If I had legs like them, I'd show them off, too. 

But this isn't these guys' book, it's the Wolfpack's. Let's look in on them, shall we?

"Slippery Sam also knew the best sandwich places in town."

A month has passed since Slippery Sam was killed, and naturally, the Pack are still dealing with it. The Nine seem to be dormant from their perspective. Slag has been wanting to bring young Malcolm Brown (remember him from issue #6?) into the Pack. As such, they've been helping train the boy, despite Wheels's reluctance. After all, the boy still has his obligations to school, and well, Sharon and her father trying to be his legal guardians. It's understandable why Wheels would want Malcolm to just be a kid right now. 

But enough of that. Let's go play some basketball!

However, the game is ruined before it barely begins.

The NBA realized real quick that exploding basketballs was a BAD IDEA.

Somebody really does not like basketball. But seriously, a sniper starts shooting at the Pack from a nearby roof, Luckily, Wheels's super-wheelchair has a new gadget for just the situation: smoke bomb launchers. Smoke covers the court, allowing the members of the Pack to scatter and escape. 

Slag encounters three of the Nine's assassins. And he wonders if he is in Heaven.

"Hello, ladies..."

The redhead prepares to put a bullet in between Slag's eyes, but one of her comrades (the pigtailed woman) gets a bullet to the chest, making the other two scatter. Elsewhere, Sharon and Wheels are also ambushed by three more of the Nine's assassins, but two of them also end up eating bullets to the chest. At a subway station on 149th street, Rafael and Malcolm are also being pursued. Rafael tells Malcolm to run, and not stop for anyone. He'll try and stall them.

"Before you ask, no. We are not a glam rock band. Why do people ask us that?!"

The blond guy, Terrence, is the leader. He wants to see how well Rafael can fight. Our man Mr. Vega obliges him.

Rafael shows he can take Terrence on in a martial-arts scuffle. The trio of Nine assassins remember they have guns, so they whip 'em out and prepare to give Rafael some bullets. However, some shots send them scurrying away. That night, on Rafael's rooftop, the group discuss recent events. They realize the Nine are sending some serious big guns against them. They're going to have to play hardball. Wheels wonders who kept saving them. Slag notes that since the assassins are willing to slap iron (as they would say in the Wild West), they should so the same. Sharon agrees with this, wanting to thank their mysterious savior. And he's all too willing to accept the gratitude. 

"🎵 I'm back! And better than ever!🎵"

Yup, it's our old friend Mr. John Haux, aka the Missionary. How is his name pronounced? I keep thinking its pronounced like "Hawks". Remember him from issue #8? Well, it turns out the man was far from dead. Turns out he ended up landing on a balcony. He considered that event the death of the Missionary, and the rebirth of John Haux. He went to rehab, where he met a janitor named Joshua. 

In one of those coincidences you only find in fiction, Joshua knew the late Mr. Mack, the Pack's old mentor. He explained to Haux about the whole situation with the Nine and the Ten. It can be implied that in his time in rehab, Haux was able to successfully kick his drug habit, so kudos to him for that.

During those months, he also started helping young addicts. This allowed Haux to find his humanity once more. As for why he's back in the picture, well, he heard from Joshua about the Nine declaring full-on war on the Wolfpack, and he wants to help them out. Understandably, the Pack are disbelieving. Remember, he shot and nearly crippled Sharon. Thing is, the kids really do not have much of a choice. The attacks by the assassins show that the Nine is taking them dead serious. They need his help, and them liking him or not is irrelevant. They got a new sensei now.

Over at the 666 Building (kind of obvious, ain't it), Terrence is talking to the Nine's head, and he wants to see Melvin Crenshaw. Crenshaw has apparently shaved his mustache and lost some hair since his last appearance. The head of the Nine berates Crenshaw for failing them. Somehow, the Nine's head is aware that the Missionary is alive, despite Crenshaw claiming he was dead. To be fair to Crenshaw, it was not an unreasonable assumption. The man jumped out of a window in a high building. This may be the Marvel Universe, but people are still not immune to dying from jumping/falling off of high buildings. 

Despite this, the Nine's head announces that they no longer need his legal services. And Terrence is charged with giving him the pink slip...by smashing Crenshaw's head into the communications screen.

I'm guessing Slag's mother is out of a job now. He hired her in issue #3. We never saw anything of it. Hauk is able to provide a new training facility and home for the Pack in New Jersey, thanks to the money he made from his days as a hitman. He pushes them physically and mentally. One month later, Hauk provides a nice celebratory dinner for the Pack. They have grown very much and become much stronger in body and mind. The feel the Nine's end coming. They're feeling pretty good about themselves. Thing is, the Nine hasn't existed as long as they have without trying to take out their enemies all stealth-like.

"Aw come on! One taco night! Just one! That's all I ask!"

He orders the Wolfpack to retreat, as they have no weapons, but despite that, they managed to catch a ninja. Haux is delighted. 

We next look in on the China Club, in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

"I'm glum because the beer here is swill, Karen."

Remember Terrence from earlier? Well, he's feeling a bit glum. One of the other assassins, an Asian woman named Erica, wonders why he's so down. After all, things are looking up for the Nine. Drug business is up, and the Wolfpack has seemingly vanished. Terrence believes that the Pack are just licking their wounds and preparing to strike back. Makes sense. If it weren't for the Missionary giving then sniper back-up, the assassins would have likely been able to take the Pack out. The assassins need to get ready for their possible return.

Back to Jersey! The Pack interrogate the ninja, who reveals he was sent as a warning: The Nine will destroy them all. But Haux tells the ninja the Nine don't have to look for them. The Pack will be the hunters. And they'll have the Nine's heads. And the ninja will be staying in the basement for the time being.

Later that night, Rafael comes to visit Sharon. The two talk briefly, and then they share a kiss, their second since issue #7. This one is meant to be more serious, showing their forming romance. I don't think it was explored much earlier, though. The next day, the group are ready to move out.

Remington's new ad campaign is WEEEEIRD...

The Nine wanted a war? Well, the Wolfpack will be all too happy to give them one.

I liked this issue more than the last one, but I still think it was a weaker one. I was surprised by seeing Missionary's return, as well as his taking over the role of mentor. Seems a bit late, though. I do appreciate that the comic did explain what happened to him. His last appearance hinted that he was struggling with his conscience that led him to this point, so I would have liked some more exploration of that. I would also have liked to see some more exploration of the Wolfpack's feelings regarding Sam's death. Maybe we could have learned more about him, especially since we didn't learn much about him while he was alive. A shame, really. I would have loved to have seen him be involved in the upcoming final battle. 

I find the art rough, but I think it does work. This is supposed to be a gritty series, and I think it bizarrely works. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback Wolfpack: The Complete Collection. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! See you next time!

Wolfpack #10 (May 1989)

It's that time again! It's time to join the Wolfpack in their greatest battle against the Nine! Last time, the Pack found themselves helping the Nine keep the city from falling into chaos. So, what happens next for our scrappy street fighters? Let's find out in Wolfpack #10!

The cover is a Ron Wilson and Chris Ivy piece. It's pretty cool, but it is a bit spoilery. You'll see what I mean.

"Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know"
Writer: John Figueroa
Penciler: Ron Wilson
Inker: Chris Ivy
Colorist: Christie Scheele (credited as "Max Scheele")
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Editor: Terry Kavanagh
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins, naturally, in the South Bronx. We look in on a man sitting on a stoop, scraping a pocketknife on the stone stair. As the man sharpens his blade, he starts thinking about the past.

The man recalls the first time he killed someone. The victim was a 15-year-old Brooklynite during a gang rumble in Bedford Park. When he pulled the knife out of the kid, the man claims it was the first time he felt...alive. He sees the modern gangs as a joke, nothing more than glorified posses full of wannabe-"Scarfaces". One guy has something to say about this man's fashion sense.

"You got a problem with my sweet headband, punk?!"

As shown in the panel, the man compliments the knife-holder's clothes, they just make him look like a refugee from The Warriors. The knife-wielder shows how he feels about the compliment by stabbing the green cap-wearer in the stomach. 

He notices a bunch of kids nearby, realizing they saw everything. He wants them to come with him before the police show up. The boys flee, one remarking he just wanted some crack. Wanted to get his brain good and fried.

The man throws his knife, managing to hit one of the fleeing boys in the back of the leg. The man offers to help him. He just has to take his hand...

...and we transition to the Wolfpack, our heroes busy training.

"Can't catch me, I'm Sam the Slippery Man!" 

Sharon's been recovering very well over the past couple months. Slippery Sam is showing off his skills, his specialty being able to slip in and out of situations. He's feeling a bit cocky. After all, nobody can supposedly touch him. It's why they call him "Slippery" Sam, after all. However, even the best escape artists can be caught, as Wheels shows with the help of a bit of rope.

The group get a visit from Inspector Cassidy. It turns out he has some information for them. He gives them a small stone with an engraving on it.

"Cute rock, Cassidy. What's the point?"

Yeah, the art doesn't show it very well. What the little rock is supposed to have on it is a symbol. In particular, the logo of an old gang called the Wizards. Five years earlier, the police took them down, including their leader, a man named Christian. He's the man we saw earlier. Cassidy worked on the case that brought them down. Christian murdered his partner at the time and also raped the partner's wife. Christian got off on the charge thanks to a technicality, but he did do time for the rape. Five years, to be exact. Now he's out, and Cassidy wants the Pack to watch him. Christian is not a man who will stay out of trouble (as clearly shown earlier), and Cassidy (for perfectly understandable reasons) has a personal issue with him. As for Christian, what is he up to now?

Christian is not a fan of child labor laws.

Yup, he's rebuilding his old gang. The Wolfpack are outside his building. They watch Christian leave with his new Wizards. One of them decides that "this is dumb, I'm leaving".

Christian is understanding of his objection, but he wants to make sure the kid can't talk...so he cuts the kid's tongue off. Christian then loads the injured kid into a van and drives off.

A horrified Sam pursues the van. He leaps on top of the van. Christian hears him land and asks one of his new Wizards to hand him the gun he kept in the glove compartment. Sam tries to get the injured kid out of the van, but Christian ends that attempt with a shot to the chest. 

Unfortunately for Sam, he did not have his bulletproof vest.

He then has his new Wizards shove the injured Sam and the tongueless kid out of the van. The rest of the Pack manages to catch up to the two injured boys. Sam's last words are pleading with Rafael to get him out of the street as he has no desire to die in the street. 

Nearby, Christian is celebrating at a bar with his new gang. Sure, most of them are kids, but he doesn't care. The cops arrive to pick him up, but Christian is not worried. As far as he's concerned, they got nothing on him. He's also too busy feeling alive. The old days are back, baby!

That night, the Pack are still dealing with Sam's death. They all knew the risks of their activities. After all, they were fighting dangerous people. Rafael vows to kill Christian for what he's done. An eye for an eye and all that. Wheels objects to this. After all, do they have the right to take a life like that? There's also something else that Wheels does not bring up. Killing Christian won't undo Sam's death. 

Inspector Cassidy then arrives, saying he'll have to live with Sam's death. He then tells the Pack to let the courts handle Christian. He had to tell Sam's parents he's dead, he doesn't want to tell the rest of their families they're all in jail on a murder rap. Sharon warns him that if Christian isn't jailed, the Wolfpack will deal with him. 

The next day, Christian is on trial. He ends up being let off due to a lack of evidence against him. SO much for the courts, I guess. The surviving members of the Pack witness his release and agree that he's a dead man. 

Christian is in need of some money.

As such, he decides to go hold up a gas station. He and his gang do so, but the station's attendant is not in the mood to play bank to the gang.

"AW, GAWD! GAS TASTES TERRIBLE!" 

He sprays Christian and the Wizards with gasoline. The cops arrive. One of the Wizards, freaked out, fires Christian's gun, the sparks causing the gas station to explode.

Christian somehow survives it, but I can imagine his ears would be ringing from it. All the other Wizards are toasted. He returns to his clubhouse, only to find the Wolfpack waiting for him. He knows what the Pack wants, and he's ready for them. 

He whips out his gun, but Rafael's feet are faster than his trigger finger. With one kick, the martial artist sends Christian flying out the window. Christian's "clubhouse" was on the top floor of a three-story building. So yeah, the landing is going to hurt.

It turns out Christian managed to survive that, too. 

"...how am I not dead?!" 

Yeah. He's alive. Almost every bone in his body is broken, but he's alive. Christian knows that the Pack will be coming down to finish him off. He always chose how he lived, so he will choose how he dies. I can imagine he also wants to deny the Wolfpack the chance to say they took him out. He lights a match and sets himself aflame. He was covered in gasoline thanks to the attendant blasting him with it earlier. As he burns and dies, he repeats his narration from the beginning about the first person he ever killed, and how it made him feel alive. I think the idea here is that he's feeling euphoria. I don't know.

Later on, Inspector Cassidy is at the scene. One cop remarks that the neighborhood is becoming a war zone. He's clearly new in town because it's been pretty much one already. The cop remarks that things are getting worse, but Cassidy has a feeling things are going to get better and better.

Three of the Wolfpack meet up on Rafael's rooftop. Sharon is at home, still dealing with Sam's death. Slag can live with Christian's death, as he brought it on himself. And also, Rafael didn't kill him, he immolated himself. Rafael is torn up about it (presumably, as the art doesn't do a great job differentiating the characters at a distance), and wonders where the line is. Cassidy comes by to visit them. He advises that the Pack must draw it for themselves. After all, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. 

The next day, the Pack prepare for Sam's funeral. The whole neighborhood is there to say goodbye to him. The Pack say goodbye to their comrade, the narration providing a quote from Richard III.

If there is a weak issue of the maxiseries, then in my opinion, it's this one. And it's mainly because of Sam's death. My issue with Sam's death here is a similar problem I had with Margo Damian getting killed off in the Eternals maxi-series I looked at in the past. Much like with Margo, I feel that I never really got to form an emotional bond towards Sam. I did feel sad for the other members of the Pack when they mourned him, but that's because they got to spend time with him and bond with him. 

Also, another annoying thing about Sam's death is remember when his dad's hardware store got wrecked in the graphic novel? We never learn if it ever got fixed up. Also, we never see Sam's dad at the funeral. Cassidy does mention Sam's parents, as in plural, so he likely has a mother. She's not seen here. 

I do get why the creators went with this direction. I really do. Being in the Wolfpack is dangerous. These kids are risking their lives. I understand the intention, but I felt the execution was lousy here. Mainly because we never really get to know Sam over the course of the series. 

Also, I would like to talk about Christian. The comic clearly wants to portray him as especially sociopathic and vicious, but I'm really not buying it. What I mean by that is that he doesn't seem to be, in my opinion anyway, any more ruthless or monstrous than any of the other criminal figures the Wolfpack has encountered in previous issues of the maxiseries or the graphic novel. We're supposed to get this idea that he's from an older time, a time when the gangs were presumably worse than they are now. But again, having read previous issues and the graphic novel, I do think it makes him come off as delusional. 

All in all, I say this was the one issue I did not really enjoy reading that much. If you really want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback Wolfpack: The Complete Collection. Thanks for reading this blog entry! See you next time!

Wolfpack #9 (April 1989)

It's that time again! It's time to rejoin the Wolfpack in their greatest battle against the Nine! Last time, Rafael Vega went a bit crazy, and Sharon...what is her surname?! paid the price for it. They also encountered a drug-addled hitman named Missionary who sought some redemption. And in his quest for redemption, he ended up causing some chaos in the South Bronx. What happens next?! Let's find out in Wolfpack #9!

The cover is a Ron Wilson and Chris Ivy piece. It's pretty cool, depicting a gang member trying to strangle Rafael while they fly out a window. It's a bit of a scary moment, seeing the other members of the Pack vainly try to save Vega. It's a rather exciting-looking cover. 

"Chaos"
Writer: John Figueroa
Penciler: Ron Wilson
Inker: Chris Ivy
Colorist: Max Scheele
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Editor: Terry Kavanagh
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story beings with a bunch of kids hearing screaming from an alley. The kids run towards it, curious as to the source. At this, the narration states that kids are not born bad, they just imitate their environment. It turns out that a man named Lee is talking about an opportunity.

“And then everyone will HAVE to respect my sweet headband!”

Thanks to Rafael and the Missionary's actions in the last issue, there is a power vacuum in the criminal underworld. And from that, Lee sees an opportunity. This is a chance for the smaller gangs like his own to take control. Naturally, someone objects to this.

Naturally, someone objects to this. After all, just because the mobs are still fractured right now, doesn't mean they're not still dangerous. It's called organized crime for a reason, after all. They likely have contingencies in place for stuff like this (Especially considering it's the Marvel Universe after all), and Lee's plans will just get everyone killed.

Lee shuts up the dissenter with a bullet to the chest. He then asks if anyone else has an issue. After all, he presumably still has some bullets in his gun. Well, three of the Wolfpack have opinions.

"Your mothers also smelled of elderberries!"

Sam, Wheels, and Slag deal with the gathered gang members.

They manage to break up the meeting, but it's not been an easy time for them. They really could use Rafael right now, as Sharon is still recuperating in the hospital. However, he's still dealing with the events of last issue. Rafael is hanging at a streetlamp, lost in his own thoughts. He laments that when he gets something good, something happens to wreck it. A drug dealer walks up to him, thinking he's a potential customer. However, when he realizes it's Rafael, he runs like his butt was on fire.

The dealer is so scared, he dropped his crack. Rafael picks it up, thinking that the Pack would have dealt with the dealers easily. He notes that many people take drugs to forget, and he wonders why.

Over at the Spartans' headquarters, Lee is doing some target practice...while playing his idea of darts.

“Stupid PDC! I’ll show ‘em!”

He was able to be let go thanks to his ditching his gun. As such, the cops had no case. But that's the past. Lee is thinking of the future. He heard a gang called the Dragons are gong to buy some cocaine. The Spartans need a bit of spending money, so he figures why not take their money...and the cocaine as well? Sell that themselves for even more money, I presume.

Lee sees this act as a steppingstone towards his true dream: to be the top man in the Bronx. To be the number one man in the number one gang in the city. 

Meanwhile, Rafael had found...something. The art doesn't make it clear exactly what he has (presumably some form of drug paraphenalia), but a man warns him that it's chemical. He laments that crack is making kids go insane, and he has it hard enough with heroin.

"Kid, you look like life ran you over. And that's coming from ME!"

He offers some drugs to Rafe, but the boy gets a view of his arm. He sees the track marks from his habit, and evidently it causes the young martial artist to have a revelation. He's done running away from his problems. In a nice little moment, he tells the man that if he wants help kicking his habit, let him know. Remember this man.

That night, the Pack holds a meeting at the rooftop of the building Rafael lives in. They discuss that Lee was let out of the lock-up by the police. Something about him being a controlling factor. It's here that Rafael decides to join them. He apologizes to them for his actions in the last issue, and he wants to rejoin the team...if they'll let him. Slag, Sam, and Wheels are all happy to let him back on board. Then someone comes along to ruin the good times.

"You were expecting Matt Murdock?"

Yup, ol' Malvin Crenshaw, the Nine's sleazy ambulance-chasing lawyer. And he needs the Pack's help. You see, thanks to the Missionary deciding to have a little fun with his machine gun (heh, poet and didn't know it) in the last issue, there's chaos among the gangs. Crenshaw is doing what he can to keep things from falling apart, but even he can only do so much. He needs the Pack's help...well, more like he needs Rafael's help.

Remember, Rafael learned that he is the biological son of one of the Nine. As such, he can declare himself the new head. If Rafael does that, Crenshaw will have time to get new people in to take charge of the gangs and prevent some real chaos from breaking out. Rafael points out that the Wolfpack was formed to stop the Nine. However, Wheels convinces him to help. After all, keeping the gangs stable will help make things easier. Not to mention gang wars can get civilians caught in the crossfire. This move would likely save some lives.

The Pack agree to help, and Crenshaw gives them some information on the Spartans. They're the gang that is causing the most trouble right now. With them subdued, things should be a bit more peaceful, and Crenshaw will have everything under control in three days. They agree to help, but as soon as this is over, the Nine are going down.

Over in Chinatown, said gang are preparing an ambush.

"After we kill them, we'll throw the rotten vegetables at the building!"

They're going to attack another gang called the Dragons, and steal their drugs, presumably to sell themselves. The Wolfpack aren't able to save the Dragons, but they do catch the Spartans' leader. Rafael warns him that he's in charge around here now, thanks to the events of the last issue. As such, if the Spartans want to start a fight, they only do it with his say-so. 

Inspector Cassidy arrives and wants some answers, but the neighborhood is clammed up. One little girl does tell him about the Pack's attack on the Spartans. Unaware of what's really going on, Cassidy worries that the Wolfpack have gone to the dark side. He did not need this today!

Rafael briefly visits his home, where his mother is demanding to know what's going on.

He assures her that all the chaos will be over in a few days, and tells her he loves her. 💓 It's also Saturday today, so he can spend the day with Sharon, who is recovering from being shot in the last issue. He notices a kid nearby. The kid is there to give the Wolfpacker a gift.

"Hey, wait a minute! This isn't a water gun!" 

A gift of hot lead. Rafael dodged the bullet, and the kid runs for it.

Another kid tells Rafael the attempted shooter was with some guys in a car...wearing Spartan colors. Likely they were trying to take out Rafael while maintaining plausible deniability. Afterwards, the kids think that maybe they should form their own gang as things are getting tough out here. 

However, there is some good news. Over at Bellvue Hospital, it's revealed that Sharon's prognosis is better than it was originally believed. The bullet she was hit with missed her spine, and the surgeons were able to get it out. And since her spinal cord wasn't damaged, it means she is still able to walk. Not just walk, but she will still be able to run.

Rafael goes into her room and begs Sharon for forgiveness. She seems to be in a forgiving mood. With that out of the way, the rest of the Pack can get down to business. Rafael reports the Spartans' attempt to kill him. The Wolfpack make their way to the Spartans' HQ, and brawl with the gang. The teenage crimefighters demand to know where Lee is. He's hiding out back. When the Pack investigate, they find a shocking sight.

"They said they had punch and pie!"

It was already bad enough that the Spartans have what looks like an innocent man in this simple death trap, but Rafael recognizes this man. It was the same man he had met earlier. Lee believes this man knows about a big score is coming but refuses to talk. It's possible that he's unaware of any big score, Lee. Lee then engages Rafael in a fight.

The brawl attracts a crowd. Lee is physically stronger than Rafe (and is willing to knock him around with a trash can), but Rafael is a smarter and better fighter. He knocks the Spartans' leader down a few pegs, pointing out that he's no son of Apollo Cora. He's the son of the streets of the South Bronx. He's no different than anyone in the borough, except in one aspect. He has dignity. He respects his neighborhood and its people. Sirens are heard. The cops are coming.

The crowd and the Pack scatter, leaving Lee lying among the trash. I can imagine that Sam, Slag, and Wheels rescued the junkie while Rafael and Lee were brawling. 

A week passes. Crenshaw meets with the Pack. He gives them props for dealing with Lee and the Spartans. He's got the new bosses in, so things should go back to normal. But with that, the Wolfpack declare they will bring down the Nine, and these new bosses. After Crenshaw leaves, Rafael announces his plans for his inheritance: Afte Uncle Sam collects the taxes, he plans to sell his new car, fix up his home, and then put the remainder in the bank. He also plans to pay Sharon's hospital bills and any therapy she'll need. Also, he'll set up a fund for the Pack in case they need any money. 

Wheels points out that they're taking on a big task, but he's feeling optimistic. The streets will be free of the Nine!

In epilogue, a group of kids are heading towards the park, where they're stopped by another group of kids, who have formed their own gang called the Junior Spartans, and this park is now their turf. The narration reiterates that children are not born bad, they just imitate their environment...

I did enjoy this issue. Rafael is the one who gets the most character development in the issue, which makes a lot of sense. I do admit, I did feel a bit thrown off by the prologue and epilogue of the issue focused on the kids, but I think it was meant to show that the rough streets of the South Bronx can perpetuate a dark cycle, the violence and gangbanging passing from one generation to another. One plotline I do wish was picked up here was with Crenshaw and Slag. You see, all the way back in issue #3, his mother got a new job working for Crenshaw, unaware that Crenshaw is involved with the Nine (he's not a member, he's their attorney). I would have liked to have seen that plotline explored further here. 

The art is strongest when it comes to the close-ups. You really get a good view of characters' expressions with them. 

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback Wolfpack: The Complete Collection. Thanks for reading this blog entry! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!