For a character as iconic as Wolverine, it might feel that each new adventure is a retread of the tried-and-true arcs established by bygone creators. In the 1990s, Marvel attempted to give Logan a depowering, coming out of the “Fatal Attractions” crossover where Magento ripped the Adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton. With the hero badly injured, Logan was left with bone claws and reduced healing factor. The issues found in this Epic Collection, featuring Wolverine stories from 1993-94, have Logan face off against some of his most notable foes, all of which see an opportunity to take down the severely weakened X-Man.
Collecting Wolverine #76-86, Cable #16, and a couple Wolverine one-shots and team-up books, these comics hold up surprisingly well when one considers the spotty record Marvel had about this time. At its core, these Wolverine stories cover familiar territory for the character, but the creative talent involved elevate this storyline into something great. Larry Hama, the man who carried the Wolverine solo book from 1988 to 1996, demonstrates such a strong command of the character and his purpose that this trade’s first arc is basically a case study in how to write a great Wolverine adventure. Terrifying villains like Bloodscream, Lady Deathstrike, and Cyber are always within reach of finishing off the depowered mutant, with only Logan’s wit and associates in Alpha Flight and Excalibur to keep him alive. There is a tension with each issue, as Wolverine travels the globe with his enemies in hot pursuit. Hama always focused on the animalistic nature of Wolverine and his attempts to control his inner rage, giving this globetrotting adventure a clear character single-mindedness.
Hama’s work deserves all the praise it gets, and issues #76-84 do not disappoint in this trade. But it’s not just the writing that makes this a stellar run, as the art by Adam Kubert is also top notch. Always an incredible penciller, his work in these issues seems to be influenced by the more experimental Wolverine artists from the time (like Sam Keith), distorting the villain’s character designs into true nightmare fuel. The fight scenes are stylized, dramatic, but still grave in their blocking. Even when Ian Churchill does a fill-in issue, it looks in-keeping with the tone and visual vibe Kubert established.
Even while this era was prone to throwing the X-books into crossovers that disrupted the central narrative of the book, Hama holds it together when the Phalanx Saga takes over the title with issue #85-86 (Cable #16 is also a tie-in to this crossover). These are not the best issues in this book by a longshot, but they are gratifying, finding Logan reunited with Cyclops and Jean Grey. Again, Kubert’s line work is beautiful, producing some of the best Phalanx designs I’ve ever seen. Just a beauty to behold!
The one-shots and team-up books at the end of the collection are perfectly fine as supplemental Wolverine material, having him spend time with the likes of Ghost Rider, Punisher, and Nick Fury. On their own, they would be amusing Wolverine stories, but when placed next to the amazing work Hama and Kubert produced on the first portion of this trade, they simply don’t hold up in comparison.
Like most Epic Collections, it’s light on supplementals that go beyond a few covers thrown in at the end. It probably won’t bother most readers, as this book is already packed with Wolverine action and adventure, but for longtime readers like me, I wish there was more in the way of historical reflection collected. I recall reading these issues when they were on newsstands, and they hold up far better than I remember. It would be great to see some creator or editor notes from this period, or a contemplation on the importance of these issues today.
Larry Hama’s run on Wolverine is highly respected, and this Epic Collection exhibits why. It captures the essence of the character, builds on years of continuity while still being approachable to casual readers, and is beautiful drawn. There are more famous Wolverine arcs, but this collection makes the case for including this run in the quintessential Wolverine canon.
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