I chose to read this series as my second series because it would introduce me to a variety of characters (many lesser-known ones too). Each issue is broken up into several stories. Most of these comics were flip issues. One side has a cover (with a popular character like Wolverine) and that half of the book has that story. Then you flip it over for another cover and another story about some other less popular character. There were lots of self-contained stories about a lot of characters. Many were good, some not so good. Some are one-shot stories and others have the same story/character going for multiple issues. Wolverine appears in a lot of the issues of this comic so that is what drew me to it originally (because I like Wolverine a lot). It was also a comic that was cheap, readily available for me to fill the gaps on issues I was missing.
He was in the first 10 issues in a series called Save The Tiger taking place in Madripoor. This was my first Wolverine storyline to ever read. He fought some weird character called Razorfist (who had hands…er fist…made of swords). Hmmm, I hope Wolverine stories get better than this one?!?
Black Panther then carried the series for a while. This storyline lasted for 25 issues. I’d never read anything with him in it. I liked the stories and his character. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it more than I had the first Wolverine story. Uh oh!?!
Wolverine restarted again in issue 39 and continued through 142. From issue 39 he was battling it out with villains called White Shadow and Black Shadow. This lasted 10 issues and again wasn’t the best story I’d ever read. Somewhere along the way in one of the separate stories, the Incredible Hulk wrestled with Hulk Hogan. That was weird! Anyhoo, back to my guy, Wolverine! In issue 48 Spiderman shows up along with Wolverine. I love both these characters. So, this short 3 issue story was fun. Starting in issue 50 The Wilding storyline starts with Wolverine fighting Wildchild for 3 issues. In issue 54 Wolverine and Hulk run together for 8 issues. In Issue 64 Ghost Rider showed up to run with Wolverine for 8 issues. I was very excited to get to issue 72. This is where the Weapon X storyline started and it would continue for 12 issues. This is the best storyline in the entire series. The Weapon X series revealed Wolverine’s origin story (in issues 72-84). The covers, artwork, and storyline were all awesome. This is the best storyline I’ve read so far in my short comic book reading career. In issue 85 artist Sam Keith began drawing Wolverine’s Blood Hungry 8 part series. I very much liked his artwork. Sam Keith would come and go at various times throughout the remainder of the Wolverine stories. He continued with issue 93 in the Wild Frontier 6 part series. After that, there was an 8 part series with X-Men’s Nightcrawler. Then in issue 109 the Typhoid’s Kiss series kicked off for 8 issues. In issue 117 Wolverine and Venom kicked off a 6 part series. I like Venom so I enjoyed this. In issue 123 the 8 part Passion Play series kicked off. Then in issue 132, the 5 part Brother in Arms storyline ran before the final Wolverine storyline of the series kicked off in issue 137 (the 6 part Rumble In The Jungle).
From issue 143 until the end (issue 175), I lost interest in the series. Wolverine was no longer in it and most of the characters that were appearing I either wasn’t interested in or had no clue who they even were. I read them anyway until they got to be so unbearable that I quickly skimmed the pages to look at the pictures. You know the opposite of how you read a Playboy magazine!
DeanoRolls (@deanoroll5) 