Newzertainment’s list of the best Wolverine comics to read before Deadpool and Wolverine will help you understand why Wolverine is the best there is at what he does and why he isn’t very nice.
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The best Wolverine comics to read
The most iconic X-Man has a plethora of stories to his name and it can be difficult deciding on which ones to read if you’re new and want to learn more about the character before Deadpool and Wolverine comes out. Lucky for you, Newzertainment has curated this list, which recommends some of the best Wolverine comics to read and contrary to the character, they are all very nice.
1. Wolverine by Barry Windsor-Smith
Contrary to what you may think, the Canucklehead wasn’t born with metal claws. They were originally bone claws that anyone could cut off. Ever wondered where he got metal ones?
Weapon X is the answer and it isn’t a happy affair. Logan is knocked out and taken into the custody of the Weapon X program, who seems him as the ideal candidate to inject adamantium, a nigh-unbreakable metal, into. After the experiment is successful, they test out what Wolverine can do with his new metal claws, having no empathy or remorse for what they’re doing to him.
Of course, things don’t pan out and soon, Logan unleashes his primal vengeance upon the idiots who’ve captured him, sparing no one from his wrath. It’s completely serious and there are no jokes to laugh at, just the evil actions of Weapon X scientists and the horror they eventually unleash upon themselves. If you want to witness a critical piece of Logan’s lore, read Weapon X.
2. Wolverine: Old Man Logan by Mark Millar
Old Man Logan is to Wolverine what The Dark Knight Returns is to Batman: a tale of an elderly hero suiting up for a new adventure after an extended hiatus. Both are also considered to be the best stories for their respective characters.
Old Man Logan is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the villains have won and most of the old heroes are either dead and gone, or have experienced much worse fates.. Logan is eking out a living with his family, vowing to never pop his claws after a horrific tragedy this version of the X-Man experienced in his younger days.
Problems arise when a gang of Hulks demand payment from Logan, causing him to go on a road trip with Hawkeye across a devastated America to obtain something valuable to pay them off, all while encountering well-known characters who’ve met those aforementioned terrible fates. It’s a bleak alternate future story that showcases the regrets of Wolverine as well as why you should never break a deal you made with him.
3. Predator Vs. Wolverine by Benjamin Percy
Tussling with extraterrestrials isn’t uncommon for the likes of Logan, but scrapping with the Predator? Now THAT’S a story worth reading.
A Predator is always looking for truly worthy prey to hunt, kill, and add to its collection and there’s none more worthier than the nigh-unkillable Logan. This book showcases the various battles the two get into over the years as they both do everything they can to win against their opponent. It feels like that one Bat in the Sun video has come to life as the book shows just how skilled these two can be as well as how neither will go down without one hell of a fight. If you want to see two formidable badasses duke it out with one another and push the other to their limit, read this.
4. Wolverine: Black, White & Blood
What makes Black, White & Blood different from the other stories on this list is the fact that the others are full comic arcs, while this trade paperback contains various short stories from a whole bunch of writers and artists.
From teaming up with old friends to clashing with formidable adversaries, these stories are one-and-done affairs highlighting the different aspects of Logan while also not requiring any prior reading to enjoy (in most cases). The only colors are black and white, along with the usage of red to ensure the blood truly stands out in these violent tales. If you just want to read some (literally) bloody Logan stories, pick this up.
5. Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller
The first solo Wolverine story which focuses on Mariko, Logan’s beloved, being married off by her criminal father Shingen, and Wolverine getting dishonored in front of her. Ashamed of himself, he starts a relationship with an assassin Yukio, but eventually needs to rescue both himself and Mariko from a deadly trap.
This was written in a time when the history of Wolverine was shrouded in mystery and it helped give more character and personality to him since he was also sharing a book with every other character in the Uncanny X-Men comic. If you want to understand more about the character, his first outing by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller is a good place to start.
