Last edition I looked at a DC comic, Batgirl, so I though I’d jump over to Marvel and one of my all time favorite mutants, Wolverine. I’ve been a fan of Wolverine since I first discovered him in the mid- 80s when I got my hands on the first issue of Chris Claremont and Frank Miller’s Wolverine limited series. Only the first issue though. I wouldn’t own (or read) the other three issues until 1990.
Wolverine was also in a six-issue limited series in the mid-80s called Kitty Pryde and Wolverine. The series sends Pryde and Wolverine to Japan fighting the yakuza and the ninja Ogun.
Wolverine appearances in the 80s were mainly in the X-Men comics, occasionally showing up in Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk or Daredevil. In 1988 Wolverine’s fame was skyrocketing and Marvel cashed in by giving Wolverine his own solo title.
It started in May 1988 with the debut of Marvel Comics Presents, an anthology comic featuring different Marvel characters (kind of). The first 10 issues featured Wolverine in a story called ‘Save the Tiger.’ Issues #11-38 featured other X-Men characters but sales slumped and Wolverine returned in issue #39.
Wolverine would star in Marvel Comics Presents from issue 39 until issue 142. By far the best story arc was issues #72-84 titled Marvel Comics Presents ‘Weapon X’ which revealed Wolverine’s origin story.
While the first ten issues of Marvel Comics Presents were being released on a bi-weekly basis, Wolverine #1 hit the stands.
Fall 1988 saw the first solo Wolverine series and it was marvelous! Written by Chirs Claremont and art by John Buscema, Wolverine was everything fans hoped for. Claremont wrote the first eight issues followed by Peter David, Archie Goodwin and Jo Duffy.
Issue #31 hit a whole new level when writer, Larry Hama (the same Larry Hama who created and wrote the G.I. Joe comics) and artist Marc Silvestri took over. Hama would remain with Wolverine for seven years, Silvestri lasted two years before he left to co-found Image Comics.
I stopped collecting Wolverine around issue #80, about the same time most of my comic collecting stopped. I’d occasionally buy a milestone issue like issue #100 and issue #150. Wolverine Vol 2 ran from 1988 until 2003 with 189 issues and 4 annuals.
Since Wolverine is one of my favorites and I saw a new issue #1 was coming out I decided it would be a good place to start reading again. I might have been wrong…
Let’s see if this new series is worth reading.
Synopsis (from Marvel):
THE LEGEND BEGINS ANEW IN THE ADAMANTIUM-TOUGH NEW ONGOING SERIES! There’s a killer in the woods – and as WOLVERINE’s attempt at piece is shattered, an OLD ENEMY will re-emerge as a NEW VILLAIN rises who will bring LOGAN to the brink of his berserker rage. But NIGHTCRAWLER knows his old friend is capable of doing what’s right, and before long, Logan will have to unleash his claws, push his healing factor to the limit and demonstrate he’s the best there is at what he does once and for all – nice be damned!The legendary WOLVERINE ongoing series kicks off anew with the superstar creative team of Saladin Ahmed (DAREDEVIL, MS. MARVEL) and Martín Cóccolo (DEADPOOL, IMMORTAL THOR) beginning their epic journey with Logan! Collector’s Note: A key FIRST APPEARANCE and a major addition to the lore of Wolverine in this issue!
The new volume of Wolverine is part of Marvel’s ‘From the Ashes’ event; a relaunch of the entire X-Men Universe. There are over a dozen new X-titles, both team and solo titles. X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, Exceptional X-Men, X-Force, X-Factor, Storm, Psylocke, Magik, Dazzler, Sentinels and more, lots more.
‘From the Ashes’ takes place after a Marvel Age known as the Krakoan Age, A time when the mutants moved to the island of Krakoa to start a mutant nation. The Krakoan Age ran for five years, 2019-2024. I haven’t read any X-Men related comics from that time so I can’t speak about it with any authority.
Wolverine #1 starts with Logan running wild with a pack of wolves in the Canadian Northwest Territories while a mysterious figure is hunting him. It’s quickly revealed the hunter is one of Wolverine’s arch-enemies, Cyber.
Also on the hunt for Logan is his old friend, Nightcrawler, hoping to bring Wolverine back to civilization and back to the X-Men. Nightcrawler finds Wolverine, while Wolverine is trying to figure out who killed his wolf pack and a dozen Canadian Mounties.
They discover it was Cyber and have a violent confrontation with him. Wolverine beats Cyber to a bloody pulp and rips out one of his eyes before Cyber can escape. During the fight a nearby camper is killed and his friends blame it on Wolverine.
Cyber limps away to a cave to recover and is attacked by an unknown foe who heals his body, possesses his mind and turns his silver adamantuim gold.
The next five issues introduce the Wendigo, who Wolverine tries to save instead of kill. While Cyber hunts down Lady Deathstrike and Constrictor and possess them with the same powers and golden armor. The teams ultimate goal is to rid the world of Adamantium and anyone who can create it.
Wolverine encounters Lady Deathstrike and during the battle an otherworldly voice calls to him from his bones, infecting his mind and and renders Wolverine useless. Wendigo, now Wolverine’s friend shows up just in time to save him.
X-23/Laura Kinney/Wolverine’s daughter shows up feeling the same call in her bones. Together Wolverine and Laura team up to take down the possessed enemies and solve the mystery. The final page of issue #5 reveals a surprise and long time foe of Wolverine.
I had to look up this “long time” foe of Wolverine because I have never heard of him. Turns out he was first introduced in 2009, created by the brilliant Jeph Loeb. While only around for 15 years, the characters back story makes him one of Wolverines oldest foes.
I’m intrigued by the character but Wolverine just wiped out three, exceptionally strong enemies without breaking a sweat. Why am I concerned about this guy? I don’t need to know the character to get invested, it could be a brand new character introduction.
The issue I have is the lead-up to the reveal. I’m told page after page this is the greatest power Wolverine has ever faced, it infects his mind, it calls from his bones! And yet, time and time again he defeats it with relative ease. There’s no fear Wolverine may fall to this power and be destroyed.
The artwork is good, Coccolo does a great job drawing Wolverine, Wendigo and all the characters. His art on the battles is well done, dynamic and exciting. Unfortunately the writing doesn’t keep up.
The writing is the main problem I have with the series. Saladin Ahmed’s writing is completely average. There’s nothing compelling about the writing. Each issue ends on a cliffhanger and I really don’t care. I’m not anxiously picking up the next issue to see what happens.
The Wendigo story line might be the only compelling story in the first six issues. I don’t know if Wolverine can ‘cure’ this Wendigo but I’m interested to see if he can make it a reliable ally.
The pacing is extremely slow as well, what’s revealed in the first five issue could be done in three issues. The fights are mostly boring with no great dialog mixed in, it would have been better to let the art speak during the fight scenes.
At one point when Wolverine is up against three possessed foes he laments: “Each of these freaks is dangerous enough on their own. Together, they’re extra bad news. And stronger than they should be.”
Then Wolverine goes on to defeat them all in less than a page. There’s no real threat to Wolverine and no suspense that he may lose the battle.
It’s not all bad writing. Laura Kinney was introduced in 2003, I have no knowledge of her, I was out of comics at that point. But in two brief monologue bubbles, I know who she is and how she’s related to Wolverine. That’s good and helpful. I hope Ahmed does the same for the mystery character revealed at the end of issue #6.
I went into a new Wolverine comic with great anticipation and high hopes. I was let down as this series didn’t do it for me.
Overall the series is OK, nothing great. I will probably stay with the series through issue #10 but if it doesn’t pick up, I’m out. If I was buying each issue separately I don’t think I’d go to issue #10, I’d stop now.
‘From the Ashes’ is billed as a relaunching of the X-Men universe. But it seems you need to know the last 25 years of X-men lore for it to make sense. I don’t see this comic as a good jumping on point for new Wolverine fans.
To contrast it with DC’s “All In” initiative, I was able to pick up the new Batgirl mythos in three issues. I’ve read hundreds of Wolverine comics and after five issues of this new series I was confused about the character. And worse, I don’t really care to clear it up.
You can introduce confusion, or intrigue or mystery but if you want to sell comics, make me care about it, make me want to come back and figure out the mystery. I didn’t get that level of investment in this comic.
Wolverine #1 and really all six issues left me wanting a better paced story, a better written story and better character development.
Have you read Wolverine Vol 8? Let me know you’re thoughts or tell me how wrong I am with my analysis in the comments below. You can share your thought on X too. The main Retro Network channel is @TRNSocial and I’m @MileHighSamurai You can also find me on Bluesky @MileHighSamurai
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