First off, if you have yet to see Logan, stop right here and go check it out: it is an incredible film, a great super hero story, and a fantastic send-off for Hugh Jackman portraying Wolverine. There is no amount of praise that I can lay down for the film that would do it any justice at this point. What people have been saying is 100% the truth and Logan is the kind of film that you need to see to understand and appreciate. But do me a favor and come back to this article once you’ve seen Logan, okay?
So, did you go see Logan? It was as good as everyone says it is, huh? I mean, damn – Hugh Jackman brought the character to life in this one, didn’t he? Well, are you ready for more amazing Wolverine stories that will thrill and excite you? If you are, get out that comic book checklist because I’ve got 10 must read Wolverine comic stories that are guaranteed to entertain you. Some are tried and true classics while others are personal favorites of mine; but both are some of the best depictions of the Wolverine character ever put to page.
Enemy of the State (2004-2005)
Wolverine Vol. 3 #20-31
Written by Mark Millar
Art by John Romita Jr., Kaare Andrews
The Enemy of the State storyline is one of those over-the-top Wolverine stories that perfectly exemplifies what made the character so popular after his introduction into the X-Men franchise. At its core, Enemy of the State is Wolverine at his most violent and bestial, having been brainwashed by both the terrorist organization Hydra and the mystic ninja clan The Hand into becoming their assassin. As Wolverine battles and even kills some of his closest allies, you begin to wonder just what it would take to bring Wolverine back to his senses.
Fatal Attractions (1993)
X-Men Vol. 1 #25 & Wolverine Vol. 2 #75
Written by Fabian Nicieza, Larry Hama
Art by Andy Kubert, Adam Kubert
While the entirety of the Fatal Attractions storyline is a pretty good read, these two issues that affect Wolverine the most are my favorites from the storyline. You get to see Wolverine put through what is probably most vulnerable hour as Magneto forcibly removes all of Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton from his body, taxing Wolverine’s healing factor to its limit (X-Men #25). And then (in Wolverine #75), you finally find out that Wolverine’s adamantium claws weren’t a result of the Weapon X program but bone claws that he has always had and how he will deal with the fact that he is more vulnerable than ever without his adamantium skeleton.
Get Mystique (2008)
Wolverine Vol. 3 #62-65
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Ron Garney
I’ve always loved when Wolverine and Mystique get to star in a storyline together. There is so much history between the two characters that span both of their long lives that it makes for some interesting and unique stories. In Get Mystique, we see a tale that takes place in modern times, just after the events of the Messiah Complex, as Wolverine goes seeking revenge against the villainous Mystique. But as this story unfolds in the present time, a parallel story that takes place in their shared past, the 1920s, is also revealed to the readers, as the connection between Wolverine and Mystique is revealed in ways that the reader is sure to be entertained with.
Kitty Pryde and Wolverine (1984-1985)
Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #1-6
Written by Chris Claremont
Art by Al Milgrom
I’ve never been a fan of the mentor relationship between Wolverine and Kitty Pryde, even when I go back and read those stories today; however, the Kitty Pryde and Wolverine storyline is one that started to give the Wolverine character some real depth and emotional development that the character had seriously been lacking. This is where a lot of people began to see the caring and humanizing side of Wolverine that had rarely been explored. It is through his ordeal with Kitty Pryde in Japan against the Yakuza and the villainous Ogun that Wolverine, the character within the character, made leaps and bounds in terms of relativity with the readership that was already found of him.
Logan (2008)
Logan #1-3
Written by Brian K Vaughan
Art by Eduardo Risso
One of my favorite Wolverine tales in recent memory, Logan is the story of a Wolverine, now fully able to remember all of his once hidden past, who goes back to Japan, one of his earliest bloody encounters, to settle some old scores. But what he finds in Japan not only unsettles him in various ways, it also divulges a dark secret to the reader about his past. My only complaint with this story is the regressive nature in which the character Atsuko is portrayed within the story; she is basically being boiled down to the damsel-in-distress stereotypical role. But even with that in mind, it is an interesting read that Wolverine completionist should not pass up.
Old Man Logan (2008-2009)
Wolverine Vol. 3 #66-72 & Wolverine Giant-Size Old Man Logan
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Steve McNiven
If you’ve seen the film Logan, then you need to read this story, Old Man Logan, to see where the filmmakers got their inspiration for the film’s story. Now, while it doesn’t quite follow the story of the comics to a tee, you can clearly see where they chose what parts from the story they wanted to utilize. That being said, a future story featuring Wolverine on a road trip with an aged Hawkeye, seeking redemption and payment in a world devastated by the villains, who have taken over the world, to deliver a special package. With Wolverine having given up his heroic persona due to the villains victory, and what would lead him to once again taken up his persona. It’s a dark and gritty tale that is a must read for any Wolverine fan out there.
Origin (2001-2002)
Origin #1-6
Written by Bill Jemas, Paul Jenkins, Joe Quesada
Art by Andy Kubert, Richard Isanove
With so much of Wolverine’s past hidden under layers of mental blocks that had been placed in his mind by the Weapon X program, fans had known very little of one of the most popular comic book characters of all time… until this story. Origin finally told the story of how Wolverine, aka Logan, came to be. The biggest shocker right out of the first issue: Logan wasn’t even his real name. He was born James Howlett in the late 1800s in Canada and first discovered his mutant powers after killing Thomas Logan, the man who had just killed John Howlett Jr., James’ father. Even though Thomas Logan looked like an adult version of James. Yeah, that is the major implication there. As James and his companion, Rose, who looks very much like a young Jean Grey, make their way across Canada seeking a peaceful life, things don’t go as planned and events are set in motion that lead James to be the man he would be destined to become.
Sex and Violence (2010)
X-Force: Sex and Violence #1-3
Written by Christopher Yost, Craig Kyle, Gabriele Dell’Otto
Art by Gabriele Dell’Otto
While not exclusively a Wolverine story, Sex and Violence features Wolverine and his X-Force companion Domino on a quest to clear her name and save her from the Assassin’s Guild. This leads them through a violent and sex driven story that is definitely not for children but certainly made for older fans of the characters who love seeing them cut all out in gore, blood and sex. Wolverine and Domino in particular really steam up the pages of this comic but all of the X-Force team gets in on the killing and violence. If you’re for a comic that is meant for the mature readers who grew up loving the unrestrained nature of these characters, this is for you.
Weapon X (1991)
Marvel Comics Presents Vol. #1 72-84
Written by Barry Windsor-Smith
Art by Barry Windsor-Smith
In Origin, we got to see who Wolverine really was in his youth, but years before that readers were treated to Weapon X – the storyline that showed readers exactly what the Weapon X program did to Wolverine to make him the character that he is today. From training him to be the perfect killing machine, mind-wiping him over and over again, and finally lacing his skeleton with adamantium, this is the horrible and nightmarish tale of the dehumanization of James Howlett and the weaponization of Logan, the Wolverine. With a great and engaging story, Weapon X is arguably one of the quintessential Wolverine story ever written.
Wolverine (1982)
Wolverine Vol. 1 #1-4
Written by Chris Claremont
Art by Frank Miller
This is the mini-series that started it all. This is the series that set Wolverine loose on the Marvel Universe. Though he was introduced in the pages of The Incredible Hulk, and he became popular in the pages of the X-Men, this is Wolverine’s first solo outing that saw him travel to Japan and battle the Japanese underworld and his beloved Mariko’s father for her hand in marriage. Setting the stage for numerous years to follow, this is the most important Wolverine story ever told; and one that every Wolverine fan worth their weight in comics has to read to fully understand and appreciate the character. Wolverine is simply the story of Wolverine and everything that made him such a popular and engaging character.
So, that’s my list of 10 must read Wolverine comic stories from the character’s long comic history. What do you think? Did I leave one of your favorite Wolverine stories out? Do you think one on here shouldn’t have been? Let us know in the comments below. And don’t forget to share this article, and follow geekXpop on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
