At the end of 2014, something unimaginable happened in the Marvel Universe: the Death of Wolverine! As one of the most famous X-Man in all the universes and a healing factor, Wolverine was not destined to bite the dust like other Marvel characters.
But all that changed in the pages of Wolverine vol. 5, and when his enemies learned that, finally, Wolverine could be killed, it didn’t take too much time for them to attempt to kill him once and for all. Better yet, there’s a bounty on Wolverine’s head, a price so big his enemies and few assassins can’t pass the chance. The race is on to find Wolverine, but who put out the contract? When Logan discovers that his mystery foe wants him alive, he turns on the offensive. As the hunted becomes the hunter once more, he’s determined to die the way he lived.
What to read before The Death of Wolverine?
Before killing Wolverine, you have to make him killable, and that was Paul Cornell’s mission in the Wolverine title, to read for having the bigger story before the main event.
- Wolverine: Hunting Season
Collects Wolverine Vol. 5 #1-6 but you only need to start with issue #5. - Wolverine: Killable
Collects Wolverine Vol. 5 #7-13 - Wolverine: Three Months To Die
Collects Wolverine Vol. 6 #1-12, Annual #1
To discover more stories with our favorite Canadian mutant, check out the Wolverine reading order.
The Death of Wolverine Reading Order: Collected editions
Wolverine Dies! and the death of one of the most iconic X-Men (and simply Marvel) characters is explored in multiple series, dealing with the aftermath of his death.
- Death of Wolverine: The Complete Collection
Collects Death Of Wolverine #1-4, Death Of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program #1-5, Death Of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #1-7, Death Of Wolverine: Deadpool & Captain America #1, Death Of Wolverine: Life After Logan #1
Also collected in (With Storm’s issues):
- Death of Wolverine
collects Death of Wolverine #1-4 - Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program
Collects Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program #1-5, Death of Wolverine: Life After Logan #1. This series explores the fallout of Wolverine’s death with what is left of the Weapon X program. - Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy
Collects Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #1-7. This series talks about the impact of Wolverine’s actions on the heroes that are the most affected by them. - Deadpool: The Ones With Deadpool
Collects Deadpool Annual #1-2, Deadpool Bi-Annual #1, Death of Wolverine: Deadpool & Captain America #1 (the issue is also collected in Deadpool By Posehn & Duggan Omnibus) - Storm Vol. 1: Make It Rain
Collects Storm #1-5, with the last two issues dealing with Wolverine’s death.
From the pages of Death of Wolverine! Marvel launched afterward a new Wolverines weekly series, with X-23, Sabretooth, Mystique, Daken, and Lady Deathstrike
- Death of Wolverine Companion
Collects Nightcrawler (2014) #7, Wolverine & The X-Men (2014) #10-11, Wolverines #1-20
Also collected in:
- Nightcrawler Vol. 2: Reborn
Collects Nightcrawler #7-12 - Wolverine and the X-Men, Volume 2: Death of Wolverine
Collects Wolverine and the X-Men Vol. 2 #7-12. Issues #10 and #11 form an epilogue to Wolverine’s death. - Wolverines Vol. 1: Dancing With The Devil
Collects Wolverines #1-5 - Wolverines Vol. 2: Claw, Blade, and Fang
Collects Wolverines #6-1 - Wolverines Vol. 3: The Living and The Dead
Collects Wolverine #11-15 - Wolverines Vol. 4: Destiny
Collects Wolverines #16-20
The Death of Wolverine Reading Order: Issue by Issue
Lead up/Preludes
- Wolverine Vol. 5 #1-13
- Wolverine Vol. 6 #1-12
- Wolverine Vol. 6 Annual #1
Death of Wolverine, The Core Miniseries
- Death of Wolverine #1-4
The Aftermath
- Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program #1-2
- Death of Wolverine: Life After Logan #1
- Death of Wolverine: Deadpool & Captain America #1
- Storm #4-5
- Nightcrawler #7-8
- Wolverine & the X-Men #10-11
- Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program #3-5
As we’re dealing with Wolverine’s death, the event AXIS happened (reading order coming soon). Though optional in that context, it helps explain Sabretooth’s portrayal moving forward.
- Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #1-7
- Wolverines #1-20
What to read after The Death of Wolverine?
The Death of Wolverine’s aftermath was big enough, but from this death comes another title: Spider-Man and the X-Men! After Wolverine died, Ororo found papers about inviting Spider-Man to teach to a new special class, and during a short time, Spider-Man was Jean Grey Academy’s new guidance counselor.
Wolverine may be dead, but what will happen to his mortal remains, encased in something as rare and powerful as Adamantium? The answer to that question is in the Wolverines series.
During the All-New, All-Different Marvel era, X-23 took the Wolverine mantle and was the star of All-New Wolverine. This is also at this period that Marvel introduced us to a time-displaced Old Man Logan — and the character has his own reading order!
Our good ol’ Logan will make his return a few years later, in 2018 in Marvel Fresh Start, in the pages of Hunt for Wolverine and Return of Wolverine!