![](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/4/4e/Wolverine_Vol_1_1.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/300?cb=20180131043513)
So much has been written about this very influential miniseries that I don’t want to belabor it on my little site. It’s one of the best miniseries of the ’80s. Suffice to say that before this, Wolverine was a favorite of some X-Men fans but after this, he was a favorite of just about everyone. The book added depth and weight and backstory (but not too much!), and was one of the early books to contain a heavy Japanese influence.
![](https://earthsmightiestblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/wolverine-is-the-best-at-what-he-does-744x1024.jpeg)
The splash page alone contained the iconic phrase about Wolverine being the best at what he does.
![](https://41.media.tumblr.com/ee67685f971e820f52b1c4df440e0295/tumblr_nsxstnwovT1rra8xoo1_1280.jpg)
And he is.
![](https://earthsmightiestblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/wolverine-kills-a-bear-1024x879.jpeg)
He kills a bear.
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d2095582c7c5a6e39136252f7087c766/tumblr_o0c1mta6951tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
He gets into a bar fight.
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d84564b85533e51689118955f6e211d2/tumblr_o0a5gv81bO1tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
He goes to Japan to save his beloved Mariko from her own crime family. He duels her dad.
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/1a6fe55f49d4f596994db73e759195dd/tumblr_o0a5nq2agC1tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
There’s lots of cool duels like that.
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/5687343a0a9c7e3938974cf48d659a00/tumblr_o0a8my8YmC1tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
Wolverine’s feral ferocity scares Mariko.
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/bd88ae78c390063fac596d0c75a17045/tumblr_o0a8u1Rgsf1tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
As the story progresses, Wolverine gets deeper into the crime family and meets an assassin named Yukio…
![](https://earthsmightiestblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/yukio-1-434x1024.jpeg)
…And includes The Hand, ninjas introduced by Frank Miller in Daredevil.
![](https://earthsmightiestblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/wolverine-vs-hand-1024x735.jpeg)
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/676d950f44ede50fec8e24cbac8bb833/tumblr_o0a81c0ZMW1tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
Wolverine is in Japan for Mariko, but ends up teaming up with–and flirting with–Yuriko.
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/f31437dcb7d8afb48e620039421fd9ce/tumblr_o0a8l9jBmi1tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
But Wolverine is drunk. He’s still thinking of Mariko.
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/a2570ef1b0c4655bad08f19ba6ee6ece/tumblr_o0c1uopJnA1tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
Eventually, Wolverine takes down Mariko’s dad.
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/f6845642edba53eb06f63e266ed1dfa0/tumblr_o4wkflVeTa1tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
And cuts through dozens of Hand Ninjas.
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/ebeeb04f34386fcb7f92eca92b6d4aa5/tumblr_o0c1w91mcW1tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
And kills her daddy.
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/90846a4393eb8da38c2b9cb617af91d0/tumblr_o0c1yjn4jw1tl3ks4o1_1280.jpg)
Despite their flirting and Mariko resisting betraying her family, the story still ends with a wedding invitation.
![](https://earthsmightiestblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/wedding-invite-1024x875.jpeg)
That leads directly into X-Men #173.
And here’s an influence this book had that you probably haven’t heard before:
![](https://78.media.tumblr.com/021b33c0f7be78e6434a0cc18d26e3e5/tumblr_mrfmeuE9Tp1sf2w7do1_640.jpg)
David Mack stole Frank Miller’s close-up face shot for Kabuki #1.