If you’ve read my guide of “How to start reading comics” you’ll know that the superhero that initiated me into comic books was Wolverine. Trust me when I say that Wolverine comic stories are some of the best, most interesting, complex, adventurous, colorful and entangling stories you’ll find within the Marvel Universe. Wolverine is known to be an honest and trustworthy friend or a cold-blooded killing machine when he needs to.

Below I will list my favorite list of Wolverine comic arcs.

Weapon X

“Long before the X-Men, before even Wolverine… There is simple Logan, the mutant.” reads the first page of “Marvel Comics Presents” #72. Written by Barry Windsor-Smith Weapon X follows the story of Wolverine during his time in Weapon X.

Barry Windsor-Smith paints the story of an unnamed mutant that undergoes horrific experiments in order to create the perfect soldier. When the experiment goes horribly wrong and the mutant escapes he exacts his vengeance against his tormentors and goes on becoming one of the most famous mutants of all history, Wolverine.

Download Marvel Comics Presents #72

Wolverine #1

I’m Wolverine. I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.

As I previously said Wolverine is the one that pulled me in and most precisely Chris Claremont and Frank Miller with their 1982 masterpiece Wolverine #1. Up to that point, Wolverine was not… entirely backed up. A lot of people loved him but no one really knew him until Claremont decided to really go all out with our dear ol’ Canucklehead.

Claremont tells the story of a ronin, a samurai without a master, a hero with a huge sense of code and honor that would do anything to be with the woman that he loves. The story was so successful that made Wolverine a fan sensation.

Download Wolverine #1 (1992)

Days of Future Past

Days of Future Past is a rather small but one of the best Wolverine stories. Chris Claremont and John Byrne unite their powers to something that will forever change the future of Marvel comics. Days of Future past tells the story of a very bleak, dark future where mutants and heroes alike are incarcerated in camps or hunted down and killed. If that reminds you of something is because a film was based on this arc in 2014.

Kate Pryde transfers her mind into the mind of that of her younger self, Kitty Pryde and that’s where we meet

Download Days of Future Past

The Death of Wolverine

In 2014 from writer Charles Soule comes The Death of Wolverine. The story follows Wolverine as his mutant power that was responsible for the healing factor are oppressed due to a virus. Knowing that Wolverine cannot heal anymore his past foes make an attempt on his life.

As usually, Marvel is not making it so easy to follow the plot. Marvel has a way of giving out hints about what’s to come before the main event.

Reading order is as follows:

Preludes

Wolverine Volume 5, #1 – 13

Wolverine Volume 6, #1 – 12

Wolverine Six Annual #1

Core Miniseries

Death of Wolverine #1 – 4

Aftermath Tie-ins

Death of Wolverine: Deadpool & Captain America #1

Death of Wolverine: Life After Logan #1

Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #1-7

Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program #1-5

Nightcrawler #7

Storm #4

Wolverine & X-Men #10-11

Wolverines #1-20





Kitty Pryde & Wolverine

A spin-off from the Uncanny X-Men, Kitty Pryde and Wolverine is another child of Claremont and Milgrom. Claremont, a well known Japan culture fan, brings another masterpiece to his fans back in 1984. This time Kitty Pryde faces her demons with the help of Wolverine.

This arc is the one that created Wolverine’s personality of a loving “father” figure for young sidekick teenage girls and within six volumes they’ve created what will be later known as the greatest friendships in Marvel Universe.

Download Kitty Pryde and Wolverine

Enemy of the State

Enemy of the State just purely proves one thing. Wolverine is a force to be feared and to be reckoned in the entire Marvel Universe.

When Hydra and the Hand captures and brainwashes Wolverine to do their bidding, he slices down friends and foes alike resulting in the death of an X-Man.

Download Wolverine Enemy of the State

Fatal Attraction

A story that was introduced as a joke by Peter David, became one of the most memorable stories and mental images of Wolverine’s past. Wolverine’s metal being sucked out of his body by Magneto is another story of pain and survival for our friend Wolverine.

Another proof that he can pretty much take up anything, anyone through at his path.

Download Wolverine Fatal Attractions

Old Man Logan

In an alternate reality that the bad guys finally put their heads down and beat the good guys, Wolverine is the only one left after being tricked to kill his best friends by Mysterio. Years later and after being passive for a long time he is out to hunt down and kill the people that murdered his family.

Download Old Man Logan

Vicious Circle

What happens when two unkillable characters fight with everything they’ve got? Wolverine and Hulk as you’ve never seen them before in this battle to the death leaves everyone wondering just how strong Wolverine really is?

Download Incredible Hulk #340

Hopefully, the above Wolverine comic storylines will help you better understand the history and character of one of Marvel’s finest characters.

Happy reading!