Wolverine has been in more comics than almost any character in the Marvel catalog, which makes him one of the hardest heroes to jump into cold. So instead of a random grab bag, here are four books that actually tell a story when you read them in order, moving from who he was, to how he was made, to what he became.
Wolverine by Claremont & Miller (1982)
Start here. This is the original Wolverine solo series, written by Chris Claremont with art by Frank Miller, and it's the book that made him more than just a growling X-Man with claws. Set in Japan, it puts Logan face to face with honor, discipline, and a woman named Mariko who forces him to be something other than an animal. If you only know Wolverine from the movies, this is where the "man trying to be better than his instincts" version of the character actually comes from.
Wolverine: Weapon X
This is the dark origin. Barry Windsor-Smith's story pulls back the curtain on the government program that bonded adamantium to Logan's skeleton, told in a fractured, unsettling way that matches the subject matter. It's brutal and clinical rather than action-packed, and it's the direct source for how the character's backstory gets referenced in nearly everything since, including the movies.
Wolverine: Enemy of the State
After the introspection and the horror, this one is a jolt of pure adrenaline. Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. turn Logan into a brainwashed assassin working for the Hand, unleashed on the rest of the Marvel Universe. It's fast, violent, and fun in a way the first two books aren't, and it's a good reminder that Wolverine stories don't all have to be heavy.
Old Man Logan
The closer. Mark Millar and Steve McNiven imagine a future where Wolverine has hung up the claws for good, until circumstances force the old, worn-down version of the character back into action. This is the book that inspired the 2017 film Logan, and reading it after the first three gives the "burned-out legend" version real weight, since you've already seen him as the disciplined warrior and the government weapon.
Read them in this order
- Wolverine by Claremont & Miller — who he's trying to be
- Weapon X — how he was made
- Enemy of the State — what he's capable of
- Old Man Logan — what's left when it's all over
Come by Alter Ego Comics and we'll help you track down copies of all four.