Hugh Jackman reprises his role as the Marvel Comics character fortified with the ability to self-heal, retractable Adamantium-enhanced claws, and a whole lot of attitude. The Wolverine (not yet rated), the sixth installment in Marvel and 20th Century Fox’s X-Men film sequence, premieres in theaters on July 26, 2013, in 2D and 3D formats.
Based on a 1982 comic-book miniseries created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, the action is set after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). Wolverine (aka Logan) travels to modern-day Japan, 
where he is reunited with a mysterious individual from his past. As events unfold, the tough-as-nails warrior finds himself able to experience true vulnerability for the first time ever. Driven to the edge both physically and emotionally, Logan clashes with deadly enemies, while also wrestling with his feelings about his own immortality. The cast also includes Hiroyuki Sanada as Japanese crime-lord Shingen Yashida; Tao Okamoto as his daughter, Mariko, a beautiful woman torn between her feelings for Logan and familial duty; Will Yun Lee as the katana-wielding Silver Samurai (and Shingen’s illegitimate son); Rila Fukushima as Yukio, skilled Shingen clan assassin; and Svetlana Khodchenkova as Viper, Wolverine’s toxic (and toxin-using) adversary. Teens can visit the official website for a video preview, photo gallery, and an assortment of downloads.
Graphic Novels
Movie fans will be clamoring to read more about the man who put the “SKINT!” into hand-to-hand combat. Consider enhancing your graphic novel collection about this plain-talking, hard-scrapping hero.
Marvel has re-published Claremont and Miller’s movie-plot-inspiring series in a single handsome volume. The cover sets the tone, with a portrait of a brash Wolverine (Marvel, 2013; Gr 8 Up), one hand raised with three razor-sharp claws extended and the other beckoning with a characteristically cocky “bring it” gesture. On hiatus from the X-Men, Wolverine’s story begins in the Canadian Rockies, a wilderness he calls as “stark an’ elemental as my soul,” where he scuffles with a giant grizzly gone berserk. Letters returned unopened take him to Japan, where he discovers that his beloved Mariko, honor-bound to follow the command of her crime boss father, has been married to a cruel man. When Lord Shingen humiliates a weakened Wolverine in front of Mariko during one-to-one clash—calling him “an animal cast in a semblance of human form”—the heartbroken hero sinks into despair…and into the arms of Yukio, a fearless assassin. Danger, betrayal, and self-doubt abound, as Logan fights to save the woman he loves, and to prove to himself that he is more man than beast. Unembellished and softly lilting, Wolverine’s first-person narrative spins the action while revealing frank emotions. The bright-colored artwork keeps pace with a combination of sinuous skirmish scenes and expressive close-ups. Teens will enjoy comparing the themes and characterizations in this gripping graphic novel with those found in the movie.
Wolverine: First Cuts (Marvel, 2013; Gr 8 Up) presents a roundup of comic-book tales featuring the film’s most important personages. An excerpt from the Claremont and Miller mini-series is featured here, along with Chris Yost and Mark Texeira’s 2009 origin tale (an electrifying illustrated look at Wolverine’s roots including the experiment that bonded Adamantium to his bones and recruitment into the X-Men), a 1963 story arc from The Uncanny X-Men that takes the mutant warriors to a besieged Japan where they tussle with villains (and Wolverine first meets Mariko), a 1983 selection starring Spider-Man that recounts the first alliance between movie villains Viper and Silver Samurai, and more. The tidbits are framed with brief introductions that provide context and refer readers to the appropriate volumes to continue reading. The back matter includes profiles of the major characters (detailed bios along with stats and power-rating charts) and a chronology of Wolverine epics. Teens can sample this eye-catching collection to find out more about the movie headliners and perhaps identify titles/series for further Wolverine reading.
Crisply told and adorned with bold, contemporary-looking artwork, Ben Acker and Ben Blacker’s Wolverine: Season One (Marvel, 2013; Gr 7 Up) provides a riveting origin tale that will appeal to readers meeting the hero for the first time in graphic novel format as well as comic-book devotees. While hiking in the wilderness, Canadian scientists Heather and James Hudson encounter a wild-eyed loin-cloth-wearing man who saves them from the lethal claws of the giant-size Wendigo. They take the injured stranger back to their cabin and watch amazed as his body begins to heal itself; when he awakens, he has no memories of his past or his identity. Recruited for the Canadian government’s mysterious Department H by the Hudsons, he is codenamed Wolverine and trained as an operative. However, the facility’s search for a Canadian super soldier has been characterized by unscrupulous experiments and dark secrets, some of which may hit close to home. Meanwhile, a Wolverine plagued by memory flashes struggles to determine if he is more man or beast, and to find a place to fit in. The script interweaves fast-paced action and hand-to-claw conflict with moments of introspection and well-delivered touches of humor. As subtle as a character’s eye-roll or as broadly stroked as a dynamic double-page mêlée, Salva Espin’s illustrations expand the story’s plot and emotional nuances with well-wrought details and fluid motion. A satisfying and suspenseful look at Wolverine’s pre-X-Men days.
Libraries that pride themselves on hosting the ultimate graphic novel collection might want to consider the pricey but spectacular coffee-table-size Wolverine: The Adamantium Collection (Marvel, 2013; Gr 8 Up). Included here are Claremont and Miller’s mini-series; Paul Jenkins and Andy Kubert’s precisely plotted Wolverine: Origin (originally published in 2001-02); Barry Windsor-Smith’s Weapon X (1991), a superbly illustrated, dramatically paced, and harrowing look at Logan’s Adamantium upgrade; and much, much more. Exploded out to fit the hefty volume’s 11.5″ x 15.5” trim size, the artwork is gorgeous and utterly riveting. The book ends with an “Evolution of a Character” portrait section and a gallery of variant covers along with artist profiles. A real stunner, this offering could be a centerpiece display item or a reference tome.
For Younger Teens
Marvel Universe Wolverine (Marvel, 2013, Gr 4-8), part of the “All Ages” series, showcases four adventures that represent an appealing array of storytelling and illustrative styles. In “Kingdom of No,” Canadian operative Logan is sent to a small fishing village to investigate a technological threat and proves that his arsenal of weapons includes smart thinking, while another tale places the hero in amidst a battle between the “emerald man-brute” Hulk and Canadian “woods-beast” Wendigo. An excerpt from Wolverine: First Class presents Logan in his role as professor to X-Men in training, as the persistent Kitty Pryde tries to cajole him into introducing her to her latest crush—Thor. In the final tale, Spider-Man is tasked with shadowing Wolverine for a day to verify his good-guy worthiness as a hair gel spokesperson, but unexpected surprises are in store for both of them. The stand-alone tales are fast-paced, easy-to-follow, and sprinkled with kid-friendly humor. Varying in tone and color palette, each entry’s artwork is appealing. While claws are deployed and bad guys are thwarted, the action remains on the tamer side. A great sampler for kids new to comics and those looking to read further in the Wolverine body of work.
YA author Barry Lyga’s delightful Wolverine: Worst Day Ever, originally published in 2009, has been reissued in a paperback edition (Marvel, 2013; Gr 5-8) with a new cover. Written in a blog format, the book is narrated by 13-year-old Eric Mattias, newcomer to Xavier’s School for Gifted Students. Surrounded by mutants and soon-to-be super heroes with all manner of amazing abilities, Eric’s special gift is, well, under-whelming: people just don’t notice him, even when he is screaming loudly, being tripped over, or sat upon (particularly unpleasant in a bathroom scene involving Colossus). Though this power is admittedly “lame,” it does allow him to move around unseen, and to follow Wolverine on an adventure that reveals much about this loner of a hero and also teaches Eric a few lessons about himself. The teen’s candidly expressed and relatable feelings of alienation are balanced with wry humor and succinctly described action. Comic-book panels “drawn” by Eric and posted on his blog add color and flavor. Fun to booktalk, this makes an appealing choice for reluctant readers, kids who usually seek their reading material on comic book shelves, and Wolverine fans.
Publication Information
CLAREMONT, Chris. Wolverine by Claremont & Miller. illus. by Frank Miller & Paul Smith. Marvel. 2013. Tr $24.99. ISBN 9780785183839.
YOST, Chris & Chris Claremont. Wolverine: First Cuts. illus. by Mark Texeira, John Byrne, Frank Miller, & Sal Buscema. Marvel. 2013. pap. $19.99. ISBN 9780785184270.
ACKER, Ben & Ben Blacker. Wolverine: Season One. illus. by Salva Espin. Marvel. 2013. Tr $24.99. ISBN 9780785166726.
MARVEL UNIVERSE WOLVERINE. Marvel. 2013. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780785167952.
Wolverine: The Adamantium Collection. Marvel. 2013. Tr $200. ISBN 9780785167891.
LYGA, Barry. Wolverine. “Young Readers Novel.” Marvel. 2013. pap. $7.99. ISBN 9780785167952.