Aside from Wolverine: Origins #30 (see review), Wolverine appeared in three other issues as well as one cover-only appearance this week (November 26, 2008)…

Wolverine: First Class #9 (preview)
“Koan”
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Francis Portela

I really liked this issue. The artwork is outstanding, the story well-written, funny and surprising substantial. If only more comics were like this…

X-Force #9 (preview)
Writers: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost
Art: Mike Choi

Domino joins the fun in this blood-filled issue that includes an army of Sabretooth clones. How the hell do you kill an army of Sabretooth clones?

Best line of the issue, “If you die, take one of them with you.”

Ultimate X-Men #98 (preview)
Writer: Aron E. Coleite
Penciler: Mark Brooks; Inker: Karl Story

An Ultimatum crossover. And not a very good one.

Wolverine barely cameos in only two panels and not a single word of dialogue…

Secret Invasion: X-Men #4 (preview)
Cover: Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson and Justin Ponsor

Wolverine is front and center on the cover, but nowhere to be found in this four-issue series.

I hate when Marvel does that…

Wolverine: Origins #30
‘Original Sin, Part 5’
Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Mike Deodato

I gotta be honest. If Original Sin hadn’t been billed as a major crossover, as a stunning revelation, I might have actually enjoyed the Wolverine: Origins‘ half of this storyline.

It wasn’t bad. It actually showed a little heart.

But as for revelations and important crossovers, it really was a dud. In fact, there wasn’t a single new fact revealed about Wolverine and Xavier’s first encounter in this entire issue.

That said, the ending does provide the groundwork for the finale of Daniel Way’s saga.

One hopes, however, that Marvel doesn’t drag it out like they have the rest of the series.

Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

From Marvel (preview): “Continued from X-MEN: LEGACY #218! Searching for his kidnapped son, Wolverine will let nothing stand in his way—not even The Hellfire Club! Meanwhile, what dark secrets will Professor X unearth inside the scorched battlefield that is Wolverine’s mind? And what will it tell him about his own past deeds? Find out here in the mind-shattering—literally mind-shattering—conclusion to ORIGINAL SIN!” On sale November 26, 2008.

From 2008 to 2009, Wolverine Files highlighted, in chronological order, iconic Wolverine covers and their homages. Want to start at the beginning? Click here…

Uncanny X-Men #142 features the second of the classic Days of Future Past covers by John Byrne and Terry Austin, this time from February 1981 (note the official title change from X-Men to Uncanny X-Men). And while last issue’s cover was voted the best Wolverine cover of all time, Wizard Magazine #157 made this cover #2…

First up is the long forgotten X-Men: Days of Future Past trade paperback from 1989 by Butch Guice followed by Alex Ross and his first portrayal of the Days of Future Past Wolverine from Paradise X: Heralds #1, December 2001…

In 1998, Marvel resurrected this futuristic storyline, with Ed McGuinness supplying the cover for Wolverine: Days of Future Past #1. On the right is the original cover artwork from the collection of Glenn Gervot…

Finally, in 2005, Marvel once again revisited the future with Bart Sears and Weapon X: Days of Future Now #1. The original cover artwork on the right is from the collection of JAMO NEZZAR…

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Want to see the Classic Wolverine Covers from the beginning? Start here…

Marvel unveils the third trailer for Wolverine and the X-Men…

As well as a behind the scenes vignette…

Looking for the first two trailers? Watch them here and here…

Marvel also published the schedule of releases for February (with major Wolverine appearances broken out below)…
–February 4th: Ultimatum #3, X-Men Noir #3, Wolverine and Power Pack #4
–February 11th: Eternals #8
–February 18th: Wolverine: Origins #33, Dark Avengers #2
–February 25th: Wolverine: First Class #12; X-Force #12, Ultimate X-Men #100, New Avengers #50, X-Men/Spider-Man #4

Even More Wolverine News…
–Fred Van Lente on X-Men Noir (and more importantly on Wolverine: First Class) from CBR…
–Dark Avengers Sneak Preview from IGN…

And finally, comics previews for the coming week of probable Wolverine appearances…
-Wolverine: Origins #30 (preview): Original Sin the Finale…
-Wolverine: First Class #9 (preview): Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu?!?
-Secret Invasion: X-Men #4 (preview): Wolverine makes the cover at the very least…
-X-Force #9 (preview): Domino joins X-Force…
-Ultimate X-Men #98 (preview): Third to last issue of the series…

Aside from X-Men: Legacy #218 (see Friday’s review), Wolverine appeared in three other issues this week (November 19, 2008)…

Avengers/Invaders #6 (preview)
Plot: Alex Ross & Jim Krueger
Script: Jim Krueger
Pencils: Steve Sadowski & Patrick Berkenkotter

Four panels. No words.

I mean, what’s the point of having Wolverine in a miniseries if you’re not going to use him?

Fantastic Four #561 (preview)
Writers: Mark Millar
Penciler: Bryan Hitch
Inker: Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie & Cam Smith

A direct tie-in to ‘Old Man Logan’.

Really.

.
Marvel Adventure the Avengers #30 (preview)
Writer: Paul Tobin
Pencils: Matteo Lolli; Inks: Christian Dalla Vechhia

Not a horrible issue this time around, but I’m stiill not sure why this book is even being produced. It sure as hell won’t convert any young readers into Marvel Zombies.

What about Uncanny X-Men #504, you ask? Well, Wolverine does not appear…

X-Men: Legacy #218
‘Original Sin, Part 4’
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciler: Scot Eaton; Inker: Andrew Hennessy

Perhaps because I am more interested in this storyline for the secrets to be revealed than the story itself, I find myself getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress on that front.

We get exactly one page of flashback.

One page.

And it’s not even a very good page.

As for the rest of the issue, I found it to be fairly pedestrian in story, dialogue and art. A real trifecta.

The good news? The conclusion of ‘Original Sin’ arrives next week with Wolverine: Origins #30. Check out the preview.

Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

From Marvel (preview): “Wolverine and Professor X face off against an unholy alliance of enemies old and new, as Sebastian’s Shaw’s schemes come to fruition. But the greatest danger arises from the most unlikely source, as Xavier’s determination to atone for past sins takes him into Daken’s scarred and traumatized mind.” On sale November 19, 2008.

From 2008 to 2009, Wolverine Files highlighted, in chronological order, iconic Wolverine covers and their homages. Want to start at the beginning? Click here…

X-Men #141 features the classic Days of Future Past cover by John Byrne and Terry Austin from January 1981. This is such an iconic cover, Wizard Magazine #157 voted it the #1 Wolverine Cover of all time. I still remember being blown away by the aging Wolverine when I first saw the cover on the stands…

As for homages, Arthur Suydam recreates the Byrne classic in Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness #1 and Paco Medina does the same with New X-Men #26 featuring X-23 in the role of Wolverine…

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Want to see the Classic Wolverine Covers from the beginning? Start here…

Chris Yost and Craig Kyle sit down with IGN and get down and dirty with X-Force.

And four previews of probable Wolverine appearances for the coming week…

-X-Men Legacy #218 (preview): ‘Original Sin’ continues…
-Uncanny X-Men #504 (preview): Wolverine appearance not yet confirmed…
-Avengers/Invaders #6 (preview): Interminable series hits the halfway point…
-Marvel Adventures the Avengers #30 (preview): All I want for Christmas is for Wolverine to be off this book…

Wolverine #69
“Old Man Logan, Part 4”
Writer: Mark Millar
Penciler: Steve McNiven; Inker: Dexter Vines

At the rate this series is going (with only four issues in six months), the eight-issue storyline of ‘Old Man Logan’ is going to take at least year to complete.

My guess is that when the trade paperback comes out, the pacing and story are going to be pretty awesome.

Unfortunately, this is a semi-monthly comic at the moment so the pacing is absolutely dreadful, reading more like a travelogue through Mark Millar’s apocalyptic Marvel universe than an actual story.

If I were a more patient man, I would wait for the whole story to come out before reading it (much the way I am handling ‘100 Bullets’). But since I am not, I will grumble all the way to the final issue.

What about you? Are you more forgiving that I am? More patient? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

From Marvel (preview): “In a decimated future where America is dominated by super-villains, old man Logan lives out his days, but as far as he’s concerned, WOLVERINE died fifty years ago with the rest of the super heroes. Now he’s on a cross-country journey with the blind archer HAWKEYE to deliver a secret package to Hawkeye’s contacts on the east coast. But dinosaurs and earthquakes might just finish them off for good! Plus: the identity of the PRESIDENT is revealed! MARK MILLAR and STEVE MCNIVEN continue their post-apocalyptic epic for the ages! Part 4 (of 8).” On sale November 12, 2008.

From 2008 to 2009, Wolverine Files highlighted, in chronological order, iconic Wolverine covers and their homages. Want to start at the beginning? Click here…

X-Men #140 is another classic cover by John Byrne and Terry Austin, this time showing off Wolverine’s new brown costume and chronicling his rematch with Wendigo from December 1980…

This issue marked the first glimpse of Wolverine’s past (courtesy of Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin). Dig that short hair!

Steve Lightle provided both reprint covers, Classic X-Men #45 on the left and X-Men Classic #46 on the right. Note the title change from Classic X-Men to X-Men Classics to move the series closer to other X-Men comics on the comic book racks!

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Want to see the Classic Wolverine Covers from the beginning? Start here…