Before you plop down hard-earned cash to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine, know what you're getting into by going back to the source material. Don't you want to be the one snickering in the back row because you get all the references?
Wolverine: Origin
First things first. After years of mystery and confusion, Marvel decided to put its most popular character’s cards on the table once and for all. Origin started from the very beginning, revealing that the man called Logan was once James Howlett, the sickly son of a rich plantation owner in 1800’s Canada. The movie seems to have mined this six-issue limited series heavily to fill in the backstory, so it’s the perfect jumping off point.
Wolverine #10
Batman has the Joker. Superman has Lex Luthor. Wolverine has Sabretooth. Since the murderous mutant is being played by Liev Schrieber and not a wrestler in a fur coat indicates that X-Men Origins is going to be giving us a much more formidable version of the villain. This issue of Wolverine’s solo series delves into their undying hatred, and explains who Silver Fox is and how she fits into their story.
Marvel Comics Presents: Weapon X (issue #’s 72-84)
More important than Logan’s birth and his battles with Sabretooth is his long and tortured history with the Weapon X program. Writer/artists Barry Windsor-Smith takes on the mental and physical battery Logan endured to become a government-issue killing machine. These events are hinted at in flashbacks in the first three X-Men movies, but Origins is intent on really putting Logan’s living hell on screen. Prepare yourself with this run.
Wolverine: Limited Series 1-4
This has long been considered the Wolverine story, but then again how could it not be? After all, it was a joint effort between longtime X-Men writer (and fan favorite) Chris Claremont and Sin City/The Dark Knight Returns creator (and comic book legend) Frank Miller. Although it taps into the same Wolver-angst that the movie does, it also gives you reason to pray the movie does well—Hugh Jackman has expressed an interest in taking Logan to Japan to explore his samurai ties (which is at the heart of this limited series) in an X-Men Origins sequel. Read this and you'll understand why you should be excited by that.
The Uncanny X-Men #266
“Enter the Mutant Called Gambit!” And there you have it. Find out why all those fanboys squealed when that dude with the playing cards showed up in the trailer. Gambit is the Kevin Smith movie of the X-Men universe—that is, some people absolutely love the rogue Cajun and others absolutely despise him as all that is wrong with comics. Pick a side before the movie and enjoy/hate it that much more as a result.
Cable/Deadpool #1
If you can get passed the unrelenting eye rape of “artist” Rob Liefeld’s cover, you’ll find probably the best example of why people dig the character of Deadpool. Paired up with a mutant bounty hunter from the future Cable (never mind), Dead’s sarcastic one-liners and love of carnage comes shining through. Word is that the movie takes a great deal of liberties with ol’ Wade Wilson (played by Ryan Reynolds), so find out what the original was all about so you can decided how you feel about the changes.<-->