"SNIKT" - HERE WE GO AGAIN VEVE COMIC BUBS!
We had so much fun writing our Top 10 X-Men Comics on the VeVe app list that X-Men SUPERFAN Richard Prins & I decided to have another go with our review of the top / most important WOLVERINE comics currently available on VeVe!
Before we get started, a few casual comments...
This list is our opinion, not that of Marvel, VeVe or VeVe Comics, based on a mix of available stories we felt represents Wolverine's key arcs and pivotal moments in his comic history and significance or impact on his development that showcase the breadth & depth of this iconic character via standalone stories. And well...we're both CoCo for Wolvie-Puffs!
VeVe offers comic fans some of the most iconic & important key titles of all time, available digitally to purchase for full ownership! Its partner site, VeVe Comics, provides the latest, modern titles with same-day-drops from Marvel. There are MANY more X-Men and other titles to find, along with 3D digital assets of key characters, if you find your collecting needs escalating!
If you haven't already, please give Richard a follow on his Twitter/X account, where he goes by XhibitiOn (@Richard__Prins). If you need more X-Men content, Richard has just started up some weekly articles on his X-profile discussing X-Men comics, stemming from the new era of X-Men: From the Ashes, which he's calling Article-X.
So without further adieu, let's get these claws extended counting back from #10!
10: ALPHA FLIGHT #1
OK, we had some 'discussions' on whether this should be #10 or #1 as being a fellow Canadian to my Macho Mutant, while considering Wolverine was groomed by the CDN Gov't to lead Alpha Flight, we agreed to start with #10 and put 10 first so you read it first LOL!
Alpha Flight was massively popular in the 80’s and 90’s, even outselling Spider-Man on the regulars. Officially, Wolverine is still a member of Canada’s finest Superheroes, but the close government ties the team has with them just doesn’t sit well with our grumpy furball. When push comes to shove though, Alpha Flight will always have their old friend’s back.
For a SHARP review of why Logan left Alpha Flight to join the X-Men, take a read over at CBR.COM
9: X-MEN #25 (1991)
One of the most iconic scenes in Marvel history, Magneto rips out Wolverine’s adamantium, which was recently and so beautifully portrayed in Emmy Award winning (Yes, I’m calling it) X-Men ‘97 animated series. For those of you that haven’t yet watched this series, first, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR and second, as a bit of a spoiler, it takes place in Episode 9 so you have some catching up to do!
The casual X-fan would cynically wonder why Magneto hasn’t done it years before already. Well, the relationships between the X-world characters are fantastically complex, layered with unspoken bonds, honor, respect, but also betrayal and overstepping.
Wolverine went in for the Kill, drew first blood and for that, he had to pay dearly.
Just a terrific book and as noted in other blogs, comes with MARVEL EXCLUSIVE-TO-VEVE cover variants by Sergio Davila, Sean Parsons & Jesus Aburtov that are so compelling, they're simply stackable!
8: WOLVERINE #1 (1988)
Wolvie’s first ongoing solo series! At this point Wolverine is so popular, he could easily carry his own ongoing solo series and still does to this day with Wolverine Volume 8 being a part of X-Men: From the Ashes.
Wolverine by Frank Miller (Volume 1) is arguably the more iconic book, but we don’t have it on VeVe yet, so we settle on Volume 2.
And this Wolverine series did something different, it limited the use of superhero costumes. X-men always had a knack for showing heroes in civilian clothes, which we love, but in this Wolverine series, costumed characters are hardly found, even in battle scenes.
7. X-MEN #4 (1991)
Enter Omega Red.
Any serious Super Hero has a serious gallery of rogues, and Wolverine is no different. The Super Villains need to be scary, as in “how the heck are we going to beat this guy?!?” And Omega Red has plenty of that going on.
This serial killer was captured by Interpol and turned over to the KGB, whom placed him in the Soviet’s Weapon-X program, trying to create their own Captain America. This cap though, is straight out of horror movies - besides superhuman strength, stamina, durability, agility & reflexes, he has something called ‘Death Spores’ - you’ll die just by being close to him!
He has retractable Carbonadium (Soviet Adamantium) tentacles that he uses to steal the life force from anything that lives, because his own life force is eaten away by the Cabonadium. He’s a murderous, metal enhanced super vampire and like Death itself, he is coming, always in the back of your mind, the Red Death is unavoidable and one day, you’ll see him too.
6. WOLVERINE #66 (2003)
Morph: “Oh no, another dystopian future where Wolverine is the only survivor.”
Yes, it is a trope, but it’s a good one! Old Man Logan was the basis for the Oscar winning movie ‘Logan’ and Hot Dang - IT IS SO GOOD! No doubt the new Deadpool and Wolverine film will draw from this comic, which make it have the same amount of movies as the Phoenix.
Old Man Logan is a dark story about coming to terms with the past, whilst the present keeps running over you like a freight train, and the future… well, there isn’t a future, just misery. Sometimes the good guys lose, that’s life, and the X-Men always serve it raw. And if we're not mistaken, the VeVe Secret Rare Variant Cover, showcasing that 'gut spilling' panel might just be FA HULK GUTS onchain!
For those of you who enjoy good ‘ol audio/video, DO check GET TO DA COMICS! Over on YouTube. Our Beloved British Bestie & VeVe Community friend Alex (@OzmanKollects) shares time with community member (and Canadian Comic Collector) The Rebel Duck to read this great title, inputting intel and adding a verbal flair that is really enjoyable - and Rebel Duck NAILS the voice of Logan too!
5. NYX #3 (2003)
This is a controversial book, where X-23 makes her first appearance, but like I said, the X-Men serves it raw and this one is no different.
X-23 was created by writer Craig Kyle for the X-Men: Evolution television series in 2003, before debuting in the NYX comic series, also appearing in the show Wolverine and the X-Men (a must watch) where she became so popular that they had to put her in a book!
And it only makes sense, all the big ones have their own families of super people, whether it’s the Bat family or the Summer’s. And Wolverine has his own family of which X-23 is the absolute star (watch out for Honey Badger though, she’s fantastic).
No doubt X-23’s super stardom was catapulted by Dafne Keen’s portray in WOLVERINE. Child actors are a hit or miss, and far more often they miss. What mad man puts her in a movie with Juggernauts like Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman, and expects to hold her own? Yet, Dafne Keen shined so hard that there won’t be any X-fan who would be mad if she becomes the Wolverine in the MCU. If you know superhero fandom, you know what a crazy statement this is.
But X-23 is that character - and if this quote from Ms. Kinney doesn’t spell that out, not sure what will: “I'm not X-23. I'm not your experiment. I'm not your **** property! You are the last person who will ever think they can own me. No one owns me! I'm not a thing. I'm Laura Kinney! I'm the daughter of Sarah. I'm the daughter of Logan. I'm Wolverine!!!
—Wolverine (Laura Kinney
4. UNCANNY X-MEN #141 & #142
In this dystopia, Wolverine, Kate (Kitty) Pryde, Colossus, Magneto, Storm, Rachel Summers and Franklin Richards are trying to reverse the future. And I can already tell you that this is one dystopian future Wolverine doesn’t survive, it’s horrid.
I remember as a kid seeing all those names on the gravestones in X-Men The Animated Series, and as an adult it doesn’t get easier when I read Days of Future Past. (Writer’s note - I totally agree and admittedly, felt the same way reading Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe...seeing some of my life-long faves all...dead & stuff just hit kinda hard!)
This classic story line always hovers above the X-Men and Wolverine, often avoiding it, but as many times it comes crashing down on them as can be read in ‘E is for Extinction’ or X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 for example. Or if you’re a masochist like yours truly, you keep watching X-Men ‘97 episode 5 over and over again. Just in case you still don’t know what the X-Men are up against.
3. IRON FIST #14 (1975)
The First Appearance of SABERTOOTH. Of all Wolverine’s villains, is his complete arch nemesis.
Sabretooth is pretty much the unbeatable version of Wolverine. Bigger. Stronger. Faster, always trying to push Wolverine into berserker mode to become a beast. Why? Don’t know, he’s just Victor Creed; he does that, like finding Wolverine on his birthday just to let him know he can.
Taunting Wolverine with “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” and “runt of the litter” implying that he is his father (or maybe bigger, badder, big brother?). Nick Fury has tested blood samples of them both and said they weren’t related. I’m sure he spoke the truth, it’s not like Fury to lie through his teeth…
This villain has also had some interesting character formats in the MCU, which sparked a lot of fan engagement on who played him better - Tyler Mane or Liev Schreiber…who was your favourite?
2. GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1 (1975)
Wolverine joins the X-Men!
Who doesn’t want a short tempered, short statured, stinky hairball on the team who ain’t taking orders from no one? Though he doesn’t play well with others, he often mentors students, starting with Kitty Pryde. You see, Wolverine is a walking contradiction. He’s loner, but then a key member of any team imaginable. He heals, but is broken inside. He walks the way of the Samurai, but don’t leave your pretty girl unattended. He’s mysterious, but there are dozens of books explaining him. He’s a killer, but babysits opportunity:
“A man comes at me with his fists, I'll meet him with fists. But if he pulls a gun or threatens people I'm protectin' then I got no sympathy for him. He made his choice. He'll have to live or die with it. I never used my claws on someone who hadn't tried to kill me first. I call that self-defense."
He’s an absolute awesome character creation. He is the Wolverine.
VeVe's Comic Release: https://blog.veve.me/post/marvel-digital-comics-giant-size-x-men-1
1. INCREDIBLE HULK #180-#181 (1962)
In this book, Wolverine makes the world know who he is, and the world was never the same again.
Which book? Well, this book.
But what issue? This issue, it’s in the title.
But I see two of them? Two of What?
Which one is it then? II already answered that!
WHICH BOOK IS WOLVERINE’S BLOODY FA??!!! Who dis?
LOL, the FA battle rages ever on for one of Marvel’s most popular characters…
How VeVe sees it, which likely means how Marvel sees it too: Wolverine’s first Cameo appearance is the last panel of #180) & first story full appearance in #181. Many debates you can chase, and no question that first appearance panel is a doozy in the auction realm garnering $657,250 via Heritage Auction back in 2014, but for more fun on the matter…VeVe dropped (blockchain-minted) Hulk #180 first…if that digital on-chain, 1st-action stuff appeals to you LOL!
Check out their YouTube Release & Titles Review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Yc8ajSfAGq4
But Wait - buy one shiny new toy trinket and get...actually, nah. No sales gimmick here, but as we couldn't help ourselves had to add just a few more snackable snickters to the synopsis!
OUR BONUS MATERIAL!
A: HOUSE OF M #1 (2005)
In the world of X-Men, some of the Super-A stars have their own world within a world. Wolverine is one of those A stars, you can get lost for weeks in it and possibly longer, with that being just a smaller part to the insanely large world that the X-Men is.
It’s so big we can sometimes forget that the X-world is just a part of Earth-616 and in House of M, Wolverine is finally going to know what his part in this Marvelous World is. Whether he likes it or not!
B: THE LIFE OF WOLVERINE #1 (2024)
LOGAN'S LIFE STORY - IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER FOR THE FIRST TIME!
WOLVERINE has been mind-wiped, manipulated & given false memories so many times, what is the truth of his long life? As a journey into his own past becomes paramount to the survival of mutantkind, delve into the TRUE story of LOGAN's life, from his earliest days in the late 1800s, to the many wars he's fought alongside comrades like Captain America & Sabertooth, to the WEAPON X procedures that changed his life forever, his days on the X-MEN & more! All in continuity, this includes some adventures & links to the past never before revealed, giving the most complete picture of WOLVERINE's history EVER ASSEMBLED!
C: WOLVERINE #41 (2004)
Just LOVE That Clayton Crain Wolverine, Wolverine, Wolverine Variant
Further celebrating Wolverine's 50th YEAR, SABRETOOTH WAR BEGINS HERE! THE MOST VIOLENT WOLVERINE STORY EVER TOLD! Get ready for the showdown to end all showdowns—WOLVERINE VS. SABRETOOTH! It's been years since these heavy hitters have crossed paths in the Marvel Universe, but as Krakoa falls, so rises SABRETOOTH—and he's out for revenge! They threw VICTOR CREED in the PIT, but he's free and, wielding an army of Sabretooths, will prove once and for all why he is LOGAN's ultimate nemesis. Co-written by literary powerhouses Benjamin Percy (WOLVERINE, GHOST RIDER) and Victor LaValle (The Changeling, SABRETOOTH) and drawn by artistic dynamos Cory Smith (CONAN THE BARBARIAN, GHOST RIDER) and Geoff Shaw (WEAPONS OF VENGEANCE, WOLVERINE: PATCH), don't miss the inaugural issue in this multi-shipping saga leading up to the landmark issue #50!
D: LAST, BUT NO WAY LEAST, THE INCREDIBLE WOLVERINE DIGITAL COLLECTIBLE
We simply can't do this beautiful, digital collector's piece justice in a blog, so if you're into Wolverine and haven't seen this yet, YOU JUST HAVE TO. Full details on the digital asset are found HERE, but maybe better still...jump over to the links provided below to see some MUTANT POWER creative work done by some members of the VeVe Community. Remember - the app allows these assets to be used in Augmented Reality, complete with awesome audio and I think these examples do more justice than my writing skills ever could:
VeVe Vault Master: (@stacker727 on X):
This animated clip has been viewed OVER 30,000 TIMES!
https://x.com/stacker727/status/1812492538470662181
Or GreyHoundGroot (@GreyhoundGroot on X), who put this STUNNING display together that puts physical and digital collectible pairing into a realm that so clearly paints the picture of BLENDING the hobby vs. competiting, it truly shines light on the PHYGITAL aspect I've written about so many times...
See it live on X Here: https://x.com/GreyhoundGroot/status/1810672715466199177
And...to those questioning the values of these 'digital assets,' check out some of the recent sales figured shared by YouTube / Podcasters Comics & Crypto - these are SIZABLE!
So there you have fans & friends - our collective juices swiped out a list we couldn't wait to share, so please read, enjoy, re-share if you wish and let us know what Wolvie titles you're most eager to see on VeVe or VeVe Comics.
Logan probably says it best: “With age, you see people fail more. You see yourself fail more. How do you keep that fearlessness of a kid? You keep going. Luckily, I’m not afraid to make a fool of myself.”
Have a great week & thanks for reading!
