Wolverine turns 50 in 2024, having debuted all the way back in 1974's Incredible Hulk #181. And to mark the occasion, Marvel is premiering an all-new Wolverine ongoing title from current Daredevil writer Saladin Ahmed and Immortal Thor artist Martín Cóccolo.
In the new Wolverine title, Logan will go back to his roots in the Canadian wilderness, where he'll encounter an "ancient villain" who has been "bubbling under the surface of the Marvel Universe since the days of myth, and once unleashed."
But Logan won't be all alone, as he'll have his longtime X-Men ally Nightcrawler there to back him up as he faces off against this mystical new threat.
"There’s a killer in the woods – and as Wolverine’s attempt at peace is shattered, an old enemy will re-emerge as a new villain rises that will bring Logan to the brink of his berserker rage," reads Marvel's official description of Wolverine #1.
"But Nightcrawler knows his old friend is capable of doing what’s right, and before long, Logan will have to unleash his claws, push his healing factor to the limit and demonstrate he’s the best there is at what he does once and for all – nice be damned!"
Marvel is billing the introduction of this new villain as an important debut, with a "note to collectors" that Wolverine #1 includes a "key first appearance and a major addition to the lore of Wolverine!"
"When I was a kid, Wolverine was the coolest character in comics. That hasn't changed a whole lot for me, so when Marvel approached me about a new solo Logan book, it was an instant YES," states series writer Saladin Ahmed. "Logan is simultaneously a mythic hero, an abused animal, and a man of flesh, blood, and adamantium. Our story is about what happens when these parts of him all pull in opposite directions – and threaten to rip Logan to pieces that won't come back together again."
The new creative team on Wolverine is just a bit surprising, as months ago superstar artist Greg Capullo seemingly revealed that he was drawing a new Wolverine comic. It was assumed the art shown by Capullo would be for the upcoming Wolverine relaunch, but with Martín Cóccolo confirmed as the series artist, that leaves the question of where (or if) Capullo's apparent Wolverine pages will be published.
It's likely that Capullo's Wolverine pages may appear in X-Men #700, an oversized issue which features numerous stories and involves a number of creators yet to be named, leaving room for Capullo to draw a Wolverine story in the milestone issue. There could also be another unannounced Wolverine comic in the wings.
Cóccolo's involvement in the new Wolverine title also raises the question of who may replace him on Immortal Thor, where he's currently the lead artist on the series.
"I could talk for hours about why I decided to take this relaunch, but you want my real answer? It's Wolverine. That's it," Cóccolo states. "It's a dream come true for me, and I can't believe I get to tell my younger self every day that I'm drawing WOLVERINE. Saladin's exploration of the character and the story is incredibly exciting as a concept as well as visually engaging, and I can't wait for people to finally see it!"
Wolverine is the latest in Marvel's ever-expanding series of announcements of the titles of the upcoming 'From the Ashes' relaunch of the X-Men line, which includes a trio of core X-Men titles, and spin-offs for X-Force, X-Factor, and Phoenix, as well as a revival of early '00s X-title NYX.
Wolverine #1 goes on sale September 11, with a cover from series artist Martín Cóccolo, seen above.
Will Logan's mysterious new enemy join the ranks of the best Wolverine villains ever?
