Wolverine is the best there is at what he does and what he does is sell comic books. His introduction in 1974’s The Incredible Hulk #181 gave readers a character who would soon become more popular than anyone but Spider-Man. He became the main reason people bought Uncanny X-Men, helping the book become the most popular comic in the ’80s and ’90s. He’s played a huge role in every adaptation of the team, and his portrayal by Hugh Jackman made him a favorite of just about everyone. However, as popular as he can seem, there are a lot of people who still don’t like him.
These people are messing out. There are some fantastic stories starring the ol’Canucklehead that any fan of superheroes could love, including those who never read him before or those who thought that they didn’t like him. These ten Wolverine stories are perfect for non-fans, and could make them into a lover of the hero.
Wolverine: Revenge, by Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo, is an alternate universe story, so it doesn’t take a lot of knowledge of the character to understand it. Magneto is killed and his death causes a massive EMP that wrecks the world. Wolverine is recruited by Nick Fury to attack the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, who control the last working reactor on the planet, with Captain America and Winter Soldier joining the mission. After a bloody failure, he vows revenge against them. This is a big action spectacle comic, with amazing art from Capullo. Hickman loves Logan, and he does an amazing job with the character in this five-issue miniseries.
Chris Claremont is the greatest X-Men writer, and played a huge role in making Wolverine popular. There are some amazing Wolverine-focused issues of Uncanny X-Men from Claremont, but the best of them is issue #268, from Claremont and Jim Lee. This story follows Wolverine, Jubilee, Psylocke, and Black Widow battling the Hand in Madripoor, all while a flashback tells the story of the time Logan and Captain America saved a young Natasha from the evil ninjas in the outlaw island nation during World War II. This issue is tremendous, with brilliant art and deft writing, and will make anyone love Logan.
Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1-4 is one of the greatest Wolverine stories, from legends Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. The story takes Logan to Japan to save his fiancee from her Yakuza boss father’s machinations, where a grievous defeat forces him to re-evaluate his methods. It’s four issues of perfect Wolverine action, and is still amazing even 44 years after it came out. It was his first solo story, and it made fans see that he could be a star on his own. It’s been making fans of Wolverine for ages, and is a classic that even folks who don’t like the character will love.
Sabretooth is Wolverine’s greatest foe, and one of their best clashes came in Wolverine (Vol. 2) #10, by Chris Claremont (he’s one of the best Wolverine writers ever for a reason, folks), John Buscema, and Bill Sienkiewicz. This story is another one that took place in the present and the past, following Logan on his birthday as he watches his back because of Sabretooth. We learn that every year, he comes to attack Wolverine and this issue’s flashbacks tells us why. It’s a shocking, violent, tragic story, with gorgeous art from Buscema and Sienkiewicz, and even people who don’t like Wolvie will come out of this one realizing the great story they just read.
Wolverine and Sabretooth have had bloody battles, but the best of them came in Wolverine (Vol. 2) #90, by Larry Hama and Adam Kubert. This issue took place during Logan’s bone claws years, with him returning to the X-Mansion for the first time since he lost his adamantium, finding only Sabretooth there. Eventually they clash, and what follows is one of their most brutal fights ever, one that perfectly showcases their rivalry. It’s an issue that makes the hate between them palpable, and will knock the socks off anyone who reads it.
Mark Millar is one of the most controversial Marvel writers ever. He was one of the most popular creators of the ’00, but a lot of his books have been re-evaluated. However, his work on Wolverine is pretty flawless, and both of his stories will be on this list. The first of these is “Enemy of the State”, by Millar and John Romita Jr. This 12-issue story sees Logan killed and resurrected by the Hand as their chief assassin, who use him against the heroes. This is two-act action epic is full of awesome fights and big set pieces that will pull anyone in. Millar doesn’t dig deep into the character, but he and Romita Jr. give readers a story that any superhero reader will love.
“Old Man Logan” has become a Marvel classic, and it’s perfect for new Wolverine readers. Written by Mark Millar with art by Steve McNiven, the story takes place in a future where the villains defeated the heroes and Logan is a pacifist family man with a terrible secret living in the Hulk Gang’s territory. Owing the gamma-irradiated family money, he takes a job with Hawkeye that takes them across the Wasteland, the future version of the United States, on an errand that will have major repercussions. This is another example of big action spectacle Wolverine, full of great world-building and bloody violence. Much like Wolverine: Revenge, this story is perfect for anyone who doesn’t know the particulars of the character but wants something fun to read.
Larry Hama is the best Wolverine writer for many fans, and his seven-year run writing the character is full of amazing stories. However, the best for new readers is “The Shiva Scenario” from Wolverine (Vol. 2) #48-50, by Hama and Marc Silvestri. This story sees Wolverine trying to unlock the secrets of his past, leading him to a Weapon X facility where he meets the enemy meant to kill him: Shiva. This story is perfect for someone who doesn’t know much about the hero, an exciting trip into the mystery of Logan that ends with an amazing battle.
“Weapon X”, by Barry Windson-Smith, is often considered the best Wolverine story of them all and it’s perfect for fans who never liked the character before. This tale takes readers back to the days when Logan was given his adamantium skeleton, and everything that went wrong. In a lot of ways, this isn’t a superhero story at all, but a horror one. It combines body and slasher horror flawlessly, showing readers the brutality of man towards man. Windsor-Smith is one of the greatest of all time and this issue shows why. His writing and art will draw anyone in, giving readers a horrifying look at the origins of the Wolverine.
Origin, by Paul Jenkins and Andy Kubert, gave readers a story they never thought they’d see: the origin of Wolverine. It tells the story of Rose, a young Canadian nursemaid with the Howlett family. She’s dropped into a world of secrets, looking after young James. However, when the terrible enigma at the center of the family is revealed, Rose and James are forced to run for their lives. Taking place in the Canadian Outback in the 1800s, this story is an awesome character piece that shows you how Logan became who he was, revealing some of the longest held secrets about the character. It allows new readers to start from the beginning, which is perfect for them.
What stories do you think are best non-Wolverine fans? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
