Wolverine: First Class #1 review

Fred Van Lente is a writer who knows how to bring the fun; he does so successfully in the first issue of “Wolverine: First Class.”  The “First Class” line is aimed at all-ages, but kids and longtime fans should enjoy this one. 

Set around the John Byrne era of “X-Men,” Wolverine is a surly loner with “animal rages” he struggles to control.  Kitty Pryde, a new student at Xavier’s School of Gifted Youngsters, is an optimistic teen who is dealing with her new powers as well as typical problems of adolescence.   Professor X instructs Wolverine to take Kitty on a mission to help a mutant in trouble — Wolverine doesn’t want an inexperienced backup, but the Professor insists.

Andrea Di Vito provides clean, attractive art that fits in well with the Byrne and Dave Cockrum designs of that era, without seeming dated.   Van Lente even brings something of a theme from that time – the X-Men as a team enjoying playing sports together, in this case, a game of volleyball.

Overall, “Wolverine: First Class” gets an A.

– Matt Price