Wolverine: Deep Cut

by Chris Claremont, Edgar Salazar (Artist), Carlos López (Colorist)

At last, the untold story of Wolverine’s most personal mission is revealed!

Decades ago, in UNCANNY X-MEN #246, Wolverine left the X-Men behind to set off into the Australian outback. What he did there has been shrouded in mystery — until now! Chris Claremont reveals what happened before Logan’s classic battle with the Reavers, presenting a sinister revelation and claw-to-claw confrontations with Sabretooth and the Marauders! But even if Wolverine can survive alone against Victor Creed, Riptide, Vertigo, Scrambler, Blockbuster, Prism and the rest, he’ll have to face a darker secret that will cut them all to the bone!

COLLECTING: Wolverine: Deep Cut (2024) 1-4

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, X Men

136 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2025

About the author

Chris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.

Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.

Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.

Reviews

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Actually, I enjoyed the Deep Cut series, not so much, the 1981 Uncanny X-MEN books. However, I was glad they were there so I could see where the Deep Cut series fit into the X universe.

Wolverine is on one of his side quests, or solo missions, whatever you want yo call them. The X-MEN are presumed dead. However, this will not stop one of Wolverine's deadliest enemies carrying out a birthday tradition. This is enough to push Wolverine over the edge. He is not an X-MAN or a hero. Now, he is just the Wolverine. The game and the rules have changed with deadly results.

What I really liked about this book is Wolverine actually using his fighting skills. Yes, he still runs in head first and takes a whipping of ten shots to get one in, but in this time, more often than not, this time, he makes it count. There is also an interesting new use of Wolverine's prower. One, I hope to see again. I also liked the honesty Wolverine admits about one of his enemies.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.4 stars.

[Marco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read as single issues.

This was pretty disappointing.

I'm always happy to see Chris Claremont get work. But like many of his contemporaries he only gets to do miniseries a step or two removed from current continuity.
In Deep Cut he is supposed to close a gap in Wolverine's history, from when Logan took some personal time off the X-Men back in Australia, until his return and defeat at the hands of the Reavers a few issues later.

But not only was that dealt with by Larry Hama in Wolverine's own book that ran concurrently with the main X-Men title back then (at a time when something resembling continuity was actually taken into account by Marvel's editorial), what we get here is a 5-issue miniseries of Wolverine going to Mr Sinister's orphanage to deal with the Marauders, resulting in one long, drawn-out fight (more a slog- than a slugfest) with sub-par artwork and Marauders whose names have inexplicably changed (yeah, Scalphunter was a name deemed problematic, so he goes by Greycrow now. But he was still Scalphunter back then and also, he is a mass-murdering shithead. An insensitive name should be the least of his worries.) or whose powers work completely differently from what had been shown before (Scrambler.)

No, this book is not only absolutely unnecessary in my opinion, but worse, it's absolutely, utterly boring!

[Tyler Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story, solid action. Cool I guess just feels pointless, as do most of these throwback to older era stories are so far. But not a bad one, I enjoyed this one and followed along with it well.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was better than I expected. It's basically a big old school fight with Wolverine battling Sabretooth, then the Marauders, then Mr. Sinister, although with a twist. It fills in the blank on something I hadn't ever really thought about, which was what happened when Wolverine took a hiatus from the X-Men way back in Uncanny X-Men 246. I always like the mutant massacre story, and this ties into that.

If you like superhero battles, this one is for you.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite literally fell asleep while reading the last issue in this collection. First issue was fine for an older work my Claremont and Silvestri, but it ultimately felt pretty damn unattached from an series that was all about Wolverine going after the Marauders and Sinister post-Krakoa (I would assume). The action in those is fine, but the fact that anything consequential (deaths and injuries) are dolled out only to clones through this whole trade just makes everything feels pointless. And then the final issue…felt like I had no idea who any of these characters were (especially in the context of this collection) save for Bonebreaker who I recognized from the old Punsiher arcade cabinet game.

Honestly, I didn’t really want to read this but felt I’d give it a shot for Claremont. Totally skippable, ultimately.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of the 'retro' books that Marvel has been leaning into these last few years...

This one has Chris Claremont going back to would of the more popular periods in X-Men history. After the X-Men went through the Siege Perilous and 'died', they regrouped in Australia. During this period, Wolverine had a lot of...worldly adventures. He left the X-Men from issues #246 to #251. This story describes where he went and what he saw.

Bonus: He was handling something Sinister...

[XMCU]

The Uncanny X-Men issues has me thinking Marvel should've just had the trade paper back be Uncanny X-Men #246-251. Read the other peoples goodread review of Wolverine Deep Cut. I enjoyed this book. It kept me entertained on a long trip. the deep cut issues is just a long fight and battle. There's notice new here with wolverine fighting Sabertooth and Mr sinister. Wolverine fights Sabertooth AGAIN. Wolverine Fights Mr. Sinister and he's a actually a clone of Mr. Sinister AGAIN.

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of a light scratch than a deep cut. Surface level relationship between Wolverine & Sabretooth which traditionally is one of my favourite X-Men feuds. On the nose exposition and light action but will credit the great artwork for Wolverine specifically and his battle damaged look.

Especially a specific shot in a fight in the woods 👀.

Overall, this was fun in parts... but relatively uneventful.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange one because it seems to fits so neatly between two issues that the publisher included those two issues.

But it's hard to imagine such a big story being squeezed in there.

I think it would have been more impactful if the new art somehow looked like the old art. As it was, it felt a little sparse. And it's hard to imagine Wolverine taking on Mr. Sinister by himself.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The utold story of what Wolverine was up to when he left the X-Men in Uncanny X-Men #246. What he was up to was going after the Marauders on one big pointless slugfest. Some things have changed though, like Scrambler's powers and Scalphunter's name to Greycrow. Like the majority of these retro stories from Marvel, they can be skipped as they have no bite.

[Yasin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t really enjoy the X-men comics before/after the miniseries as much, but the story of Wolverine being unleashed and “doing what he does best” was awesome to see. I loved the first-person narration and it was a solid and entertaining series.

[Shivesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another classic Wolverine miniseries by the legend himself, Chris Claremont. I read this issue by issue, over four nights with my kid.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs at least one more reprint issue.

Classic story type but you know how much has to end because 30 years of comics that were already written. But nice callback.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did the new material really bridge the gap? I don’t think so. And Uncanny 251 was all over the place even though it’s understood that most of it was a fever dream.

[Anthony Lacroix]

on est beaucoup laissé sur notre faim

[alejandro galvez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good.

It was ok. The first and last story in this book kind of sucked. But the stories in between were good. A cool book nonetheless.