Wolverine excels at his job and has been a Marvel Comics favorite for nearly fifty years. He’s now one of Marvel’s most beloved characters, along with Spider-Man. This has helped to make the X-Men the greatest-selling comic team ever. While he has appeared in many stories, some stand out above all others.
Wolverine is loved by many, though not all of them have read the entire collection that has been written about Logan throughout his life. There are some that every fan should experience at least once in their life.
10 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #145 Saw Wolverine’s Adamantium Returned
Wolverine lost his adamantium in 1993’s X-Men #25, and it stayed gone until 1999’s Wolverine (Vol.2) #145. Written by Erik Larsen with art by Leinil Yu, the story has two plots. Two plots are included in the story: the flashback where Wolverine is taken prisoner and pitted against Sabretooth at Apocalypse; the winner becomes his Horseman of Death. The present section sees Wolverine, who is the Horseman of Death and goes after the Hulk.
Larsen’s run on Wolverine is criminally underrated, and while this issue digs into some late ’90s X-Men continuity, it’s also just an excellent story. This comic portrays Wolverine’s big moment well.
9 Astonishing Spider-Man And Wolverine Is A Cross-Time Romp For The Ages
Spiderman and Wolverine complement one another perfectly. Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine, by writer Jason Aaron and artist Adam Kubert, is a perfect example of why the two characters go so well together. It drops readers in the story via media res and follows bickering couple on cross-time adventure that leads to their love reaching a new height.
This book, which is Aaron’s most entertaining Wolverine tale yet, has a lot of fun. They complement each other beautifully, and there are many surprises and actions. Adam Kubert’s art is top-notch, and the story works at every level.
8 Wolverine (Vol. 7) #14-16 Pits Wolverine Against New Villain Solem
The Krakoa era is pretty good for Wolverine, with writer Benjamin Percy and regular artist Adam Kubert turning in some killer stories. Percy is a master at drawing Logan’s adventures, while Kubert understands Wolverine better than any other writer since Larry Hama. They’ve produced some amazing stories. But, the highlight of their work is Wolverine, Vol. 7) #14-16.
Wolverine is forced to team up with Solem, his Arakkii opponent from X Of Swords, as part of their bargain from that story. He is confronted by the most dangerous pirate in many dimensions, SevyrBlackmore. This three-issue issue story features Wolverine fighting Sevyr, Solem and other pirates.
7 Uncanny X-Force: The Final Execution Pits Wolverine’s Team Versus Daken’s Brotherhood
Wolverine has a long history filled with sad tales. Uncanny X-Force: The Final Execution, by writer Rick Remender and artists Mike McKone, Phil Noto, Julian Tedesco, and Dave Williams, is the saddest battle in the saga between Wolverine and his estranged son, Daken. Wolverine’s X-Force pursues them after the villain kidnaps Evan Sabah Nur, an Apocalypse.
The battle that follows is epic and designed to trap Wolverine in a trap from which he will never escape. The story is well-written and beautifully written. It ends with Wolverine being forced to endure heartbreak that will forever scare him.
6 Old Man Logan: Berserker Brought The Fan Favorite To The 616 Universe
Old Man Logan has been extremely influential since its debut, especially post-Secret Wars. With Logan dead in the 616 Universe, Marvel brought the most dangerous senior citizen to its mainline universe with Old Man Logan: Berserker, by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino. Logan awakens in a new universe and sets out to make the Wasteland people pay.
Lemire and Sorrentino’s Old Man Logan went on to become an amazing book and a best-of-all-time Wolverine comic. The first volume shows exactly what it will be like, and Lemire’s and Sorrentino are able to shine on every page.
5 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #115-119 Pits Wolverine And The X-Men Against Operation: Zero Tolerance
Wolverine carries the X-Men many times throughout his life. A great example of that is Wolverine (Vol. 2) #115-119, by writer Larry Hama and artist Leinil Yu. It takes place in the underrated storyline “Operation: Zero Tolerance”. The group captures Wolverine and Cyclops as well as Jean Grey, Storm and Cannonball.
Wolverine must save the team. When they escape, they are forced to run across the desert in search of a force with all the cards. It’s an action-packed story from the word go, yet another example of just how good ’90s Wolverine was.
4 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #10 Is Classic Wolverine
Wolverine’s story is quite complex, but it has many great stories for casual readers. Wolverine (Vol. 2) #10, by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Buscema, is a brilliant one-and-done story. Wolverine, who is preoccupied by the fact that it’s his birthday, and Sabretooth are always there to torture him in the present.
In a flashback fans are able to learn more about Sabretooth’s first birthday. Their fight is one for the books. This Claremont/Buscema thriller explains Wolverine’s and Sabretooth’s rivalry in a great tale.
3 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #90 Is Wolverine And Sabretooth’s Most Brutal Battle
Wolverine (Vol. 2) #90 is the best of the best. It is written by Larry Hama and illustrated by Adam Kubert. This story sees Wolverine returning to the X-Mansion, for the first-time since he found his bone claws. Sabretooth and Wolverine are the only ones in the Mansion. Sabretooth attempts to escape and the inevitable occurs, sparking an epic battle between forever enemies.
It’s the last issue before The Age Of Apocalypse, and there’s an awesome sense of finality to it. It’s a brutal and intense battle, with perfect preparations. This is a fantastic story that every Wolverine lover should read.
2 “The Crunch Conundrum” Is Unlike Any Wolverine Story Ever
One of the best things about Wolverine is his versatility, and Wolverine (Vol. 2) #51-53, by writer Larry Hama and artists Andy Kubert and Marc Silvestri, is a great example of it. This battle pits Wolverine against Mystique and Mojo, with Elsie-Dee and Wolverine in the wings. The fate of the universe is at stake.
Wolverine is not a common combination, but this story shows how they can work well together. Hama is an excellent Wolverine writer, and Silvestri and Kubert do an amazing job creating an incredible story.
1 Wolverine (Vol. 2) #91-100 Digs Deep Into The Bone Claw Wolverine Era
Wolverine’s bone claw era was better than anyone thinks. The best part of that era comes in Wolverine (Vol. 2) #91-100, by writer Larry Hama and artists Duncan Roleau, Adam Kubert, Chris Alexander, Luciano Lima, and Ramon Bernando. A series of one-and-done stories that all build into issue 100, it’s a character study full of action and adventure.
These issues have a almost melancholy feeling to them. This is peak Wolverine and shows that the character’s bone claw period was full of amazing stories. Hama and his team share some amazing Wolverine stories that every fan should see.
Next: X-Men: 10 Mistakes That Still Haunt Wolverine
