Marvel; September 1982
Cover by Frank Miller and Josef Rubinstein

Title: “I’m Wolverine”
Synopsis: In Japan, Wolverine finds girlfriend Mariko trapped in an arranged marriage – and battles her father, Lord Shingen.

Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciler: Frank Miller
Inker: Josef Rubinstein

This one was a game changer. There had been other miniseries – beginning with World of Krypton and Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions – but Wolverine was a different beast. Taking full advantage of the format’s narrative power, this limited series established the Bronze Age’s breakout character as a solo force. Writer Chris Claremont is in fine, hardboiled form here, serving up a tightly plotted, well-narrated gem. The art, by then-rising star Frank Miller, is up to the task, with masterful design and pacing. Out of the gate, it was clear this series was going to be special.

Grade: A

Cool factor: Claremont. Miller. Wolverine. ’Nuff said.

Notable: First Wolverine solo series. (Seems quaint now, doesn’t it?) … First appearance of Yukio and Lord Shingen.

Character quotable: “I’m the best there is at what I do.” – Wolverine, nothing if not consistent with his internal monologue

Copyright ©2016 Off the Wahl Productions, all rights reserved. Each week, T. Andrew Wahl takes a look at a Bronze Age Fantastic First. For more reviews like this one, check out Wahl’s website, SequentialReaction.com.