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Wolverine in the ’20s hasn’t always had the best time, although he’s become more popular after Deadpool/Wolverine and gotten closer to his ’90s height of amount of stories. We’ve gotten some very interesting Wolverine stories over the first half of the ’20s, and some of them have been very, very good. These ten ’20s Wolverine stories are the best of the decade so far, stories from across Wolverine’s history.
10) Wolverine (Vol. 7) #24-25
I’m a big fan of Percy’s Wolverine. He wrote the book like the ’90s Wolverine — short stories with longterm storyarcs building in the background — and there are a lot of cool short stories. One of those is Wolverine (Vol. 7) #24-25, which is also the Wolverine crossover issues for AXE: Judgment Day. The Arrakoan Solem is forced to call on Wolverine for help against the Hellbride, something that stems from the first time they met (we’ll get there). Percy works with Federico Vicentini on the book, and there’s a great energy to the art. Percy knows how to write a great Wolverine story and this is a perfect example of what he does best — paying off longterm storytelling with tremendous action and character work.
9) Wolverine (Vol. 7) #14-16
Percy created Solem early in the series, and he became one of the coolest parts of the book. Solem comes to Wolverine on Krakoa, and asks for a favor, just as Wolverine is sent after Sevyr Blackmore, a Arakkoan pirate who has been unleashed on the seas. Solem worked with the pirate on Arakko, and Wolverine needs Solem as much as Solem needs him. Percy and Adam Kubert give readers an amazing three issue story, as the two very different killers clash and work together. However, who’s using who? I really want Solem to come back as a character, and this is one of the coolest examples of what makes him such a great Wolverine villain. There’s a charm to the character, as well as a heartlessness that makes him so interesting. Kubert’s art is fantastic, and if this story doesn’t make you Percy’s Wolverine, nothing will.
8) Wolverine: Deep Cut
Chris Claremont is an X-Men legend, and he wrote some amazing Wolverine tales, both in Uncanny X-Men and in Wolverine, writing the ol’Canucklehead’s first miniseries and the first ten issues of his ongoing. Claremont’s Wolverine is always a joy to read, and he came back to the character in time for Wolverine’s 50th anniversary for two miniseries set in Wolverine’s past. Both of them are on this list and the first we’re looking at is Wolverine: Deep Cut, by Chris Claremont and Edgar Salazar. This story sees Wolverine battling the Sabretooth and the Marauders, with Mister Sinister waiting in the wings. This is peak Claremont Wolverine, and Salazar’s art is perfect for it. This is an action-packed story that is perfect for new and old Wolverine fans.
7) Wolverine (Vol. 7) #6-7
I am not at all a fan of “X of Swords”, the first major event of the Krakoa Era. I find a lot of it boring, and I don’t like the bait and switch of the second half. However, the two Wolverine issues, by Benjamin Percy, Gerry Duggan, Viktor Bogdanovic, and Joshua Cassara are the best of the story for me. Wolverine is forced to go to Japan to get a new Murasama blade, which sends him to Hell and having to deal with the Beast of the Hand to get Murasama to make one. Meanwhile, the Arakkoans send Solem, and the two of them are forced to work together. The second issue sees Wolverine and Storm get drunk before Wolverine is called to battle against Solem and Summoner. These are two action-packed, fun issues. It uses the ideas of “X of Swords” very well, and has some killer art.
6) Wolverine (Vol. 7) #1-3
Wolverine (Vol. 70 #1-3, by Benjamin Percy, Adam Kubert, and Viktor Bogdanovic, is a story called “The Flower Cartel”. On an X-Force mission against a group stealing Krakoan flowers, Wolverine ends up under mind control and murders his team. This leads to him trying to figure out what’s going on and teaming with CIA agent Jeff Bannister, with whom he learns about a group stealing Krakoan flowers for a secret enemy. The first issue also includes the beginning of a story that’s picked up after this one, as Wolverine hunts vampires in Paris and gets a new ally. This three issue story is readers’ first taste of Percy writing Wolverine on his own, and it was awesome. Cool story, fun mystery that would tie into X-Force, and the best Wolverine we’d seen in years.
