His name’s Wolverine and he is all set to make a comeback to a cinema near you later this year, with his colleague and superhero friend Deadpool.

This DK Proficient 4 Readers book not only lets you discover how a frail and sickly child grew up to become superhero Wolverine, but also takes you down memory lane so that you can understand the reasons behind the growth of his claws, and what good the development of his heal ability does to him.

Rich in vocabulary and featuring a challenging sentence structure, this book gives the readers a sneak peek into everything Wolverine not only does, but it also covers the commonly known facts about the mutant. Readers get to know him as part of the Weapon X programme where his skeletal structure was bonded with adamantium, and the book also explains why superhero teams want him to be on their side rather than fight against him.

This book is also full of surprises for readers who think they know Wolverine. Not many know that Logan is not his real name, as he was born James Howlett in Alberta, Canada in the late 1800s. According to this book, James only changed his name to Logan after running away from his home when a tragedy struck his home. His power of healing protected his young mind from the horrors he had lived through and helped him stay young despite spending time with wolves and working as a spy for the CIA, to name a few things.

That’s not all on Wolverine’s CV; since he is over 100 years old today, and has seen action of all kinds. The book does its best to cover his life and times while explaining how he became friends with Professor X, what connection he shares with Jane Grey, and how he was able to work with both the X-Men and The New Avengers.

And then there is Sabretooth, Wolverine’s nemesis and arch enemy, who has a lot in common with him. Wolverine may possess animal-like instincts, super-enhanced strength and the ability to heal from any wound, but so does Sabretooth and that’s what makes him dangerous. There is a special chapter in this book discussing their rivalry.

While the Glossary at the end of the book explains the meanings of certain words present in the book, the colourful images of Wolverine’s colleagues, adversaries and acquaintances come out as a welcome change from the boring superhero books that don’t value the pictures. The book helps you understand his confusing and complicated life, where he is old but not frail, where he is lonely but doesn’t lack companionship, and where he is still a mutant but puts himself in risky situations to save human beings.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 3rd, 2024