Hey, everyone… Here’s the second of my reviews. I will be handling the X-Men Forever series so here’s just a taste with the Alpha that was released this week. Hope you enjoy it.

X-Men Forever Alpha
(preview | thread)
Writer: Chris Claremont
Pencilers: Jim Lee & Tom Grummett
Inkers: Scott Williams & Cory Hamscher

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: Most of this issue was a reprint of ‘X-Men’ #1 through 3. For those that did not read it or do not remember the story, I am going recap those issues and then finish with the preview from the new series. The story opens with a space battle. A group of mutants is fleeing in a stolen shuttle looking for Magneto. They manage to destroy one of their pursuers just before they run into the Master of Magnetism himself. Magneto stops the fight and takes both the mutants and the astronauts to Asteroid M. His presence is detected and starts a panic among the world leaders.

Flash to the X-Men testing out their new Danger room. The have broken into three groups, two trying to break into the mansion and one group defending. The first group consisting of Rogue, Colossus, Iceman and Archangel try a frontal assault and are beaten back by the defenses of Scott, Jean, Beast, Forge and the Professor.

The group of Gambit, Betsy and Wolverine come in from below and are met with robots. Gambit breaks off and is taken out my a fake Jean. While the others are talking, Wolverine come up through the floor and ‘tags’ the Professor ending the exercise. Fury contacts them and warns of Magento’s return and the probable attack on his base by the leaders of the world if he is not dealt with.

On Asteroid M, the mutants swear their allegiance to Magneto and become the Acolytes. To defend his home, Magneto returns to the nuclear sub he once sank and retrieves the missiles. The X-Men Blue team responds but is unable to stop him although Wolverine does injure the man. Rogue attempts to talk sense into Magneto but is hit by missiles from Russian jets. Magneto detonates one of the nukes in the atmosphere above Russia sending an EMP that disables much of the country’s technology.

An injured Rogue wakes up in Genosha to find the Acolytes attacking. The other blue team members Wolverine, Gambit, Cyclops, Beast and Psylocke show up and the group defeats the Acolytes. Magneto shows up and saves his team taking the X-Men prisoner to his Asteroid in the process.

One of the Acolytes, Fabian Cortez, has been ‘healing’ Magneto and points out an inconsistency in his DNA. A livid Magneto returns to Earth and kidnaps Xavier and Moira McTaggert. He forces Moira to admit messing with his genes while he was under her care as a regressed child. He then makes her repeat the process on the captured X-Men making them switch to his side.

Meanwhile the world leaders have enacted the Magneto Protocols and launched a massive cannon into space to take out Asteroid M. Fury warns the remaining X-Men of the Gold team, Storm, Jean, Iceman, Forge, Archangel and Colossus of the threat. Despite knowing how futile it is, they launch an assault using a clear plastic glider and a combination of Storm’s winds and Jean’s TK they manage to ge to the base.

A fight breaks out between the two groups of X-Men but Beast immediately switches sides to help Storm’s people and Wolverine is absent. As the battle progresses, the other X-men slowly come to their senses. Wolverine arrives with Moira and she reveals that her process was a failure. As soon as the mutants use their powers their DNA switches back and nullifies the effect.

They reveal Fabian’s treachery, he has fled and activated the nukes on the base ahead of the plasma cannon attack. Magneto manages to hold the base together and disable the nukes. He and his remaining Acolytes chose to remain on the doomed asteroid as the X-Men flee to safety.

The new content shows Xavier meeting with Fury with the later explaining just how much distrust of mutants now exists. There are also some scenes of the X-Men in their down time particularly between Jean and Scott and Kitty and Wolverine and it ends in the rebirth of Mastermold. The final two pages shows a shocking death. Well it would be shocking had not the solicitations for August spoiled it.

MY TAKE: The new content seems to be pretty much classic Claremont. There is not enough here to really judge it completely but the voice of the characters and the style seems right. Not sure about the direction however. Claremont was touting this was what would have happened had he not left the title but the clues in the previous issues seem to be largely ignored. He is also making decisions that seem highly unlikely for the time period when the comic first came out.

Still I do not mind changes and I do not care if he remakes the team. I only care about good characterization and strong storytelling. There are glimmers of both here so I have hope that the series itself will be good. We’ll find out in a couple weeks whether Claremont still has the magic touch with the X-Men when he has complete and free reign to do as he wants.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again tomorrow.

Hey, everyone… Sorry there was no review last week. Simply a lack of X-titles and Wolverine appearances. I am making it up this week though with three reviews.  We will start with the biggest of my titles, ‘Uncanny X-Men’ # 510…

Uncanny X-Men #510 (preview | thread)
Writer: Matt Fraction
Penciler: Greg Land

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue begins with Laura (X-23) and Armor sneaking around the mansion after all the adults have been taken out. Armor is scared but Laura is in predator mode. They are found by Chimera, but Pixie teleports them away before her attack can land. Next we find Wolverine injured, but not out of the fighting. The Sisterhood unleashes Betsy on him figuring he will go easy on his former teammate.

Flash to Emma being tormented my Lady Mastermind who shows her images of the Phoenix. Emma changes to her diamond form and shakes off the telepath and takes down her attacker. She then hones in on Scott’s mind and is able to free him from his own mental confinement. They go to look for Wolverine.

Logan is not taking it easy on Betsy and Deathstrike has to step in and try to even the odds but even that does not slow him down much. He confronts the Red Queen in his room where she has found what she is looking for.

Pixie, meanwhile, has picked up Elixir and the Stepford Cuckoos and brought them to the fight. Elixir heals Nightcrawler and Colossus while the Cuckoos take out Chimera. Having figured out how the Sisterhood got inside, Pixie goes to the detention level and deals with Empath who was being used as a conduit.

That being done the Sisterhood had no option but to retreat. The Red Queen and the Mastermind sisters escape but Wolverine has Betsy with his claws to her throat. Deathstrike is standing by as is Spiral but they are in a standoff. Finally Scott arrives and orders Logan to let her go which he does reluctantly.  Scott questions Logan about  what they took and he admits that it was a lock of Jean’s hair.

MY TAKE: First of all let me say that I really enjoyed this issue. We finally get to see a bit of action and I liked how everyone was referencing Wolverine and what he would do or how he would react in this situation. They did a good job utilizing characters’ strengths to work around the attack and nullify it. Plus it was nice to see Pixie getting back into action and be the hero of the situation after the beating she had a few months ago. I am also glad we did not see much of the Science team. I understand their importance but find it hard to care about their storyline.

That being said, the issue felt very short. The latest Uncanny X-Men run has suffered badly from overextension and this issue is no exception. There are simply too many characters being referenced and stuck into one issue for any one of them to be able to shine. Yet, this issue was a major improvement in focus. There was really only one thing going on, the Sisterhood attacking and trying to steal the hair and the X-Men fighting back. They probably could have narrowed the scope further but it was easier to follow then some of the previous issues.

I would prefer that they pick a group of X-Men as core team and go with that. However, I do enjoy getting to see a variety of characters that are not currently being used in any of the other books. I am also glad that they keep giving at least some attention to X characters like Dazzler and Empath that have been stuck in Limbo for a very long time. I just wish they could find more of a middle ground and keep each issue to no more then a half dozen or so main characters.

While I generally like the art, due to the coloring and art style of the issue I had occassional issues telling the characters apart especially in the panels where everything was done in red and black. I had to took carefully at costumes a couple of times to make sure who was doing what. It is not a big complaint but I do wish the faces and bodies where a bit more distinct especially on the women.

Over all this was a solid issue with a number of good moments especially for Wolverine and Pixie. The setup for the next issue is amazing and I can not wait to see what they do with Jean’s hair.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again tomorrow.

Marvel announced their full slate of August solicitations today, and I’ve tried to compile those listings most likely to feature Wolverine and Dark Wolverine. For the complete list, please see ComicBookResources.com…

WOLVERINE WEAPON X #4
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils & Cover by RON GARNEY
“THE ADAMANTIUM MEN”
The red-hot, sold-out “Adamantium Men” storyline continues! Wolverine is intent on bringing down the evil corporation Blackguard, one executive at a time if he has to, but when he finally comes face-to-face with the man at the top, he finds the soldiers of Strikeforce X waiting for him, laser-claws and all. Can you say SNIKT? Part 4 (of 5)

WOLVERINE ORIGINS #39
Written by DANIEL WAY
Penciled by SCOT EATON
“ROMULUS”
Deep in the heart of Russia, Wolverine drags himself one step closer to the truth about the man known only as Romulus–but the death-touch of Omega Red stands in his way! With answers finally within reach–will Logan fall victim, another casualty of the Soviet serial killer’s carbonadium tentacles? Part 3 (of 4)

WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS #18
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by FRANCIS PORTELLA
Wolverine and Kitty Pryde have had their disagreements in the past, but when Jamie Madrox, the Mutliple Man, shows up, they wind up on opposite ends siding with the same person! When one of Jamie’s duplicates goes on the run, Kitty decides to help him escape from his creator. Logan sides with the original Madrox…but if he thinks he can stop Kitty from speaking her mind, he doesn’t know teen girls very well!

X-FORCE #18
Written by CRAIG KYLE & CHRISTOPHER YOST
Pencils & Cover by MIKE CHOI & SONIA OBACK
“NOT FORGOTTEN”
The fallout from MESSIAH WAR continues! X-23 is missing, and as horrific as her life has been…it’s about to get worse. Elixir knows the truth about the mutant messiah. Wolverine confronts Cyclops about his decisions leading up to the War. Wolfsbane’s journey back to X-Force begins. Bastion’s master plan gets one step closer to fruition. And if all that weren’t enough…Seline’s forces are on the move. More action and drama than any one comic has a right to have! Part 2 (of 4)

Many, many more Wolverine and Dark Wolverine appearances after the jump…

Read more…

‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ pulled in $14.7 million this weekend, bringing its domestic gross to $151.0 million and positioning it as the #176th domestic grossing film of all time, slashing past ‘Rambo’, ‘Terminator 3’ and ‘True Lies’.

Up next? ‘Runaway Bride’, ‘Fast & Furious’ and ‘Sex and the City’.

With international box office added in, ‘Wolverine’ has accrued $274.0 million worldwide, clocking in as the #223rd grossing film of all time worldwide, placing ‘Wolverine’ just ahead of ‘Jerry Maguire’, ‘Silence of the Lambs’ and ‘Bambi’.

And now on with the regularly scheduled Wolverine news…
–CBR/Marvel/IGN: Marvel August Solicitation Preview (X-Books | Hulk | Avengers | thread)
–Marvel: Jason Aaron – The Write Stuff (details)
–IGN: Amazing Spider-Man #595 Preview (details)
–Marvel: Chris Claremont at MoCCA (details)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 5/20/09…
–Agents of Atlas #5 (preview): New Avengers guest star…
–Fantastic Force #2 (preview): The Hooded Man continues…
–Marvel Adventures the Avengers #36 (preview): Wolverine confirmed…
–Timestorm 2009/2099 #2 (preview): Wolverine vs. Hulk 2099…
–Uncanny X-Men #510 (preview): Wolverine vs. Psylocke…
–Wolverine Noir #2 (details): No preview available
–Wolverine: Weapon X #2 (preview): Chapter 2 for Jason Aaron…
–X-Men Forever Alpha (preview): Reprint of ‘X-Men’ #1-3…

We begin the week-in-review with the Thursday box office update that nudges the ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ domestic total to $136.3 million. That ties ‘Wolverine’ with ‘Godzilla’ as the #224th domestic grossing film of all time, drowning ‘101 Dalmations’, scarring ‘American Beauty’, and court-martialing ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’.

Up next? ‘The Green Mile’, ‘Matrix Revolutions’ and ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’.

The overseas box office has also been updated, upping the worldwide total to $260.0 million. That puts ‘Wolverine’ as the #242nd grossing film of all time worldwide, just ahead of ‘Charlie’s Angels’, and ‘The Full Monty’.

As for comics this week (May 13, 2009), Wolverine (and Dark Wolverine) appeared in THREE TITLES.

Brian Knippenberg has already written up an extensive recap and review for Wolverine #73…

As usual, I will give my impressions for the rest of the rather limited Wolverine docket…

Savage She-Hulk #2 (details)
“Universal Monster”
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Pencilers: Peter Vale & Michael Ryan
Inkers: Vincente Cifuentes & Terry Pallot

Daken has a brief cameo, gearing up for a Dark Avengers crossover next issue…

Marvel Comics Reading Chronology 2009 (details)
Writer/Editor: John Rhett Thomas

This free giveaway may boast Wolverine on the cover, but the inside features a chronology based only on Masterworks and trade paperbacks with nary a mention of Essentials.

What do you think? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below OR join in on the fun in the Wolverine Files Forums…

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

It was during the 1980s that Wolverine grew to become an extraordinarily popular character. And after two successful miniseries, the powers that be at Marvel decreed that Wolverine should have his own series.

To show just how much the comics industry has changed, the reason Wolverine didn’t already have his own series in 1988 was over concerns by writer Chris Claremont that a solo series would destroy the character. Wolverine worked best as part of an assemble with periodic solo travels, it was argued, and a monthly series would inevitably dilute his effectiveness as a character.

If only the Chris Claremont of 1988 could see the weekly deluge of Wolverine now…

In any event by 1988, such concerns had been brushed aside, and Chris Claremont wrote a ten-part Wolverine series (eight pages per chapter) to kick off a new bi-weekly anthology series, Marvel Comics Presents, a storyline that would lead directly into the upcoming monthly Wolverine series.

So when Walt Simonson delivered the following cover for Marvel Comics Presents #1, it could only mean one thing…

Wolverine was going solo.

The full wraparound cover is even more impressive when one realizes that Wolverine is joined by Man-Thing, Shang-Chi and Silver Surfer (who intersects nicely with the flash of Wolverine’s claws).

Sal Buscema provided the interior artwork and this impressive first appearance of the “capital of a small island principality south of Singapore.”

Better known as Madripoor…

Previous Classic Wolverine Cover: Incredible Hulk #340 | Next: coming soon!

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

Hi, folks… your friendly neighborhood Brian Knippenberg back again! Today we have on deck a double-feature review of ‘Wolverine’ #73!  Waitaminnit! What happened to #72? No worries, the penultimate issue of “Old Man Logan” will still be hitting stores in two short weeks! So, without further ado…

Wolverine #73
(mini-preview | thread)
“A Mile in my Moccasins, Part 1”
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Adam Kubert & Mark Farmer

“One Percenter, Part 1”
Writer: Daniel Way
Art: Tommy Lee Edwards

We’ll be breaking this review down into a recap and then sum up with my thoughts. If you wish to avoid spoilers, then proceed to ‘Thoughts From A Human’s Point of View’.

SPOILERS BELOW…

In our first story, “A Mile in my Moccasins”, we are treated to a large montage sequence as we go through the days of the week, each week, to witness the crazy and intense world of Wolverine. Everything from a lone fight against the Juggernaut, his various battles alongside the Avengers, X-Men and X-Force, the random team-ups with characters such as Spider-Man, Punisher, Ghost Rider and Deadpool, his search for Romulus, and the various shootings, stabbings, explosions, and beatings he endures. We even catch glimpses of the quieter moments when Logan can settle down in watering holes across the globe and even for some solemn contemplation in a serenity garden.

After a fierce battle in Japan, Yukio suggests to Logan to get some “bed-rest” with her. Soon afterwards he’s up and dressed, ready to go. Yukio expresses her concerns to Logan about how he seems to be stretching himself thin lately and asks him why he does so, to no reply. She shares her theory that he may be experiencing a nervous breakdown, but Logan’s not there to listen as he’s already taken off on his motorcycle. To be continued next issue…

Our second story, “One-Percenter” opens with Logan getting pulled over by the police on his motorcycle.  Before the patrol officer can write a citation, he’s interrupted by the arrival of a motorcycle gang whose leader reminds the cop that they police their own and Logan is one of them. The cop, who knows this leader nicknamed “Horrorshow”, complies. Later on, at a dive-bar, the two old friends play catch-up. Horrorshow remarks to Logan how it seems as if he hadn’t aged a day in the last 20-30 years. He also shares the ups and downs of his life… how his oldest son died at sixteen, how he was able to kick his drugs & booze habit but his ex-wife and other son had not. His ex and her boyfriend had killed themselves, and Horrorshow reached out to his other son to come back, but only if he gave up the destructive lifestyle, which he would not.

Just then, Ram, a fellow member of Horrorshow’s Burnin’ Sons, bursts in claiming that a rival gang, the New Saints, killed two of their own and demands retribution.  Despite having approval from one of the “Three Lords”, Horrorshow (another one of the Lords) decides to wait until he can talk to the girlfriend of one of the dead, who was a witness, once she calms down. Ram balks at this, claiming that Horrorshow’s hesitation is due to his remaining son being a member of the rival gang and was probably behind it, only to receive a fist to the chin. Horrorshow’s decision stands.

Later in the evening, Horrorshow confides to Logan that he has little doubt that his son could be behind the deaths. He admits that the reason that his son is so bad is because he’s been addicted to drugs since birth and it’s led him down a dark path and that it’s not the boy’s fault, but only his own. Logan cannot help but to see the parallels in this situation and offers to go talk to the girl to perhaps do for Horrorshow’s son what he couldn’t be done for his own.

Logan finds the girlfriend of one of the slain Burnin’ Sons hiding out at her mother’s and she asks if Ram had sent him. When he tells her that he had not, she refuses to talk leaving Logan to wonder aloud if she would had he told her that Ram did send him. Before she can speak, the girl is shot in the head by a killer who takes off by motorcycle. Logan goes after him and places a call to Horrorshow, asking where he can find “Junior”. To be continued next issue…

THOUGHTS FROM A HUMAN’S POINT OF VIEW: ‘Wolverine’ #73 gives us the first parts of two stories that are not merely throwaways to bide time before the premiere of Dark Wolverine, but are relevant to what’s going on in Wolverine’s life. Along with the energetic, sharp, artistic hand of Adam Kubert, Jason Aaron embraces all aspects as he tries to weave the elements that has a typical reader wondering how Wolverine could be involved in so many titles and adventures into a justified cause… or what could be a serious downfall for our hero. A really entertaining (and in some ways funny) look at what makes Wolvie tick, leaving us with a mystery to be solved next issue as to what truly drives him.

Daniel Way’s first half of “One-Percenter” was a strong opening as Logan is drawn into a troubled milieu which has strong parallels to his own life and problems involving his son. Tommy Lee Edwards art is also fantastic. I could practically smell the sweat and booze in the bar scene and taste the dust in the air from open roads torn up byspeeding  motorcyles, as I was reading.

A great issue with two highly entertaining stories, leaving me counting the days to their conclusions!

Feel free to let me know how this review strikes you.  Share your opinion or your own review…

Probably would have been more apropos for the Monday post when ‘Star Trek’ dethroned ‘Wolverine’ as the #1 film, but it still works a few days later…

With Tuesday’s box office, ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ edged up to $132.9 million gross, making it the #237th domestic grossing film of all time, smashing ‘The Hulk’ (2003), quieting ‘Silence of the Lambs’, squashing ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ and harpooning ‘Tomb Raider’.

Up next? ‘Troy’, ‘Mission Impossible III’ and ‘Anger Management’.

With an impressive overseas box office of $123.7 added in, ‘Wolverine’ has jumped to $256.6 million worldwide, clocking in as the #244th grossing film of all time worldwide , tying ‘Wolverine’ with ‘Erin Brockovich’ and placing it just ahead of ‘Waterworld’, ‘The Incredible Hulk’ (2008) and ‘Unbreakable’.

‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ pulled in $26.4 million this weekend, but receipts dropped 69% from last week’s opening, a staggering drop even in light of the success of the ‘Star Trek’ reboot.

That puts ‘Wolverine’ at $129.0 million gross to date, making it the #252nd domestic grossing film of all time, slashing past ‘Borat’, ‘Rocky IV’ and ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’.

With international box office added in, ‘Wolverine’ has acrued $208.7 million worldwide, clocking in as the #341st grossing film of all time worldwide, placing ‘Wolverine’ just ahead of ‘Australia’, ‘Braveheart’ and ‘American Pie’.

Note that with the ‘Wolverine’ movie premiere being a thing of the past, Wolverine news stories have slowed to a trickle, hence…

The Wolverine News Story of the Week…
–Newsarama: Len Wein and Chris Claremont Are Proud of Wolverine (details)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 5/13/09…
–Wolverine #73 (mini-preview): Wolverine #72 arrives later in the month…

We begin the week-in-review with the Thursday box office update that nudges the ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ domestic total to $102.6 million. That ties ‘Wolverine’ with ‘American Pie’ and ‘The Aviator’ as the #392nd domestic grossing film of all time, clawing past ‘Daredevil’ and ‘Mary Poppins’, and burying ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’.

Up next? ‘Bambi’, ‘Jaws 2′ and Scream’.

The overseas box office has also been updated, upping the worldwide total to $182.3 million. That ties ‘Wolverine’ with ‘Cape Fear’ as the #403rd grossing film of all time worldwide, just ahead of ‘The Longest Yard’, ‘102 Dalmations’ and ‘Aliens’.

As for comics this week (May 6, 2009), Wolverine (and Dark Wolverine) appeared in SEVEN TITLES including two from Free Comic Book Day on Saturday. Jrpbsp and Brian Knippenberg have written up extensive recaps and reviews for three of those titles:

• Cable #14
• New Mutants #1 (NOTE: No Wolverine appearance)
• FCBD Wolverine: Origin of an X-Man

As usual, I will give my impressions for the rest of the Wolverine docket…

Astonishing Tales #4 (details)
“Die Hard the Hunter”
Writer: C.B. Cebulski
Artist: Kenneth Rocafort

More over-the-top shenanigans from the team of Cebulski and Rocafort.

So if you liked the first three chapters, then you’ll enjoy this installment.

If not, well, it’s more of the same…

And for completeness sake, there is a pseudo-Logan appearance in the back-up “Bobby and Sam in Mojoworld, Chapter Four: Crash Weddings” by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra.

.

.Agents of Atlas #4 (preview)
“The Dragon’s Corridor, Part 3/Inside America”
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Gabriel Hardman/Clayton Henry

Final page Wolverine cameo sets up for next issue’s crossover with the New Avengers…

Exiles #2 (preview)
“Long Live the King!”
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Salva Espin

Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton has a return performance…

Deadpool #10 (details | thread)
“Bullseye, Part One: The Shaft”
Writer: Daniel Way
Pencils: Paco Medina
Inks: Juan Vlasco

Dark Wolverine cameos briefly, taking a pass on a rematch with Deadpool…

FCBD 2009: Avengers (preview | thread)
“The Way Things Are…”
Script: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Jim Cheung
Inks: Mark Morales

From last Saturday, this is a very strong issue by Bendis. A terrific blend of the New and Dark Avengers, giving every character a ‘moment’.

Wolverine’s?

“Hey, Cage. How’s your throwing arm?”

What do you think? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below OR join in on the fun in the Wolverine Files Forums…