Wolverine Reading Order 🧵
Wolverine has the most confusing history out of all Marvel characters and it’s very hard to catch up on it. That’s why I created this reading order so people not familiar with Wolverine’s comics can catch up on his character history.
Miranda Cosgrove says she has never been drunk or smoked in her entire life:
“I've never even been buzzed. I've sipped things before, but like two sips.”
Never seen anyone do this before and I think it’s interesting so here’s a little thread of 15 questions related to what you would do if you were a comic book character
A thread 🧵
1. The story
Out of all stories that the MCU Disney + shows told, Moon Knight (apart from Loki) had the most unique story. The formerly unexplored supernatural side was brought to the forefront with a complete story that didn’t fell rushed and was well-paced.
You gotta appreciate Chris Claremont for making Wolverine who he is today. If not for him, Wolverine would’ve been a one-off antagonist in a Hulk comic. Those four comics alone set up 50 years of Wolverine.
1. Wolverine: The Origin by Paul Jenkins
The beginnings of James Howlett are explored. How he got the name Logan, his powers and the name Wolverine are all included here. Reading this helped me understand Wolverine much better in his later years. That’s why it’s recommended.
The story felt different than what the MCU did before. And it made sense. The villain Arthur Harrow was clearly displayed as a bad guy from the start and as the show developed, we saw how truly messed up he is. But we also could kinda see where he’s coming from.
2. Origin II by Kieron Gillen
This series immediately follows the aftermath of Wolverine: The Origin and further fleshes out Wolverine as an adult while introducing many of his greatest enemies like Sabretooth and Mister Sinister.
He’s just a broken man who regrets his past actions and wants to make it right by forging what he believes would be Heaven. We even see how dedicated he is to the purpose when he willingly submitted to be sent to the the Egyptian Hell because he was judged as evil.
Marc always viewed himself as a dead walking corpse whose only purpose is killing. What Marc seeks is freedom and peace. At the end of the show, he got it. His character development was completed when he sacrificed a peaceful eternal life to rescue Steven.
Conclusion:
Moon Knight was a great entertaining show that had an interesting story, great action and more importantly sends a message to the viewer about real life and human struggles. That’s why I love it
As for the protagonists, the show did a good job differentiating between Marc and Steven by having them have different motivations and characteristics. Marc is someone without a purpose. He should’ve died but thanks to Khonshu he stayed alive. But he wasn’t really alive.
At the end, Steven stops seeing Marc as a monster and instead as a struggling human. This leads to him accepting and embracing the connection he has with Marc. Their resurrection is a symbol of how deep meaningful connections can make us feel truly alive
Steven is just a lonely man looking for connections while fearing what those connections might do to him. Throughout the show, he finds himself unwillingly connected to Marc, a killer. Steven tries to disconnect from Marc while also inspiring him to do better.
Another great thing about the action is how it showed the difference between Marc and Steven’s fighting styles and how the way they fight reflects their personalities.
4. The action
While the show didn’t have that much action, the action that was included was satisfying to watch. Moon Knight’s brutality and immunity to pain were brought to light using those actions scenes.
Question 5:
If you were a superhero and had a no-kill rule, what would be your reason behind it?
• Religious / moral reasons
• Psychological / personal reason
2. The pacing
Despite having only six episodes like most MCU shows, Moon Knight managed to tell a full complete story in the 6 episodes it was given. Marc and Steven’s arc, Harrow’s story and Layla’s development all didn’t feel rushed and each of them got fitting endings
3. Wolverine: Origins Annual
#1
by Daniel Way
This issue depicts Wolverine’s first visit to Madripoor and the first appearance of his other persona Patch. This takes place right after Origin II and explains how Logan’s history with Madripoor started.
3. Egyptian Mythology
A highlight in the show was the exploration of Egyptian Mythology. Gods, magic and resurrection were prominent beliefs in Ancient Egypt and the show did it justice. It was also accurate to what Ancient Egyptians actually believed in.
Question 2:
If you were a superhero, which type of enemy would you prefer to fight?
• Criminals
• Tyrants
• Cosmic threats / Aliens
• Supernatural threats
6. Wolverine: Get Mystique! (Vol.3
#62
-65) by Jason Aaron
Through flashbacks, Wolverine’s history with Mystique in the 1920s is explored. This book is one of the best Wolverine stories and explains the origins of Wolverine and Mystique’s rivalry.
5. DID representation
The best part of the show is how it delved into Marc and Steven’s psyche and how it affected their lives. The show depicted them both as struggling with handling DID and showed how hard it for them to live with it.
Question 4:
If mutants were real, would you stand by their side despite their powers being dangerous and some of them choosing to use their powers for evil?
8. Logan by Brain K. Vaughan
This book explores the first time Logan ever went to Japan and how he settled in. Japan is an important part of Logan’s history and this book is crucial to understanding how he got there in the first place.
5. Wolverine Vol. 3
#57
-58 by Marc Guggenheim
One of the big wars Wolverine took part in was WW1. There, Wolverine meets the Angel of Death who was one of the killers active during the war. This era of Wolverine sets up his later adventures in Japan and his role in WW2
4. Wolverine Vol. 2
#10
&
#62
-65 by Larry Hama
These issues explore Wolverine’s relationship with Silver Fox after he returns to Canada from Madripoor. It’s not detailed and most information is left vague but the general idea behind their relationship is shown.
Episode 5 is the best episode of the show for a good reason. It was very relatable. It explained how abuse from parents really messes up the child’s mind going into adolescence and eventually adulthood. We see how wrong it is to physically and emotionally abuse our children.
7. Wolverine: Origins
#16
-20 by Daniel Way
In these issues, Wolverine’s role alongside Captain America in WW2 is told. This is the first meeting between both characters who grow to respect each other. WW2 is important to Wolverine’s history and these issues set up later stories
Question 8:
If you had no superpowers, what method would you use to fight evil organizations?
• Infiltration
• Direct conflict with backup
• Direct conflict alone
• Behind-the scenes
12. Web of Venom: Ve’nam
#1
by Donny Cates
Here you will find Nick Fury’s stupidest decision ever which had him bonding soldiers to Symbiotes to create his own super-soldiers during the Vietnam War. These Symbiote-Soldiers needed to be kept in check and that was Wolverine’s job.
This reflects people who are suffering from DID in real life. The show humanizes Marc and Steven instead of depicting them as insane weirdos. This sends the message that we should do the same and that people with DID are incredibly resilient strong people who just need our help.
17. Wolverine: Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith
This book details Wolverine’s Adamantium bonding and brainwashing by the Weapons Plus Program. This is one of the most important books to read if you want to understand Wolverine.
When Marc and Steven accepted each other and accepted that the past is the past, they came back to life. Accepting their issues and troubles instead of running away from them made them truly alive.
But the show doesn’t just show how mental illness is hard to live with. It also shows us how we should deal with it. The resurrection scene displays that. We should accept ourselves, even our mental issues. We should look for the good and strength in them and embrace them.