Wolverine is an amazing success story, like few others. He was introduced as a third wheel in a fight between Hulk and the Wendigo (who would eventually become a Wolverine villain), and then joined a team that no one had cared about in years; now he’s at a level of popularity that is only exceeded (perhaps) by Spider-Man. He’s the best there is, and the character has become an S-list hero. Many of the greatest writers in the history of the medium have worked on the ol’Canucklehead and they’ve given him some stories that have proved just how great he’s become.
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I have been a Wolverine fan for decades now, and for good reason. Looking over the character’s 43 year history with solo stories, there are some brilliant additions to the Marvel oeuvre starring everyone’s favorite mouthy clawed mutant. These ten Wolverine stories are the best in Marvel history, and if you love the character, you need to read them.
10) Wolverine: Bloodlust
I’m going to level with you — it took my over 30 years to find a copy of this book, which I first learned about in a Wizard Wolverine special that came out around Wolverine (Vol. 2) #100, but it was entirely worth it. Wolverine: Bloodlust, by writer/artist Alan Davis, begins with Wolverine finding some female company in a Canadian Yukon town, when he’s mysteriously attacked by a beast that he learns is a Neuri, part of a race of sasquatch-like monsters that had been attacking the town. The mutant hero teams up with a Neuri who isn’t out for human blood to hunt down the others, but Wolverine feels himself losing control, and has to battle the beast within to stop him from killing his new partner. This is a perfect one and done story starring Marvel’s most popular mutant from a true master. Davis is always amazing, and he’s always had a great grasp on Wolverine. This one is hard to find, but if you can get it, it’s a hundred percent worth it.
9) “Old Man Logan”
“Old Man Logan” is a story where you read it and you can see Millar standing on the shoulders of giants to make it work (in this case the movie Unforgiven), but it’s so good it doesn’t matter. Millar and Steve McNiven takes readers to one of the better dystopian futures, the art and worldbuilding really bringing everything to life brilliantly. We all know what this one is about by now, and it’s outstanding. Millar definitely has his issues as a writer and person, but he always seemed to give his all to stories starring Wolverine. This book has it all, and it’s been an instant classic since it was released all those years ago.
8) “Enemy of the State”
The ’00s were a great time for Wolverine. He had some pretty great stories, and one of the best is the twelve-issue tale “Enemy of the State”, by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. Logan is tricked into going to Japan, where he’s killed and resurrected by Gorgon and the Hand, becoming a weapon against his friends in the hero community. This story is an action masterpiece; Millar doesn’t dig too deep into Wolverine, instead throwing him into battle after battle, each of these perfectly rendered by the legendary art team of Romita Jr. and inker Klaus Janson. This story (which is based on an idea that Chris Claremont was going to do for Uncanny X-Men #300) is fantastic, and it’s a book that every Wolverine fans needs to read.
7) “The Last Ronin”
The ’10s were a strange time for Wolverine. He kicked off the decade under Jason Aaron, and was leader of the X-Men, but Marvel eventually decided to kill him off in the most mid way possible. This led to Laura becoming Wolverine and Old Man Logan getting his own solo book in the 616. Old Man Logan is fantastic, especially the first 24-issues, with stories from the amazing team of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino. The best story of theirs is “The Last Ronin”, which sees Logan encounter an enemy he last faced in his future, a powerful psionic mutant that almost killed him and his wife Maureen. It’s an outstanding story, with Lemire hitting all of the right emotional notes while Sorrentino just kills it on page after page. This is a near-perfect Wolverine story, from a time that not enough fans talk about.
6) Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine
Jason Aaron wrote some amazing Wolverine stories, showing that he had a deft grasp on the character. However, his best work on him didn’t come from a Wolverine solo book, but the amazing team-up book Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine, along with artist Adam Kubert. The two heroes are thrown back and forth through time, forced to work together while blaming the other for the situation, all while a hidden enemy watches. This is the story that cemented the two heroes as best friends, Aaron nailing each other character. However, what really makes this story so amazing is the artwork by Kubert. Kubert is in rare form for this one, and this story sees him bring his full powers to bear on the book (it’s a six issue series that over a year to come out, so he took his time). Wait til you see Doom the Living Planet. This story is peak and it will knock your socks off.
5) Wolverine (Vol. 2) #91-100
The ’90s were amazing for Wolverine. The character spent most of the decade with writer Larry Hama writing him in Wolverine (Vol. 2), and the book was fantastic. He his a new level after Wolverine (Vol. 2) #75 (I recommend you read all of that as well), and Wolverine (Vol. 2) #91-100 is the strongest run of that time. Working with artists Adam Kubert, Duncan Roleau, Ramon Bernando, Chris Alexander, and Luciano Lima, Hama gave us Wolverine fighting against his feral mutation, trying to not let the beast take over, as an unknown enemy decides that Wolverine needs his adamantium back for devious reasons. These ten issues are amazing; Kubert is on fire in the issues he draws (and Bernando does an amazing John Buscema pastiche), and Hama gives readers a suite of stories that will keep you coming back issue after issue. I bought these back in the day as they were coming out, and was never less than impressed. The story still holds up all these years later (I’d also recommend getting Wolverine ’95; it comes from this period and is outstanding).
4) Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1-4
Chris Claremont changed the X-Men forever, and was the key to Wolverine’s popularity. After eight years of writing the character in a team setting, Claremont teamed up with artist Frank Miller for Wolverine’s first solo story (there’s an apocryphal story about the two of them plotting the book in a car on the drive to a comic convention). Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1-4 sees the hero go to Japan to save his girlfriend Mariko from an arranged marriage with a lackey of her Yakuza boss father Shingen Yashida. After a hellacious beating, the hero has to rethink how he fights, working with the wild ninja Yukio. This is prime Claremont, a character heavy piece with an amazing plot and great moments. Miller is also on fire here, supplying some of his best art of the period. I finally own the originals, and they’re gorgeous, a perfect four-issue miniseries that proves that Wolverine is the best there is at what he does.
3) “Weapon X”
Wolverine was a man of mystery for the entirety of the ’80s, with his origin shrouded in secrets. Marvel decided to throw readers a bone with “Weapon X”, a story that ran through Marvel Comics Presents #73-84. Writer/artist Barry Windsor-Smith, who had drew some of the best issues of Uncanny X-Men throughout the ’80s, took readers back to the days when Logan was a prisoner of Weapon X, going through the terrible adamantium-bonding process. This story is almost a horror story in its way, and the monster is Wolverine. It’s basically a perfect Wolverine story, and it’s one that every fan of the character needs to experience.
2) Wolverine (Vol. 2) #90
Wolverine and Sabretooth are one of Marvel’s greatest rivalries, and there have been some fantastic battles between the two of them. The best of them comes from Wolverine (Vol. 2) #90, by Larry Hama and Adam Kubert. Logan has returned to the X-Mansion for the first time since losing his adamantium, and finds the mansion empty; except for an imprisoned Sabretooth. When his bitter foe decides to escape, the two of them face off in their most perfect battle. It’s a bloody, emotional war (with an amazing gatefold page) that will hook you from beginning to end.
1) Wolverine (Vol. 2) #10
Chris Claremont was tapped as writer for Wolverine’s first solo ongoing in 1989, and wrote issues #1-8 and #10. Claremont worked with Marvel legend John Buscema on these issues and they’re all amazing, but Wolverine (Vol. 2) #10 is the best. Claremont and Buscema follow Wolverine on his birthday, as he tries to duck Sabretooth, who always comes after him every year on that day. The story flashes back to the past, showing the first birthday that the villain went after Logan, leading to their first fight in their lives. It’s a compelling yarn that will keep you enthralled the entire issue, with some amazing character moments and action. Buscema is inked by Bill Sienkiewicz, and his art is better than it usually was (which is saying something). This is flawless Wolverine, a sad story about a man for whom suffering has become a way of life.
What are your favorite Wolverine stories? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
