I'll admit that by 1988, when Wolverine #1 hit the stands, I was getting a bit tired of the mainstream superhero stuff. After Dark Knight and Watchmen hit in 1986 and cool stuff like Swamp Thing, Zot!, Beanworld and other very different works were hitting the comic shops, reading a book about one of the merry mutants seemed a step back. Peter David's Hulk and James Robinson's Starman were enough superheroics in the 90s for me. I have to admit that it was NuMarvel that really brought me back into the fold. Anyway, so I missed the Wolverine series even though I had enjoyed a lot of the creative teams' works in the past. It took me a looooong time to pick up the Essential Wolverine...even though the movies and recent stories by Mark Millar and Joss Whedon reminded me how cool he could be in the right hands at the right time. Claremont's name on the cover didn't help. Ever since his Superman-Wonder Woman mini for DC in the 90s...wow, did that stink on ice...and some live appearances of his I attended...a Chicago panel with him and Mark Waid was particularly entertaining...for all the wrong reasons...I had stayed far away. But after Enemy of the State, I wanted to read more Wolverine, so I took a chance. Man, I'm glad I did. These first few issues by Claremont were a lot of fun. His Logan, ever since that first mini with Frank Miller, is never an annoying prick. He can be direct, and a bit of an SOB, but he always does right by good people and he is one of the most loyal characters in superhero comics. When written correctly, Logan should be the combination of Clint Eastwood and Toshiro Mifune. And since the X-Men are "dead" in these first issues, Logan is free to go anywhere he wants and build a new set of surrounding characters.

The first three issues are a story centered around a Japanese sword...the Muramasa sword...and the battle for its possession. What folks don't realize is that the blade contains demons...and those demons are looking for the perfect warrior so that, together, a new period of power may begin.

Chris Claremont is joined by John Buscema as penciler on all three issues with Al Williamson on ink on issues 1 and 3. Klaus Janson, who will return in later issues, inks the second issue.

The first issue opens in grand fashion. It seems a flight has been highjacked and taken to a small island in the Indonesian archipelago. The pirates have killed most of those aboard, keeping the women alive to sell. What the pirates don't know is that Naburo Kojima was one of the passengers. He happens to be the personal secretary of Mariko Yashida...Logan's lost love. Needless to say, Logan is on the island and we watch as he takes out pirates one by one...then in large groups...allowing Claremont to give us, through Logan's thoughts, his powers and backstory. And, yes, the "I'm the best at what I do..." bit is there...oh, well, Claremont created it, let him use it...it's almost Logan's version of "up, up, and away".

Well...turns out...a crazy cult of the black blade...was responsible for the hijacking. But the sword ain't on the plane. It's coming from San Francisco to Mandripoor by couriers...former lovers...I mean, roommates...Lindsay McCabe and Jessica Drew.

I don't want to give all of the details and surprises...but these first few issues set up the world of Mandripoor...McCabe (an actress with multiple skills due to her research for bad movies) and Drew are joined by Rick...I mean O'Donnell, the white tuxedoed owner of the Princess Bar...and Claude Raines...uh, I mean the somewhat honorable, but not above a bit of graft, chief of police. We don't yet meet the ruler of the island...who would be played by Yul Brenner in the movie. Let's face it...Claremont watched a lot of Warner Brothers noir/adventure films from the 30s and 40s and dropped Logan into a toontown version. Of course, I love those old movies, so I was smiling along reading these issues the same way Claremont probably was while writing them.

The conclusion gives us a mutant "villain" guest star, a death cult, and a new way to look at Logan's claws...and a lot of fun.

Next up: Roughouse and Bloodsport!