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Wolverine was able to become one of the most popular Marvel characters thanks to the work done on him in Uncanny X-Men in the late ’70s and early ’80s. He got his first solo book in 1982, a four-issue miniseries that is still one of Marvel’s greatest series, but it would take seven years before he got an ongoing series. Since then, he’s continually had a solo ongoing of some kind (Logan was dead from 2014 to 2019, but we were getting Old Man Logan and All-New Wolverine, so it counts). His books sell very well, and they have become one of the flagships of the X-Men line of comics. Many of the greatest creators ever have worked on his books and it’s all been made possible by the amazing first issues.
First issues are the most important issues of any comic. These books have to hook readers in some way and keep them coming back. Luckily for the ol’Canucklehead, he’s had some of the best first issues ever and these seven have risen to the top of the heap.
7) Weapon X #1
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
“Age of Apocalypse” is a Marvel legend, and is widely considered one of the best multiverse stories ever. Looking over the various miniseries’, it’s honestly a bit more average as a story than most people like to admit. There are definitely some great series and Weapon X, by Larry Hama and Adam Kubert, was amazing right from the first issue. It kicked off with an awesome action scene, and then built its story from there beautifully. Deft writing and amazing art combine to give readers a first issue they’ll never forget.
6) Wolverine (Vol. 4) #1
Image COurtesy of MArvel COmics
Jason Aaron is one of the best Wolverine writers of the 21st century, having started out with the character towards the end of Wolverine (Vol. 3). 2010 was a big year for the X-Men, with the line getting relaunched, and Aaron was given a new solo Logan ongoing with Wolverine (Vol. 4) #1. This issue, with artist Renato Guedes, kicked off “Wolverine Goes to Hell”, the beginning of the Red Right Hand saga. This is peak Logan, as he finds himself in the infernal realm and tries to figure out what’s going on. Add in the fantastic cover from Jae Lee, and you have a perfect reading experience.
5) Wolverine (Vol. 5) #1
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Wolverine has lost a lot over the years, and one of the biggest losses was his healing factor. It led to his death in 2014, and it all kicked off in Wolverine (Vol. 5) #1 by Paul Cornell and Alan Davis. This issue sees Logan get called into a hostage situation and learns that it’s more than meets the eye, with the fate of the world sudenly at stake. This is a fantastic first issue. Cornell does a great job with the ol’Canuckelhead, but the real MVP is Davis. He’s one of the greatest artists in comics and always draws an amazing Wolverine. This issue is no different, a feast for the eyes that will hook from the start. It’s way better than it gets credit for being.
4) Wolverine (Vol. 7) #1
Image Courtesy of Marvel COmics
The Krakoa Era redefined Marvel’s merry mutants in 2019, but Logan didn’t get a new solo series until 2020. Wolverine (Vol. 7) #1, by Benjamin Percy, Adam Kubert, and Viktor Bogdanovic, gave readers two stories and both of them were bangers. The first sees Logan and X-Force go on a mission to stop a group stealing Krakoan flowers that gets really bloody really fast in the most shocking way possible. The second sees Logan go to France and get embroiled with a Catholic vampire hunter. Percy nailed this issue, showing off why he’s an excellent Wolverine writer, and Kubert and Bogdanovic kill it on the art. This book kicked off one of the best Wolverine series ever, and it’s first issue is flawless.
3) Wolverine (Vol. 3) #1
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Wolverine (Vol. 2) ran from 1989 to 2003. It was massively successful, but Marvel decided to send Logan over to the Marvel Knights line, which told more grounded, mature stories and was hot as the sun. The publisher picked two perfect creators for the book, Greg Rucka and Darick Robertson, and we got Wolverine (Vol. 3) #1. This story set a whole new status quo for the character, moving him to an apartment off the grounds of the Xavier Institute and immediately has to deal with a gang targeting his neighbors. Rucka and Robertson are perfect together, and this issue kicked off a great new era for the character.
2) Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Wolverine has starred in some amazing stories, with his first solo outing being one of the best. This first issue is everything you could want from a Wolverine series, as he makes his way to Japan to save his fiancee from the machinations of her Yakuza boss father and takes a tremendous beating. This issue is perfect, and when you look at the creators you can see why. Chris Claremont, the man who made the character so popular, and Frank Miller, one of the greatest writer/artists ever, are on fire in this one. It set the standard for every Wolverine first issue that came after it and was only eclipsed once since.
1) Wolverine (Vol. 2) #1
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Wolverine (Vol. 2) #1 kicked off the character’s longest running series. Written by Wolverine mastermind Chris Claremont with art from Marvel legend John Buscema, this issue kicks off with one of the best Wolverine action scenes ever, and goes from there, as Logan hunts down the Muramasa Blade, a magical katana that would become very important to Wolverine lore om the years to come. This issue is outstanding, a true classic from two of the best creators ever. It doesn’t get much better than this, folks.
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