Logan: The Wolverine Appreciation 2023

[Wolverine12]

The 2023 home to show some love for the best there is at what he does, even if it's not very nice!

I'm borrowing the rest below from Hush from the 2020 appreciation thread because there is some great info on what to read. Thank you Hush!


Let's start with a recommended reading list of the best stories with the Ol' Canucklehead:

Solo adventures

- Marvel Comics Present Vol.1 #72-84 "Weapon X" by Barry Windsor Smith. The story of how Logan got his famous adamantium skeleton and claws. The Best Wolverine story ever told in my opinion.

- Wolverine Vol.1 #1-4 + Uncanny X-Men Vol.1 #172-173 by Chris Claremont, Frank Miller & Paul Smith. The first Wolverine mini and its followup, the tragic story of Wolverine and Mariko and the start of Wolverine's Japanese adventures.

- Marvel Comics Presents Vol.1 #1-10 + Wolverine Vol.2 #1-30 by Chris Claremont, Peter David, Archie Goodwin, Jo Duffy, John Buscema, John Byrne, Klaus Janson & Bill Sienkiewicz. The start of the Wolverine ongoing with several stories that take place in the lawless island of Madripoor, really enjoyable. Wolverine Vol.2 #10 is a Must-Read!

- Wolverine: The Jungle Adventure by Walter Simonson & Mike Mignola. Wolverine goes to the Savage Land to stop a classic foe of the X-Men from destroying it.

- Wolverine Vol.2 #31-57 by Larry Hama & Marc Silvestri. The most popular run on the character. Issues #34 & #57 are a Must-Read!

- Wolverine Vol.2 #75-90 + X-Men Vol.2 #25 + Cable Vol 1 #16 by Larry Hama, Adam Kubert, Fabian Nicieza, Andy Kubert, Steve Skroce and many more great artists. Wolverine loses his healing factor, his adamantium skeleton and claws, he then goes on a world tour and faces his greatest foes. Really good stuff!

- Wolverine Vol 2 #-1 by Larry Hama & Cary Nord. A great issue set just after Logan was found by James "Mac" Hudson and his wife Heather after his escape from the Weapon X compound.

- Wolverine Vol.2 #119-122 "Not Dead Yet" by Warren Ellis & Leinil Francis Yu. Wolverine faces the greatest hitman that ever lived.

- Wolverine Vol.2 #150-153 "Blood Debt" by Steve Skroce. Logan, Amiko & Yukio Japanese adventures.

- Wolverine Vol.2 #159-176 & #181-185 by Frank Tieri, Sean Chen & Dan Fraga. One of the best modern run on the character and a good starting point for new readers. "The Logan Files" (issues #173-176) is one of the best Wolverine story ever written!

- Wolverine Vol.3 #1-19 by Greg Rucka, Darick Robertson & Leandro Fernandez. A much more grounded run but it's still really good. Issue #6 is a Must-Read if you're a fan of the Wolverine & Nightcrawler's friendship!

- Wolverine Vol.3 #20-32 by Mark Millar, John Romita Jr & Kaare Andrew. The "Enemy of the State" blockbuster storyline that put Wolverine against the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe, one of the most popular Wolverine story ever!
The last issue is the famous "Prisoner Number Zero" story, a flashback set during WWII in the Sobibor camp, it's different in tone compared to the previous issues but it's still amazing and a really powerful story.

- Wolverine Vol.3 #56, #62-65, #73-74 (backup stories), Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #1-4, Wolverine: Weapon X Vol.1 #1-16, Wolverine Vol.4 #1-20 & Wolverine Vol.2 #300-304 by Jason Aaron and many great artists. A great modern run by Jason Aaron.

Team books

- Giant Size X-Men Vol.1 #1 by Len Wein & Dave Cockrum. Wolverine meets Professor Xavier and joins the X-Men.

- Uncanny X-Men Vol.1 #133, #205, #213, #251 & #268, Annual #11 + Classic X-Men Vol.1 #10 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Barry Windsor Smith, Marc Silvestri, Jim Lee, Alan Davis & John Bolton.
Almost all the Wolverine-centric issues from Chris Claremont's first X-Men run and they're all amazing.

- Fantastic Four Vol.1 #347-349 by Walter Simonson & Art Adams. Wolverine, Spider-Man, Hulk and Ghost Rider are now the new Fantastic Four!

- X-Men Vol.2 #4-7 by Jim Lee, John Byrne & Scott Lobdell. Wolverine vs. Omega Red and the origins of Team X.

- X-Men Vol. 2 #70-79 by Joe Kelly, Joe Casey, Carlos Pacheco, Germán Garcia, Mat Broome & Jeff Johnson. "Will Marrow, Maggott and Dr. Cecilia Reyes usher in a new golden era for the X-Men? As Cyclops and Phoenix retire from the team, it's left to Wolverine to make sure they do!"

- New X-Men Vol.1 #114-154 + Annual #2001 by Grant Morrison and many great artists. The wildly innovative Grant Morrison X-Men run! Issue #148 is a Must-Read!

- Uncanny X-Force Vol.1 #1-35 + #5.1 + #19.1 by Rick Remender, Jerome Opeña, Phil Noto and many great artists. The Rick Remender's extraordinary, critically acclaimed Uncanny X-Force run. "The Apocalypse Solution" & "The Dark Angel Saga" (issues #1-18) are among the greatest X-Men stories ever told!

- Wolverine and the X-Men Vol.1 #1-42 + Annual #1 by Jason Aaron and many great artists. Welcome to the Jean Grey's School for Gifted Youngsters. Hope you survive the experience! Issues #1-8, #17 & #39-40 are the best ones.

- Amazing X-Men Vol. 2 #1-6 by Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness & Cameron Stewart. Wolverine and the X-Men are going on a quest to find and bring back the fan-favorite fuzzy blue elf!

- House of X/Powers of X by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz & R.B Silva. The reinvention of the X-Men by Jonathan Hickman.

- X-Men Vol.5 by Jonathan Hickman, Leinil Francis Yu, R.B Silva & Mahmud Asrar. "The X-Men find themselves in a whole new world of possibility... and things have never been better!"

- X-Force Vol.6 by Benjamin Percy & Joshua Cassara. "X-Force is now the C.I.A of the mutant world. In a perfect world, there would be no need for an X-Force. We’re not there…yet.”

Team-Ups/Versus

- The Incredible Hulk Vol.1 #180-182 by Len Wein & Herb Trimpe. The first appearances of Wolverine and his first fight with the Hulk and the Wendigo.

- Kitty Pryde and Wolverine Vol.1 #1-6 by Chris Claremont & Al Milgrom. The second Wolverine mini, where Logan trains his first sidekick Kitty Pryde a.k.a Shadowcat and faces his master: Lord Ogun.

- The Incredible Hulk Vol.1 #340 by Peter David & Todd McFarlane. The rematch between Wolverine & Hulk!

- Spider-Man versus Wolverine #1 by Christopher Priest & Mark Bright. During the Cold War, Wolverine and Spider-Man go to Germany to save Logan's friend, the spy named Charlemagne, but things don't go as planned resulting in an epic fight between the two most popular Marvel superheroes.

- Wolverine Annual Vol.2 #1996 by Joe Kelly & Tommy Lee Edwards. A beautiful story starring Amiko and Wolverine.

- Wolverine: First Class Vol.1 #1-2 by Fred Van Lente & Andrea Di Vito. A modern retelling of Wolverine & Shadowcat early adventures together.

- Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine Vol.1 #1-6 by Jason Aaron & Adam Kubert. A really fun time travelling adventure with Spider-Man and Wolverine.

- Wolverine and Jubilee Vol.1 #1-4 by Kathryn Immonen & Phil Noto. A really good story starring Wolverine and Jubilee.

- Deadpool Vol.3 #15-19 "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" by Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan & Declan Shalvey. A powerful story starring Deadpool, Wolverine and Captain America.

Alternate versions

- Weapon X Vol.1 #1-4 by Larry Hama & Adam Kubert. Wolverine & Jean Grey adventures during the Age of Apocalypse.

- Ultimate X-Men Vol.1 #41 by Brian Michael Bendis & David Finch. A powerful story set in the the Ultimate Universe.

- Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk Vol.1 #1-6 by Damon Lindelof & Leinil Francis Yu. The title says it all!

- Wolverine Vol.3 #66-72 + Giant Size Old Man Logan #1 "Old Man Logan" by Mark Millar & Steve McNiven. The all-time classic Old Man Logan story.

- Old Man Logan Vol.1 #1-5, Old Man Logan Vol.2 #1-50, Annual #1 + Dead Man Logan Vol.1 #1-12 by Brian Michael Bendis, Jeff Lemire, Ed Brisson, Andrea Sorrentino and many great artists. The followup to the original Old Man Logan story. "Bordertown" (Old Man Logan Vol.2 #5-7) is a Must-Read!

- Wolverine: The Long Night Adaptation Vol.1 #1-4 by Benjamin Percy & Marcio Takara. The comic adaptation of "The Long Night" Podcast, if you enjoy this story try to listen to both "The Long Night" and "The Lost Trail" podcasts, it's a really impressive cinematic audio experience.


Now, some quick links to help old and new readers get read up on the history of The Wolverine!

Wolverine's History

Wolverine Wiki page (abridged version)
Wolverine Wiki page (complete history)
Wolverine Spotlight by UXN


Wolverine and X-Men collected editions guides by Krisis

Wolverine Collected Editions Guide
X-Men Collected Editions Guide

[Wolverine12]

New thread for the best there is! I kept the same first post from the last few mostly for the reading recommendations. Do we get another 10 issue series devoted to Logan to start the year again? Please say yes...

[Vishop]

Happy New Year to the Best There Is
Here is hoping for a trailer or even a peek we get for either Deadpool 3 or PS5 Wolverine

[StormBorn06]

Happy New Year.

I'm really looking forward to PS5 Wolverine.

[JB]

The legend himself.

Happy New Year, bub!

[K7P5V]

Hoping 2023 will be AWESOME for the original Weapon X

[ETMike1988]

Hoping 2023 will be AWESOME for the original Weapon X

Well... It is depends on Beast (and Percy) how awesome 2023 will be for Logan...

[Grunty]

Well... It is depends on Beast (and Percy) how awesome 2023 will be for Logan...

Ehm.
You are aware that he will be a central character in Deadpool 3, which is currently planned to come out this year?
Giving him yet another prominent movie role while it's currently still entirely up in the air when any other X-men might appear in a movie at all (and previous X-men movies being of ... questionable quality).

Or that his dedicated solo video game might come out this year too?
One made by a well regarded and respected studio. Which is also the SIXTH dedicated solo video game for Wolverine compared to the ZERO for any other X-men character (well sans Deadpool but he is a solo character with ties to the X-men rather than real member).

Or that he will still be one of the most massively popular Marvel character to appear on merchandise, get cosplayed, be referenced, etc.

Or how about the bound to happen appearances in comics all over the place, plus on the bound to be dozens variant covers to come out this year, especialy with the X-men 60th anniversary?

Oh and don't forget that the comics barely matter anymore, hardly anyone reads or buys them, they have next to ZERO influence on his general pop cultural perception of the character or even affect his comic interpretation long term. They are mostly bought because Wolverine will be on and in it, driving up the interest of collectors or people too weirdly dedicated to these comics because of character and brand loyality that they will buy it even if they hate the story.

The only Wolverine comics which will matter for the character long term are those which hit it out of the park and become classics, but hardly any do that anymore, both because character has been around and in promince for too long and because of the lacking quality of writers on the job.
Percy's current handling of the character will become an insignificant footnote in the history of the character. Forgotten and laughed at in years to come, if brought up at all. Besides remember how half the A-listers are doing? Or most of the B-listers? Or basicly every C-listers?

So why be all "oh no, Wolverine is currently not handled well in the all but meaningless comics" and fear he will have a bad year, when he is still THE X-men in pop culture and has several products with him in the line which will reach an audience a hundred times larger than anything the comics do?
Therefore, arise and win glory! Conquer your foes and fulfill your kingship! They are already dead. Be just my instrument, the archer at my side!

Sorry got carried away at the end there.

[Vishop]

It's releasing on his Anniversary Year, November 2024.

[Jackraow21]

Just posting this badass costume that Logan never actually wore which Adam Kubert created for Claremont’s return to the X-men in 2000…



… happy 2023, my fellow Wolvie fans. OG Weapon X forever!

[Vishop]

Just posting this badass costume that Logan never actually wore which Adam Kubert created for Claremont’s return to the X-men in 2000…



… happy 2023, my fellow Wolvie fans. OG Weapon X forever!

I really like this tint color. Just remove those yellow claw shapes

[Jackraow21]

Would’ve been a badass new look for him. Wonder why they never used it? Probably because at the time his yellow costume was so iconic.

Kind of ironic considering Morrison came along afterwards and did away with the costumes entirely. I’d have liked to have seen Logan wear this one. Could still happen, considering Kubert is still drawing Logan today. Maybe he’ll break it out in 2023.

[Grunty]

Ah the "Revolution" months. The often forgotten "what could have been" point of X-men. A look at how the mainline X-men might have looked around the early 2000's under Calremont, if not for the success of the movie and Morrison being brought in to change everything closer to it and away from the previous comics.

[Frontier]

Happy New Year to Logan and fans !

[Jackraow21]

Should be a good year for Logan fans, as we lead up to Hugh Jackman’s return as the character in Deadpool 3… and perhaps even beyond that…

New AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY And SECRET WARS Rumors Tease An Amazing Team-Up - Possible SPOILERS
https://comicbookmovie.com/avengers/...oilers-a198625

… I’m assuming he’s a variant from the FOX-verse and essentially plays the role that Old Man Logan did in Secret Wars, but who knows? All I know is that we get to see Logan on the big screen again, in the MCU, and I am stoked!

2023 should be a great run up year for that, as you can bet Marvel will have some cool stuff lined up for Wolverine in preparation for this… plus it’s the 60th anniversary of the X-men too.