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Wolverine (1982) #1-4
The Best of Wolverine, Vol. 1
The world's deadliest mutant, he's been called the best there is; now, the best of the best Wolverine stories ever told are collected in one deluxe hardcover! In Claremont and Miller's WOLVERINE, Logan goes solo when he travels to Japan, testing his honor and risking his life for the only woman he's ever loved. In Windsor-Smith's WEAPON X, Wolverine is subjected to a series of sadistic medical experiments designed to create the perfect soldier long before his days as an X-Man. Also collecting INCREDIBLE HULK #181, UNCANNY X-MEN #205 and CAPTAIN AMERICA ANNUAL #8!
320 pages, Hardcover
Published October 27, 2004
About the author
Chris Claremont
3,260 books853 followersChris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 25, 2010
3.0 to 3.5 stars. He's the best there is at what he does and what he does isn't very nice. This omnibus collects the excellent four issue mini series by Frank Miller. Recommended.
November 16, 2015
I found the older comics a bit dated in storyline and the artwork. It was nice to get some of James "Logan" Howlett's backstory, all the same. It was really interesting to discover that Wolverine's first appearance was in The Incredible Hulk. Seeing these two guys throw down is quite an experience.
I'm having to be honest and say I can't stand Mariko. Definitely not worthy of Wolverine's pining. I couldn't help comparing this as I read to the most recent Wolverine movie, "The Wolverine," which I love, except for a few aspects. I think I prefer the movie versions of both Mariko and Yukio. Yukio wasn't bad, but I didn't like how she was so moony over Wolverine. I did like how kickbutt she was and kind of edgy. All the ninja stuff was cool (as they always are). I think Wolverine's adventures in Japan shape him in pivotal ways, and I feel that it helps to temper his animalistic nature.
Wolverine will always stand out as an antihero who is quite heroic. He learns through the School of Hard Knocks how to use his healing factor, formidable strength, and lethal fighting skills, not to mention his adamantium claws to best advantage.
Rereading "Weapon X" brings to mind why Logan is so conflicted as a character. How they deliberately and ruthlessly tortured him to bring out that aspect, and why he will always struggle against it now. And that makes him even more admirable that he can temper his berserker rage to fight with the X-Men and others on the side of justice.
If you're newer to the Marvel Verse, and want to find out the origins of Wolverine, this is worth tracking down. Just keep in mind that some of the older stories are from a different era, and frankly, like the sophistication of modern graphic novels. However, "Weapon X" is not to be missed by anyone who is intrigued with Wolverine.
3.5/5.0 stars.
I'm having to be honest and say I can't stand Mariko. Definitely not worthy of Wolverine's pining. I couldn't help comparing this as I read to the most recent Wolverine movie, "The Wolverine," which I love, except for a few aspects. I think I prefer the movie versions of both Mariko and Yukio. Yukio wasn't bad, but I didn't like how she was so moony over Wolverine. I did like how kickbutt she was and kind of edgy. All the ninja stuff was cool (as they always are). I think Wolverine's adventures in Japan shape him in pivotal ways, and I feel that it helps to temper his animalistic nature.
Wolverine will always stand out as an antihero who is quite heroic. He learns through the School of Hard Knocks how to use his healing factor, formidable strength, and lethal fighting skills, not to mention his adamantium claws to best advantage.
Rereading "Weapon X" brings to mind why Logan is so conflicted as a character. How they deliberately and ruthlessly tortured him to bring out that aspect, and why he will always struggle against it now. And that makes him even more admirable that he can temper his berserker rage to fight with the X-Men and others on the side of justice.
If you're newer to the Marvel Verse, and want to find out the origins of Wolverine, this is worth tracking down. Just keep in mind that some of the older stories are from a different era, and frankly, like the sophistication of modern graphic novels. However, "Weapon X" is not to be missed by anyone who is intrigued with Wolverine.
3.5/5.0 stars.
January 8, 2009
While the Best of Spider-Man Volume 1 has a claim at being the best Spider-Man of that year, Best of Wolverine has a claim at being the best Wolverine stories. It has the classic Wolverine goes to Japan tale written by Claremont and drawn by Frank Miller (in his pre-whore obsession days), which is still probably the definitive Wolverine tale.
It also has the memorable Claremont/Barry Windsor-Smith story where a bestial Wolverine and Katie Power flee angry cyborgs in a snow-covered New York, and Barry Windsor-Smith's original Weapon X tale. Plus a personal favorite of mine, the Wolverine/Cap team-up where the two share a mutual animosity and track down an adamantium-coated WWII-era robot, written by Mark Gruenwald and drawn by Mike Zeck.
There is, of course, also a reprint of Incredible Hulk #181, the most reprinted comic book *ever*. I believe it is a federal law that any Wolverine book needs to have this book reprinted in it.
It also has the memorable Claremont/Barry Windsor-Smith story where a bestial Wolverine and Katie Power flee angry cyborgs in a snow-covered New York, and Barry Windsor-Smith's original Weapon X tale. Plus a personal favorite of mine, the Wolverine/Cap team-up where the two share a mutual animosity and track down an adamantium-coated WWII-era robot, written by Mark Gruenwald and drawn by Mike Zeck.
There is, of course, also a reprint of Incredible Hulk #181, the most reprinted comic book *ever*. I believe it is a federal law that any Wolverine book needs to have this book reprinted in it.
December 26, 2024
Já komiksy z Bronze age moc nemusím. Většinou mi přijdou strašně špatné. Takový hezký "důkaz" proč jsou komiksy max pro náctileté. Proto se mi do toho moc nechtělo.
A nakonec mě to bavilo.
Fakt špatný je jen Wolverinův první příběh a celkem špatná pak jeho týmovka s Capem. Ostatní jsou ale docela slušné. Nejlepší z nich asi očekávaně ty od Claremonta.
A nakonec mě to bavilo.
Fakt špatný je jen Wolverinův první příběh a celkem špatná pak jeho týmovka s Capem. Ostatní jsou ale docela slušné. Nejlepší z nich asi očekávaně ty od Claremonta.
January 10, 2024
The best ones the stories of Hulk. The rest forgettable
July 23, 2007
Another rare find at my local public library. Here is what I wrote about it over in my blog:
"This is a compilation of various issues featuring Wolverine. It starts with Wolverine's first appearance in an issue of The Incredible Hulk. The volume also features the Weapon X series that presents Wolverine's origin as a government experiment and shows how he got his adamantium skeleton. Other stories include a four part Wolverine mini-series where he travels to Japan to find the woman he loves, a confrontation with Captain America, and a meeting with Lady Deathstrike, another woman from his past. This is a nice hardcover edition, and it features a good introduction by Chris Claremont that provides some historical context for the character's evolution. Personally, I always find interesting reading those introductions in anthologies when they are available. The issues covered in this volume span from the 1970s to the 1990s. Personally, I tend to enjoy the older issues because of the humorous narrative voice they feature, something that seems to be missing in later volumes. However, the volume makes for great entertainment and fast paced reading. The four part miniseries was one of my favorites as it showed depth of character in Wolverine as well as good plot. I definitely recommend this one for fans of Wolverine as well as comics readers."
"This is a compilation of various issues featuring Wolverine. It starts with Wolverine's first appearance in an issue of The Incredible Hulk. The volume also features the Weapon X series that presents Wolverine's origin as a government experiment and shows how he got his adamantium skeleton. Other stories include a four part Wolverine mini-series where he travels to Japan to find the woman he loves, a confrontation with Captain America, and a meeting with Lady Deathstrike, another woman from his past. This is a nice hardcover edition, and it features a good introduction by Chris Claremont that provides some historical context for the character's evolution. Personally, I always find interesting reading those introductions in anthologies when they are available. The issues covered in this volume span from the 1970s to the 1990s. Personally, I tend to enjoy the older issues because of the humorous narrative voice they feature, something that seems to be missing in later volumes. However, the volume makes for great entertainment and fast paced reading. The four part miniseries was one of my favorites as it showed depth of character in Wolverine as well as good plot. I definitely recommend this one for fans of Wolverine as well as comics readers."
January 14, 2008
The centerpiece of this collection is the classic four-issue miniseries from Frank Miller and Chris Claremont. No bones about it, this is the best Wolverine story ever put on paper and one of my favorite comics of all time. It perfectly defines Logan's hard-traveling "noble savage" character and the tug-of-war in his soul between the beast he fights to repress and the honorable Samurai warrior he longs to become.
The rest isn't exactly filler. The first appearance is interesting if only for historical perspective and "Weapon X" maintains its brutal edge, even if it is a product of the early 90s. I would only question the inclusion of the Captain America Annual issue, mainly because it takes up too many pages and doesn't present the "essential" aspects of Wolverine the others do. (Although the last scene is killer and something about me loved seeing an angry Cap yelling that Wolverine would never cut it as an Avenger. Don't tell Bendis!)
The title of this one doesn't lie. If you want to know your Wolverine, this is a great place to start.
The rest isn't exactly filler. The first appearance is interesting if only for historical perspective and "Weapon X" maintains its brutal edge, even if it is a product of the early 90s. I would only question the inclusion of the Captain America Annual issue, mainly because it takes up too many pages and doesn't present the "essential" aspects of Wolverine the others do. (Although the last scene is killer and something about me loved seeing an angry Cap yelling that Wolverine would never cut it as an Avenger. Don't tell Bendis!)
The title of this one doesn't lie. If you want to know your Wolverine, this is a great place to start.
November 19, 2008
In the world of comics, “best of” collections are many times underwhelming, especially in the case of long-running characters. Not so with this collection.
The stories contained in this hardcover are the absolute essence of Logan's character. Every Wolverine story that followed owes a debt to these blueprints. The knockout double headers- the original Wolverine miniseries by Claremont & Miller and Barry Windsor-Smith's Weapon X- are accompanied by Hulk #181 (Wolvie's 1st appearance), Captain America Annual #8 (the least of the tales collected, yet still fascinating) and one of my personal favorites, Uncanny X-Men #205 in which Claremont & Windsor-Smith pit Logan against Lady Deathstrike and The Reavers.
This was an absolute joy to read, and will be revisited many times over.
The stories contained in this hardcover are the absolute essence of Logan's character. Every Wolverine story that followed owes a debt to these blueprints. The knockout double headers- the original Wolverine miniseries by Claremont & Miller and Barry Windsor-Smith's Weapon X- are accompanied by Hulk #181 (Wolvie's 1st appearance), Captain America Annual #8 (the least of the tales collected, yet still fascinating) and one of my personal favorites, Uncanny X-Men #205 in which Claremont & Windsor-Smith pit Logan against Lady Deathstrike and The Reavers.
This was an absolute joy to read, and will be revisited many times over.
December 9, 2012
The Best of Wolverine Vol. 1
If you're gonna buy a big expensive collection of classic Wolverine stories think of this as the Value edition. The primary stories you're getting here are the seminal Frank Miller/Chris Claremont mini-Series and the groundbreaking Weapon X mini-Series by Barry Windsor Smith. There's an extra B.W.S. story in here featuring the birth of Lady Deathstrike (X-Men 205). The other two stories (Wolverine's first appearance and a team up with Captain America) are fluff. Not necessary unless you're a completionist. In which case you'll want to go for the Wolverine Omnibus ($99.99) series instead. The $30 cover price for this collection of the two best and most important classic Wolverine tales makes this a great buy for any Wolverine fan.
If you're gonna buy a big expensive collection of classic Wolverine stories think of this as the Value edition. The primary stories you're getting here are the seminal Frank Miller/Chris Claremont mini-Series and the groundbreaking Weapon X mini-Series by Barry Windsor Smith. There's an extra B.W.S. story in here featuring the birth of Lady Deathstrike (X-Men 205). The other two stories (Wolverine's first appearance and a team up with Captain America) are fluff. Not necessary unless you're a completionist. In which case you'll want to go for the Wolverine Omnibus ($99.99) series instead. The $30 cover price for this collection of the two best and most important classic Wolverine tales makes this a great buy for any Wolverine fan.
August 16, 2012
Contains all the important story arcs about the early life of Logan. I like the introduction as well because of all the back stories it contains. Not too hot about some of the art but it did trigger one of my favorite indicators of a good read: I still wanted to read on even after I had finished the last page of the last story.
February 21, 2014
Interesting compilation, was bit confused why the main part of how Logan became Weapon X and Wolverine was at the end but otherwise it was fine.
March 24, 2024
This is a great collection of Wolverine stories that mostly touch on key moments in his earlier days in the Marvel Universe.
Wolverine #1-4: This is the second limited series Marvel ever produced, and it's illustrated by the legendary Frank Miller (think: Sin City and 300). The story takes Wolverine to Japan and focuses on the woman he loved more than any other in his life. I picked this collection up solely for the chance to read these four issues as they are known for having a great story and awesome artwork.
Marvel Comics Presents #72-84: These issues give a glimpse into the formative process of The Weapon X Project, which led to Logan gaining his adamantium skeleton. The action is minimal and the story can feel a bit slow, but the artwork is some of the best you'll ever find from the early '90s.
The Incredible Hulk #181: While issue #180 actually has the distinction of being Wolverine's first ever appearance (he shows up on the last panel of the issue), this subsequent issue is really the first time readers get to know him. Released in 1974, the issue feels dated but in a fun way.
Uncanny X-Men #205: I have no idea why this issue is included. The story feels like a continuation from a previous issue but it's not, dropping readers into the middle of an event without much understanding of what happened beforehand. Chris Claremont compiled this volume and he's the writer of the majority of its stories... I think he just decided to throw this issue and the next one on this list into the collection because they were personal favorites that he wrote.
Captain America Annual #8: This and the Uncanny X-Men issue are my least favorites of the collection because they feel mostly like filler. The stories are not notable for anything in particular, and this one is mostly about Cap anyway. I wouldn't call them bad in any particular way, just... not necessary.
Overall: B/B-, four stars, and a strong recommendation for anyone looking for great stories about Wolverine.
Wolverine #1-4: This is the second limited series Marvel ever produced, and it's illustrated by the legendary Frank Miller (think: Sin City and 300). The story takes Wolverine to Japan and focuses on the woman he loved more than any other in his life. I picked this collection up solely for the chance to read these four issues as they are known for having a great story and awesome artwork.
Marvel Comics Presents #72-84: These issues give a glimpse into the formative process of The Weapon X Project, which led to Logan gaining his adamantium skeleton. The action is minimal and the story can feel a bit slow, but the artwork is some of the best you'll ever find from the early '90s.
The Incredible Hulk #181: While issue #180 actually has the distinction of being Wolverine's first ever appearance (he shows up on the last panel of the issue), this subsequent issue is really the first time readers get to know him. Released in 1974, the issue feels dated but in a fun way.
Uncanny X-Men #205: I have no idea why this issue is included. The story feels like a continuation from a previous issue but it's not, dropping readers into the middle of an event without much understanding of what happened beforehand. Chris Claremont compiled this volume and he's the writer of the majority of its stories... I think he just decided to throw this issue and the next one on this list into the collection because they were personal favorites that he wrote.
Captain America Annual #8: This and the Uncanny X-Men issue are my least favorites of the collection because they feel mostly like filler. The stories are not notable for anything in particular, and this one is mostly about Cap anyway. I wouldn't call them bad in any particular way, just... not necessary.
Overall: B/B-, four stars, and a strong recommendation for anyone looking for great stories about Wolverine.
November 16, 2021
This was just O.K
July 16, 2023
Excellent comic, well worth a read for marvel and X men fans.
December 5, 2024
This collection of Wolverine stories includes the epic four-part miniseries helmed by Claremont/Miller as well as the Weapon X anthology by Windsor-Smith. Great stories and good collection.
May 23, 2016
This first miniseries featuring Wolverine is a story that launched a thousand... related stories. I was already quite familiar with all of the characters involved, since they have shown up time and again in later Wolverine stories, either in reference or in person (including a couple who died here, so now I'm curious how that works, but it's comics so I will roll with it). The story itself is well done, even if it doesn't seem to match how I think of Wolverine all the time. I'm not a huge fan of Frank Miller, personally, and I think some of my issues come from his trying to force Wolverine into his kind of story, which just doesn't quite feel right. Still, the art is quite interesting and not quite as distracting as some other Frank Miller tales I have read. One part I was not wild about as well was how the majority of the dialogue in the book was indicated to have been translated from Japanese, except some phrases were left untranslated for flavor, I suppose. I recognized several of them, and understood quite a bit, but it just didn't make much sense when other text (sometimes in the same panel) was fully translated. Other than that quibble and some parts that didn't ring true for the character, this was an enjoyable story.
October 12, 2015
No sé cuándo ni por qué marqué esta edición de Wolverine, que claramente no tengo, pero viendo los autores y el material que deduzco que recopila, me sorprende no haber redondeado para arriba, ya que tanto la miniserie de Claremont y Miller como el Arma-X de Windsor-Smith son pequeñas joyitas del subuniverso mutante marvelita.
Ya ampliaré cuando relea y/o corrobore la totalidad del contenido.
Ya ampliaré cuando relea y/o corrobore la totalidad del contenido.
January 4, 2008
After the popularity of Wolverine in the Dark Phoenix Saga, he received his own four book mini-series. This series helped defined the character, drawing a line between his animal and human nature. I love this series to this day.
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
July 27, 2015
the Claremont/Miller miniseries is fantastic, the Hulk issue is an interesting artifact, even if the story is mediocre. I could take or leave Weapon X.
July 27, 2015
Collects Wolverine's first appearance, the Claremont/Miller miniseries, and the original Weapon X story. All three are classic Wolverine stories. The other issues are filler, but aren't bad.
January 5, 2017
Na verdade, li o Eu, Wolverine, da Salvat (Wolverine 1-4). Esse aqui vai servir de proxy.
July 18, 2017
i think its amazing
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews