Wolverine by Jason Aaron: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1

Wolverine by Jason Aaron: The Complete Collection

by Jason Aaron

Collects Wolverine (2003) #56, #62-65 and material from #73-74; Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #1-4; Wolverine: Weapon X #1-5; and material from Wolverine (1988) #175.

He's the best there is at what he does - and Wolverine's not so bad, either. Now, the debut of writer Jason Aaron's acclaimed and character-defining Wolverine run is collected in one volume! Joined by some of comics' top artists, Aaron (PUNISHERMAX, Scalped) pits Wolverine against an array of twisted foes including super-powered kung-fu gangsters, a platoon of Adamantium-enhanced mercenaries, a broken little man with a very big gun, a nonstop barrage of Marvel's heaviest hitters, and - in a brutal, no-holds-barred battle that may destroy them both - the treacherous, shape-changing Mystique! Guest-starring Spider-Man, the X-Men, X-Force, the Avengers and more!

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, X Men, Comic Book, Superheroes, Anthologies

383 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Jason Aaron grew up in a small town in Alabama. His cousin, Gustav Hasford, who wrote the semi-autobiographical novel The Short-Timers, on which the feature film Full Metal Jacket was based, was a large influence on Aaron. Aaron decided he wanted to write comics as a child, and though his father was skeptical when Aaron informed him of this aspiration, his mother took Aaron to drug stores, where he would purchase books from spinner racks, some of which he still owns today.

Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.

In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.

Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.

In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.

In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.

After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.

Reviews

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never really watched the X men films but I have always had a soft spot for Wolverine.

I recently came across these books produced by Jason Aaron. The stories are excellent and the art is brilliant and I fell in love.... with Wolverine ( the character not the actor)

And what's not to love?

I told my son about this new love and he rolled his eyes but who cares. I am an adult. I have some disposable income. I can buy comics and grpahic novels.

And I can dream.

A brilliant collection with a great storyline. Everything holds together well including the flashbacks as Wolverine remembers his relationship with Mystique and seeks to hunt her down and kill her for her betrayal of the x-men.

Lots of bombs, blasts, destruction, battles, bullets and adventures which span the globe, and all at a breathless pace. I loved this collection because it was easy to get into and to follow and it didn't need back stories from other comics.

The artist has done a fabulous job of creating a set of stories which are a delight to read.

And I can ignore my son and dream about life beside Wolverine.

:)

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been following Jason Aaron's incredible run on Wolverine & The X-men. He is doing a great job with that series. I was excited to find out the Jason Aaron had n equally incredible run on the Wolverine books. So I pick up a copy of the Wolverine Complete collection by Jason Aaron. This graphic novel completely impressed me. Jason has capture the tone for this character rather well. My favorite arc in this volume was the "Get Mystique" story. I have always enjoyed the relationship between Logan and Mystique. She is definitely the Catwoman to our favorite berserker. I enjoyed all the artwork. It often gave you that dark and foreboding feeling. I hope Marvel considers bring Jason Aaron back to the Wolverine books or maybe give him his own new book. If your a Wolverine fan do not miss this collection that's (SNIKT!!!) a cut above the rest. A 5 star read all the way.

[Christy Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Logan and have read some of his other collections. I did not enjoy this one and it made me so disappointed. It felt choppy with unrelated stories. Some of them went on too long while others rushed to conclusion. It felt just like a mess of a collection.

[The Sapphic Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

While none of the stories stand out, they're all decent and will scratch the itch if you're missing Logan (not that Laura isn't doing a FANTASTIC job, but they are different characters and I love both). If I had to pick a favourite, it would be the arc featuring Mystique. Logan has some good interactions with Spider-Man too.

[Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Отже
Перший ваншот мені сподобався. Подібна ситуація в Daredevil Ultimate Collection від Бендіса. Тут оповідач, це звичайний чоловік-невдаха, у котрого дуже специфічна робота - відстрілювати мутанта у печері свою зміну.
Наступна історія - Лоґан намагається убити Містік. Хороший малюнок, динамічна історія (хоча, тут всі такі). Тому однозначно плюс
Wolverine: Manifest Destiny - бууее, чесно. Мене не переконало, а навіть навпаки, я почав думати, що ціле все зібрання це повний трешак з історій. Тим більше, атмосфера візуальна теж помінялась, стала якоюсь сірою та тьмяною та буквально нічим не вирізнялась. Тому, ця історія спонукала мене відкласти надовго цей том, аж поки однієї ночі я не міг заснути і вирішив взяти до рук саме цей примірник, котрий уже в голові планував перепродати.
Наступними ідуть Wolverine #73-74 - даблшот?... Не суть, так ось. Тут можемо спостерігати за типовим тижнем для Росомахи, що він себе або перевантажує або ж намагається з собою покінчити, працюючи з Людьми-Ікс, Новими Месниками, Силою Ікс, та паралельно десь відпочиваючи з день. Навкруги це стає помітно і з ним відправляється поговорити один, дуже цікавий персонаж. Не буду казати хто) Словом, структура та манера оповідання та ілюстрування цих номерів мені сподобалось. Певні елементи цієї історії мені були знайомі, так як у них йдеться про таку-собі Marvel Modern-Era, яку розпочав Бендіс, тому ця і деякі інші істоії приємно доповнювали буденність нашого волохатого коротуна.
Арка про зброю ІКС це хорошенький бойовичок, ніяких претензій. Хіба що, я не дуже зрозумів закінчення.
І останній чуттєвий ван-шот із дивакуватим малюнком, а-ля азіатський веб-комікс, але, назвімо це, чуттєвим монологом Лоґана(хоча, думки Росомахи на голубому фоні? Серйозно?), яким можна закривати цю підбірку.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pierwszy tom zbierający najwcześniejsze prace Jasona Aarona w tematyce bohatera z trzema adamantowymi szponami i początek jego przygód tą marką.

Polską edycję otwiera początkowy zeszyt z tomu "Śmierć Wolverine'a". Logan siedzi w jamie, a jego wrogowie walą do niego z wysokiego kalibru tak, aby nie mógł opuścić "celi". Sytuacja patowa, więc jedynym rozwiązaniem może być tylko wadliwy czynnik, w tym ludzki. To była dobra historia, choć mało było w niej Logana.

Dalej mamy kilka zeszytów o polowaniu Logana na Mistique. Potem wyprawę do Chinatown, gdzie X-man będzie musiał poradzić sobie z konsekwencjami własnych wyborów i drużyna Czarnego Smoka. Główne danie to jednak powrót do tego co pozostało z programu broni X, gdzie ulepszeni najemnicy służą prywatnej firmie, nastawionej na zyski. To się nie może skończyć dobrze. Te trzy dłuższe opowieści są nieco dłuższe.

Na uwagę zasługują także pierwszy wynik pracy Aarona nad marką Wolverine'a. Krótka historia, w której uciekający Wolverine trafia na kobietę, której pękła opona. Wiedząc o zagrożeniu postanawia jej pomóc. Pada tu nacisk na wiarę, a potem dochodzi do tragedii. Nieco typowy kazus dla tego herosa, choć podlany szczyptą filozofii. Dwa ostatnie zeszyty z serii Wolverine (2003) pokazują jak mijają typowe dni herosa. Okazuje się że ma on Bardzo napięty grafik. Nie bez przyczyny. To był jeden z najfajniejszych kawałków tego tomu.

Graficznie każda z historii prezentuje się inaczej, ale nie to też nie dziwi że względu na natłok artystów pracujących nad tą produkcją. I to jedna z tych pozycji, gdzie nie mam absolutnie faworyta. Poziom bym mniej więcej jednostajny, co cieszy. W skali od jeden do dziesięciu dałbym siedem, ale tutaj można nieco naciągnąć i będzie czwóreczka. Fanom nie trzeba polecać, bo tzw. żelazna pozycja. Inni mogą zerknąć i być może znajdą coś dla siebie. 0

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this three stars for how by the book Aaron writes Wolverine sometimes, especially the Manifest Destiny mini, it's so "Logan is so cool and gets beat up but heals and comes back" weeaboo stichk that's been done to death. Granted that's part of the versatility of Logan, he isn't just a super hero, but those types of stories are uninspired to me.

Having said that, what pushed this to four stars were the "Get Mystique" and "Weapon X Adamantium Men" storylines. While very simple in premise, I always relish seeing that blue skinned turncoat get hers, and after Messiah Complex she deserved it, even if it's mostly a chase then confrontation, clearly she will be back. Weapon X is just bonkers comics nonsense, and if you're into that, it's amazing. How can you take a death squad of super soldiers with nanite healing factors and laser claws seriously?! It shines in big stupid 80s action scenes, it's basically like Commando and Deadliest Game, but with comic logic, and it's fun, if not absolutely ridiculous.

[Nate]

Really enjoyed this. It’s accessible if you haven’t read a ton of Wolverine/X books, and lots of fun otherwise. This volume is basically an anthology of Wolverine stories as they were punished over several years in different titles. Binding them together is Aaron’s sharp writing. My favorites are the shorter stories, “The Man in the Pit” and “A Miles in My Moccasins.” These are tight little character pieces that do more in 22 pages than most six-issue arcs. “The Man in the Pit” is especially impressive. The longer ones are pretty good too, particularly “Get Mystique” and the Blackguard story. The latter is the start of Aaron’s ongoing series, and it seems like he’s setting up something big there. The San Francisco kung-fu story is kinda eh.

This book contains the first comic Aaron ever wrote, a talent search submission published a few years before he would write another comic. It’s not bad. I like how the first line of the story is “In Alabama,” a sign that Aaron’s southern upbringing would influence his writing for years to come.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superior collection of Wolverine stories. I'm a bit worried that stories of this adult sophistication are a thing of Marvel's past now that Disney owns the company. Marvel keeps moving further and further away from this kind of terrific story-telling in favor of more ground-floor all-ages material. The post-Secret War re-launches have mostly been devoid of more established talent and have been in a much lighter vein. Younger and newer reader friendly - at the cost of good story-telling. I hope they can move back into this kind of territory at some point soon. Post-Invasion, Dark Avengers vs New Avengers era was pretty great, a creative high-point for the company. Can't wait to see where Aaron take Logan next in this collection series.

[Bene Vogt]

While I generally think the author-themed collections are an excellent idea, it can at times lead to rather chaotic results such as here, where a conflict is introduced in the first story and then not mentioned for 200 pages as a crossover and a Kung Fu special happen.
Aaron clearly has an excellent handle on the characters and the stories he wants to tell, so I’m looking forward to where he’s taking the actual plot, hoping the next collection consists of more than 50% material of the actual run.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book

Jason Aaron gets Wolverine. He did a wonderful job with these stories using multiple genres. Western, kung-fu, superhero. He showed just how versatile a character Wolverine is. Accompanied by a slew of talented artists this is a book for fans of Wolverine.

[william J hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 claws up

Some of the best about the best there is at what he does. Great collection. Wolvie at his very best
Here are the reasons Jason Aaron found his way into this world of Wolverine

[Matthew]

He's currently the best there is at what he does, and what he does is write comic books. This volume doesn't touch his work on Thor, which is an all-time great for me, but it does have some killer Wolverine stories worth reading.

[Corey Timmins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good stories.

[ShadowLynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖤🖤🖤

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

*SNIKT*

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantasy Fellowship Readathon Prompt.

[XMCU · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is great from begin to end. same goes for the art. I bet the omnibus would look even better. I bought this just to read Wolverine: Weapon X. I'm so glad that the rest of the content in this book is good as well. not a necessary read, but read wolverine 1-4 , because Yukio shows up.

[The_Mad_Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having previously read and enjoyed Jason Aaron's writing on his creator-owned series Scalped , Southern Bastards and The Goddamned , I figured it was time to check out whether his writing also fitted the superhero genre, given that he has done quite a few entries in it by now. As an online acquaintance strongly recommended his Wolverine material, with an added suggestion to first check out Manifest Destiny (which is included in this volume), and since my local library have copies of at least the first three volumes in this series of collections of Aaron's Wolverine material, I pretty much figured, what the heck, and took the leap.

This first volume of Wolverine by Jason Aaron collects 17 issues (or more accurately material from 17 issues, since some of the included material are shorter material).

First out is the Howard Chaykin-drawn "The Man in the Pit" (from Wolverine (2003) #56). While I remain sceptical towards the overly amped-up healing factor Wolverine has ended up with over the years, this story uses that feature tremendously well, placing Logan in a pit with guards shooting him to pieces in intervals, in order never to let him heal enough to escape. The narrative focuses on one of the men doing this job, and becomes a psychological journey. Four strong stars.

In the second story, the four-parter Get Mystique (from Wolverine (2003) #62-65), nicely drawn by Ron Garney, Logan is sent by Cyclops to hunt down Mystique after her (then latest) betrayal of the X-Men. It is a merry chase around the world, and contains many good and interesting bits and bobs, even though I spent a lot of the time wondering since when Mystique also A) has a healing factor, and B) is about as long-lived as Logan. Ah, well, I have not been following the X-Men rigorously since way back in the 90s, and my subsequent dips into the well have not filled in all the blanks (nor necessarily hooked me for a full-on return either). Nonetheless, the story is interesting, and certainly not badly told. And Garney is a good choice of artist to be sure. I would give this three and a half stars.

Then comes the arc I was initially recommended by my acquaintance, Wolverine: Manifest Destiny, collecting the four-issue mini-series of the same name. The story is about Logan, who in the narrative present day has moved to San Francisco with the X-Men, revisits an episode in his past, way back in the 1920s – both in terms of what happened then and of returning to the scene of the crime, as it were: China Town. The story is not bad at all, but the art by Stephen Segovia (with assistance from Paco Diaz Luque in issues #3-4) just does not work entirely for me. Something in it simply rubs me the wrong way, ever so slightly, and leaves me with three stars for the arc.

The Adam Kubert-drawn two-parter (though only about 24 pages in total) "A Mile in My Moccasins" (from Wolverine (2003) #73-74) is a bit drawn out in its set-up and narrative structure, but nonetheless very good, and Kubert's art certainly helps it secure four weak stars.

The final longer arc in the volume is The Adamantium Men (from Wolverine: Weapon X #1-5), and sees Aaron once more teamed up with Ron Garney. The Weapon X files have fallen into the wrong hands, and somebody is mass producing Weapon X soldiers based on the Wolverine template, as it were. Maverick of the old Weapon X program informs Logan about this, and the latter decides to do something about it. Four solid stars.

The volume closes, somewhat achronologically, with the short piece "A Good Man" (from Wolverine (1988) #175), drawn by Udon Studios. This is in fact Aaron's first ever Wolverine story, and it was the result of a script competition Marvel held, which Aaron entered and won. The art is okay, if not more, but I like the overall atmosphere of Aaron's story, and its attitude. Three stars.

Overall, I would give the volume as a whole four stars, while the individual stories range from three straight stars to four strong ones (and some in-between, as seen above), and it definitely sold me on reading more of Aaron's Wolverine material (as well as trying out other of his superhero material).

[Anchorpete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolverine is one of my favorite characters of all time, but I think I might have read three trades in my life where he was the main character. I am pretty sure they were all written by Mark Millar. Wolverine is one of those characters that is amazing when part of a team, but becomes far less interesting in Solo Stories. Jason Aaron might be the only writer I have seen so far that is able to capture what is great about Wolverine as a team player, and make it work when he is all by himself. Besides Rick Remender, I think Aaron knows Wolverine's voice. He knows what books Wolverine would read, and he knows that the best thing to do with Wolverine is to make it a point that it is actually easy to kill him.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jason Aaron and everything he's need involved in. Wolverine is a fan favourite, and to have a collection of work spanning across different points in the Wolverine canon, with such great artists and some dark, but always fun stories, a great starting point for anyone interested in both writer and character.

[Madeline Hutcheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been getting back into Marvel comics again recently and I'm really glad that I started with Wolverine (Canadian pride!). Although none of the stories really stood out, definitely one of the best comics collections I've read in a while. I definitely will consider reading the second volume.

[BMK · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't get excited about a character that effectively can't be killed, no matter how badass he is (also see Hulk, Superman, etc.).

[SLIKK519 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writer and great character made for a great trade. On to vol 2!

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice compilation. Liked most of the art. Stories were good too