Comics / Comic Reviews / Marvel Comics

Weapon X Hardback Trade

By Jason Mott
August 5, 2007 - 11:00

Wolverine: Weapon X THB

Alright Dear Readers, get ready for the most glowing review I’ve ever written. To put it bluntly: this is the best Wolverine story ever written. Period. It’s the story that made me a fan of the ol’ canuckle head. This story sits on the mantelpiece of my “Shrine of Great Writing” right beside The Odyssey, The Epic of Beowulf, Watchmen, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Dark Knight Returns and Fahrenheit 451. “But why?” you ask. Admittedly, this story is missing out on a lot of things that most big Wolverine stories are chocked full of. For example, there are no guest appearances by any other heroes (large or small), it doesn’t feature any vicious battles with Sabertooth, Omega Red, Cyber or Magneto, and not once does Wolverine utter his trademarked catchphrase “I’m the best at what I do.” So what makes this the best Wolverine story ever? Simple: the exact things I just mentioned. Wolverine: Weapon X is utterly and completely devoid of all of the “gimmicks” that can cover up weaker Wolverine stories. Weapon X is simply the story of a man — tormented, lonely and confused — forced to endure an experiment which robs him of his humanity and turns him into a creature he both fears and loathes. This is not the story of Wolverine…this is the story of a man shackled with the life of Wolverine.

What Barry Windsor-Smith was able to achieve with Weapon X is something that casts a shadow over all Wolverine writers since. The story here is fluid, evenly-paced and virtually seamless considering the format in which it was originally published. Originally, Weapon X was published as a twelve part mini-series printed in Marvel’s long ago defunct Marvel Comics Presents. As a result, certain “cliffhanger” moments occur in the middle sections of the story. But, to Windsor-Smith’s credit, overall the story feels as cohesive and unified as any one-shot graphic novel. Part of the reason for the singular feel of Weapon X comes from the fact that one man did the entirety of the writing, pencils and inking. With this story, there aren’t four or five different guys all trying to contribute their own style and personality to the narrative. It’s simply a one man show and it makes the work all the better.

The artwork of Weapon X is as smooth and cohesive as its writing. Barry Windsor-Smith has one of the most distinctive styles in the industry. At times, people have attempted to compare him to Dave Gibbons but I would argue that such a comparison is shallow at best. While some of Gibbon’s and Windsor-Smith’s lines may run in the same vein, Windsor-Smith’s layout and textures couldn’t be any more removed from Gibbons. With this story, Windsor-Smith focuses on portraying the pain and suffering of Logan’s time at the Weapon X program. The images here are harsh, hard and disturbing. Each page weighs on the reader, scraping the bones like an ill-directed needle. Exactly what one would expect from the story of Wolverine’s most painful life experience. This is what all Wolverine stories should be.

Overall: 5 out of 5. Every fan of good writing should own this.

Last Updated: November 29, 2025 - 16:51