If you were to go back and count up how many issues of Wolverine Marvel has published, you’d … likely have a hard time deciding what counted as a “Wolverine” comic, given how many one-shots and miniseries he appeared in. Marvel seems to just be counting issues of ongoing series here, and since #300 landed in 2012, it seems to make sense that we’ve now reached issue #400 — or we will with Wolverine #8 in April.
The “massive” issue will include two stories by the series’ creative team, Saladin Ahmed and Martín Cóccolo, along with a third story written and drawn by Do a Powerbomb creator Daniel Warren Johnson.
“A big anniversary issue is always a great excuse to go crazy with reveals and unveilings, and we’ve taken that to heart here!” Ahmed said. “In this over-sized issue an old enemy drives Logan’s new pupil the Wendigo to the brink, Logan finally comes face to face with the cryptic entity known as the Adamantine, and a stunning new family revelation plants the seeds for the next chaotic chapter of Logan’s life.”
Here’s a little more detail on the issue from Marvel, which doesn’t reveal much detail about that “celebratory bonus story” from Johnson:
A massive issue you cannot afford to miss! Wolverine faces off with the Adamantine! The Wendigo is pulled into a deadly trap as a specter from Wolverine’s past emerges – and the Wolverine story you never thought you’d see begins here!
Here’s a look at the issue’s variant covers by Adam Kubert and Jerome Opena:
Wolverine made his first cameo appearance in Incredible Hulk #180 by Len Wein and Herb Trimpe, based on a design by John Romita Sr, in 1974. However, his character was truly defined by Chris Claremont and a host of artists, from Dave Cockrum to John Byrne to Paul Smith to Barry Windsor-Smith and more, beginning in 1975’s Giant Size X-Men #1 and continuing into Uncanny X-Men and related titles. His first ongoing series, by Claremont and John Buscema, kicked off in 1988, and has gone through various reboots over the years. Ahmed and Cóccolo’s run began with a new #1 last September as part of the bigger “From the Ashes” publishing initiative.
Wolverine #8, a.k.a. Wolverine #400, arrives in stores April 16.