Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine is poised to be one of the most anticipated PlayStation 5 exclusives of 2026, and for good reason. After three stellar Spider-Man titles, fans are ravenous for a deep dive into the world of mutants, adamantium claws, and brutal action. While trailers have offered glimpses into the game’s story and gameplay, they also hint at a unique take on the X-Men universe.
Delving into Logan’s World
One thing that’s become clear is that Marvel’s Wolverine isn’t just another X-Men adventure. The game appears to be set in a world where the X-Men haven’t yet formed, and features characters in earlier stages of their lives. This allows for a fresh perspective on familiar faces and opens up exciting possibilities for storytelling. To truly appreciate the nuances of this upcoming title, it’s beneficial to familiarize yourself with some key Wolverine storylines from the comics.
Here are six essential Wolverine comics that will enrich your understanding of the character and provide context for the events unfolding in Insomniac’s game:
Wolverine Vol. 1 #1-4: The Lone Wolf
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Marvel’s Wolverine is very pointedly about exploring Logan’s adventures as a solo hero, one who stalks the streets and seedy back alleys and finds trouble around every turn. There’s one comic that really set the tone for Wolverine as a solo hero and adventurer – the original 1982 Wolverine miniseries from Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Many fans would argue this is still the greatest Wolverine story ever published. It’s certainly the most influential, laying out a strong blueprint for Wolverine as a solo hero that many creators still follow to this day. The series brings Logan back to his old stomping grounds of Japan, where he strikes up a romance with the fair Lady Mariko, feuds with her oppressive father, Lord Shingen, and first encounters his ninja ally Yukio.
Wolverine Vol. 2 #10: A Birthday Nightmare
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One of the interesting quirks of the new game is the fact that Sabretooth plays a supporting role. At this early stage in Wolverine’s costumed career, he and Sabretooth are still allies, though we have serious doubts as to whether that friendship will survive through the end of the story mode. It’s almost a guarantee that Logan and Victor Creed will eventually be at each other’s throats. There have been and continue to be a lot of great comics focused on the never-ending rivalry between these two men. But if we were to pick just one, we have to go with 1989’s Wolverine Vol. 2 #10, by Claremont and John Buscema. This iconic tale introduces the notion that Sabretooth makes a point of hunting down Wolverine each year on the latter’s birthday to deliver a sadistic “present.” As the story jumps between past and present, readers get a full appreciation for just how deep this rivalry goes, and how much Logan has suffered over the years because of it.
X-Men Vol. 2 #4-7: Team X Origins
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The X-Men may not exist yet in the world of Marvel’s Wolverine, but that doesn’t mean Logan isn’t a team player. The game focuses instead on his history with the black ops group known as Team X, with Logan finding himself reluctantly drawn back into the fold in response to a new wave of mutant kidnappings. For a good primer on Team X, it’s best to go back to the story in which they were introduced. X-Men Vol. 2 #4-7 digs deep into Logan’s history with the team even as it marks the debut of Russian mutant super-soldier Omega Red (a villain we know has a part to play in the game). As an added bonus, these issues are illustrated by Jim Lee, so there’s plenty of great ‘90s superhero nostalgia to go around.
Weapon X #1-4: Jean and Logan’s Complicated Past
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Wolverine and Jean Grey have a complicated history, to say the least. There’s an undeniable mutual attraction there, but as Logan himself plainly said once, “It would never work between us.” That said, there are plenty of Logan/Jean shippers in the X-Men fandom, and they must be thrilled that the game is depicting an actual romance between the two characters. In this pre-X-Men team, presumably pre-Cyclops time period, Logan and Jean appear to be an item. There have been many comics to explore the tense dynamic between the two (particularly in the wake of X-Men: The Animated Series), but perhaps the best place to look is 1995’s Weapon X miniseries. Part of the larger Age of Apocalypse crossover, Weapon X is set in an alternate timeline where En Sabah Nur rules North America and Wolverine frees Jean Grey from Mister Sinister’s slave pits. It’s a fascinating look at both characters and the bond they share.
Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #141-142: The Sentinel Threat
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All signs point to the idea that Marvel’s Wolverine deals heavily with the mutant-hunting robots known as Sentinels. The trailers show Logan dealing with numerous agents of Sentinel creator Bolivar Trask, and the game looks to feature at least one boss battle with a massive robot. To read up on the Sentinels and the threat they pose, one need look no further than the quintessential Sentinel storyline, “Days of Future Past.” This story introduces a bleak future where the Sentinels have risen up and killed or enslaved most of mutantkind. Only an aged Wolverine, Kate Pryde, and a handful of other heroes remain to mount a resistance.
House of X #1-6 & Powers of X #1-6: Mister Sinister’s Return
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The trailers for Marvel’s Wolverine also suggest that Mister Sinister has a key role in the game, with allusions to Sinister’s human guise of Nathaniel Essex. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if this twisted mad scientist winds up being the game’s main villain. Here, again, there’s no shortage of options for good source material. That said, we’d lean towards the twin miniseries House of X and Powers of X from 2019. Sinister is a key figure in these tales, particularly the latter, as it explores the possible futures of the Marvel Universe 10, 100, and 1000 years down the line.
By delving into these essential Wolverine comics, you’re not just preparing for the game; you’re immersing yourself in the rich tapestry of his history. Get ready to embrace the claws!
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