With only two titles this week, and minor Wolverine appearances at that, I thought it wiser to combine them into one ‘Rest of the Rest’ open thread…

Uncanny X-Men #522 (Preview)
Writer: Matt Fraction
Pencils: Whilce Portacio
Inks: Ed Tadeo

From Marvel: “She’s been gone for a long time, but she’s coming back. This isn’t a hoax. This isn’t a joke. KITTY PRYDE is back in this over-sized special issue of UNCANNY X-MEN”

Wolverine cameos in this melodramatic and uneven return of Kitty Pryde.

As an aside, doesn’t Kitty need to eat to survive?

In stores March 24, 2010.

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Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way #2 (Preview)
“Green Dreams”
Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Tommaso Bennato
Inks: Vincente Cifuentes

From Marvel: “Want to know what it takes to break into Marvel Comics like these guys? Then look no further than this two-part book which is a must-have for anyone wanting to be a Comic Book Breakout Star! After traveling the globe and meeting scores of talented illustrators, intrepid writer, editor and talent manager C.B. Cebulski is giving twelve rising star artists the opportunity to do their breakout work at Marvel Comics! But not only will BREAKING INTO COMICS THE MARVEL WAY showcase the work of these up-and-comers, C.B. will also provide an insider’s commentary on how these artists got their work seen and what it was that landed them the gig. And with step-by-step submission information and a sample Marvel Comics script, these books are MUST HAVES for anyone interested in doing their breakout work and breaking into the comics industry!”

Wolverine cameos in a dream, but I do like the concept of a book for artists trying to break in.

I have an even better idea.

How about couple new artists with new writers? And tell the comic book community at large if they want to keep open submissions, then they need to keep the sales level of the title respectable.

Just a thought.

In stores March 24, 2010.

Share your thoughts on the two Wolverine appearances in the comments below.

And don’t forget to add any Wolverine other appearances from the week that I may have missed (Comusiv, are you listening?)…

Marvel Comics released its June 2010 Solicitations today, so, as usual, here are the core Wolverine appearances for the month…

WOLVERINE WEAPON X #14
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils by RON GARNEY
With battles raging in both the future and the present, pushing Wolverine and Captain America to their very limits, the most important battle may yet be the one taking place inside the mind of a cyborg assassin. Witness the battle for the soul of a Deathlok. Oh, and laser claws too.

WOLVERINE ORIGINS #49
Written by DANIEL WAY
Penciled by WILL CONRAD
“WHAT I DO,” Part 1 (of 2)
His past finally behind him, Wolverine now turns to face another, more terrifying challenge: His future. Don’t miss out on the beginning of the end, part one of the last chapter of a story years in the making!

DARK WOLVERINE #87
Written by MARJORIE LIU
Penciled by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
“IDLE HANDS”
Betrayed by his father, cut off from his destiny, Daken now faces an uncertain future. What is he supposed to be now? With the pantheon of Marvel heroes stepping out of darkness and into the light, there seems only one choice…

X-MEN LEGACY #237
Written by MIKE CAREY
Penciled by GREG LAND
“SECOND COMING”, CHAPTER TWELVE
X-Force cuts their way through a dangerous future trying to cut off Bastion’s armies at the source. They better hurry as the X-Men in the present are falling left and right.

X-FORCE #28
Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST & CRAIG KYLE
Penciled by MIKE CHOI
“SECOND COMING”, CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The final battle begins here! It’s X-Force’s last stand in the future and the X-Men’s last stand in the present. Bastion has been one step ahead of the X-Men the whole time, but one X-Man’s sacrifice could turn the tide! Don’t miss the penultimate chapter of the X-Event of 2010!

ASTONISHING X-MEN: XENOGENESIS #2 (of 5)
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Pencils by KAARE ANDREWS
The birth rate is climbing in the small African village of Karere…and these newborns are anything but normal: infants made of steel, infants only partially visible to the eye, infants who combust and destroy city blocks. Hoping to witness the rebirth of the mutant species, the X-Men go to investigate. But what they find may just be something far more sinister and dangerous…and familiar.

AVENGERS #2
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils by JOHN ROMITA JR.
The Avengers have assembled and the villainous Kang has revealed that they must travel to the future to save their own children from destroying the universe! Yes, the entire universe. But it will take one more Avenger to make the trip complete. Who is the newest hero to join the ranks of the Avengers true?  And why is the once-great hero Wonder Man hell-bent on stopping the Avengers at every turn? Backup feature:  Another brand new oral history of the Avengers chapter by Bendis!

NEW AVENGERS #1
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils by STUART IMMONEN
Find out who the New Avengers are, where they call home (gotta see it to believe it!), which Dark Avenger has joined their ranks, and just who the interdimensional demonic threat to our existence is! These heroes have gathered to take on the threats too dark, too dangerous, and too bizarre for any other team of heroes.  The New Avengers are back!! And Bendis & Immonen are back with the Siege & Secret Invasion colorista Laura Martin!!  You didn’t really think Marvel was going to cancel their number one ongoing title did you?  Heck no!! Backup feature:  Another brand new oral history of the Avengers chapter by Bendis!

X-CAMPUS #1 (of 2)
Written by FRANCESCO ARTIBANI
Pencils by DENIS MEDRI & ROBERTO DI SALVO
It’s an all-new, all-different version of the X-Men as told by some of Europe’s greatest comics storytellers! In this vivid re-imagining of the X-Men mythos, everything is not as it seems and teenaged versions of Cyclops, Beast, Wolverine, Iceman, Storm and Rogue face a threat worse even than super villains or race-destroying viruses… HIGH SCHOOL! When the troubled Anna Raven is recruited to join the Worthington Foundation, a school for the gifted, she jumps at the chance to escape her broken life. But one student who can’t control his unusual powers could bring everything crashing down, literally, as he threatens to destroy the entire school!

For the complete list of Marvel’s June Solicitations, visit Comic Book Resources (details)…

As for probable/possible Wolverine appearances this week (3/24/09), we have previews of…
—Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way #2 (preview): More debuts of new artists…
—Uncanny X-Men #522 (preview): Kitty returns…

X-23 #1 (Preview)
Writer: Marjorie Liu
Pencils: Filipe Andrade and Nuno Alves
Inks: Jay Leisten and Nuno Alves with Sandu Florea

From Marvel: “X-23 has spent her short life being used by those in power, from the military to the X-Men. But when she is forced to confront a being who can control her life with nothing but a thought, will X-23 finally learn how to fight — not for others, but herself? Guest-starring NYX!”

Marjorie Liu, Filipe Andrade and Nuno Alves kick off an intriguing X-23 one-shot, guest starring Wolverine…

In stores March 17, 2010.

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Incredible Hulk #608 (Preview)
Writer: Greg Pak
Pencils: Paul Pelletier
Inks: Danny Miki

From Marvel: “FALL OF THE HULKS Conclusion! Years ago, the Hulk helped found the Avengers — and then almost immediately smashed his way into becoming one of the Avengers’ greatest nemesis. Now in the wake of the Intelligencia’s crippling attack on the World’s Mightiest Heroes, Bruce Banner’s actually leading a group of Avengers — but can he be trusted any more than his big green alter ego was back in the day? Plus, the reveal of the master plan of the Leader and M.O.D.O.K. and the true motivations of Skaar, Son of Hulk, in the stunning conclusion of the ‘Fall of the Hulks’ and the shocking kickoff to the upcoming ‘World War Hulks’ blockbuster!”

Surprise finale promises an interesting follow up in ‘World War Hulks’. Note, that while ‘Hulk’ #21 covers the same ground, Wolverine does not appear in that issue…

In stores March 17, 2010.

Doomwar #2 (Preview)
Writer: Jonathan Maberry
Pencils: Scott Eaton
Inks: Andy Lanning & Robert Campanella

From Marvel: “Doctor Doom’s latest power play has the Marvel Universe up in arms. Wakanda has been conquered and Storm faces execution in the next 48 hours — unless the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the two Black Panthers can rally to the rescue! With Doom only minutes away from stealing enough Vibranium to help him conquer the world, T’Challa faces the most dreadful decision possible: let Doom win…or let Storm die!”

Wolverine is featured prominently, but it is Doctor Doom who steals the shows…

In stores March 17, 2010.

Hercules: Fall of an Avenger #1 (Preview)
Writer: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Art: Ariel Olivetti

From Marvel: “When the most beloved Olympian of all time falls, who will mourn him? Acclaimed INCREDIBLE HULK artist Ariel Olivetti joins writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente for a two-part mini-epic that marks the end of an era and the beginning of something utterly unexpected for Hercules, the Lion of Olympus. Bring your hankies — and your golden adamantine maces — as an all-star cast including Thor, Namor, Namora, Snowbird, Alflyse, Bruce Banner, and of course, Amadeus Cho send off the Son of Zeus with shocking tales, smash-tastic action, bawdy tomfoolery, and heart-rending drama that will change the course of Marvel’s marvelous mythological milieu… forever!”

Hercules’ wake with Wolverine, surprise, surprise, drinking…

In stores March 17, 2010.

Siege #3 (Preview)
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler: Oliver Coipel
Inker: Mark Morales

From Marvel: “THE MARVEL BLOCKBUSTER OF THE YEAR!! In the halls of Asgard and on the streets of small town America the entire Universe is gripped in a the greatest battle ever seen: SIEGE!! Lives have been lost! Lines have been drawn! And the battle for Asgard is in full force. The moment for revelations and life-changing moves is here, and for some, this will be the last choice they ever make in this world. What happens next is so epic, so historic, that it changes the entire dynamic of the Marvel Universe. You’re gonna want to be there for this one…trust us.”

Wolverine cameos as the stakes increase exponentially in the penultimate issue of this Marvel Universe-wide event…

In stores March 17, 2010.

Nation X #4 (Preview)
“Dooptopia”
Writer: Peter Milligan
Art: Michael Allred

From Marvel: “All the pieces fall into place as this final issue concludes with a bang! Namor has never taken orders from anyone before, so why does he take them from Cyclops? Where does Emma get all those Jimmy Choo’s? And when a mystery strikes Utopia, who does Cyclops send to solve it? DOOP!”

‘Nation X’ boasts four short stories per issue. This month, Wolverine appears in two: the bizarre Doop mystery and a brief cameo in the Namor tale…

In stores March 17, 2010.

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Spider-Man & The Secret War #4 (Preview)
Writer: Paul Tobin
Penciler: Patrick Scherberger & Clayton Henry
Inkers: Terry Pallot with Henry & Scherberger

From Marvel: “When all the heroes and all the other villains were busy playing the Beyonder’s game, only one man took himself off the game board in order to challenge the Beyonder. That man, of course, is Victor von Doom. But what made both Spider-Man and Wolverine go along for the ride? And what is the terrible cost for the ticket?”

Odd finale to this throwback miniseries gives Wolverine some significant exposure…

In stores March 17, 2010.

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Prelude to Deadpool Corp #3 (Preview)
Writer: Victor Gischler
Art: Phillip Bond

From Marvel: “Witness the birth of the most important super hero team ever in a universe-spanning event that will rock the month of March! Wade Wilson has been tapped to save the Universe, and to do that he’s going to need help. Enter: The sexy-but-insecure Lady Deadpool! The devious-but-lovable Headpool (a.k.a. the Zombie Deadpool Head)! The bratty-but-brilliant Kidpool! And the irascible mutt known as Dogpool! Individually, they’re, well, kind of messed up, but together, they’re the unstoppable force know as DPC. ”

Another alternate reality, this time with Wolverine as a dog… <sigh>

In stores March 17, 2010.

Share your thoughts on the EIGHT Wolverine appearances in the comments below.

And don’t forget to add any Wolverine other appearances from the week that I may have missed (that still means you, Comusiv!)…

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here…This week we have the latest Origins from last month to review. Hope you enjoy it.

Wolverine: Origins #45 (Preview)
Writer: Daniel Way
Pencils: Doug Braithwaite
Inks and Washes: Bill Reinhold & Mike Manley

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Romulus confronting Ruby. He wants to know Wolverine’s plan. She resists at first, trying to play a game with him, but then he threatens her daughter and she talks. Wolverine finds her a short while later and hints that he knows what happened. Ruby lies but Logan pretends to sniff  out the truth and she panics and attacks him.

They fight and Wolverine gets the upper hand, but he stops to try and reason with Ruby and gets stabbed through the belly for his troubles. Before she can hurt him further, the rest of Logan’s troop shows up. With four against one odds, Ruby does not last long. Soon enough, Skaar gets a hold of her and throws her to Cloak who teleports her back into her cell.

Once she is gone, Wolverine reveals that the whole incident of her betraying them was part of the plan. He fingers a man called The Answer as the brains of the operation. The Answer was apparently trying to use them to rescue Ruby who he loves. He knew that she would betray them though he did not tell Wolverine this little fact. The man who did actually plan the whole thing up is finally revealed once Wolverine leaves. He heads to a small apartment and meets up with Deadpool.

MY TAKE: This was an okay issue and a very fast read. Not much happened in the plot as evidenced by the unusually short synopsis. Most of the issue was the team fighting with Ruby which is a bit of a waste since she really would not have stood a chance even against Wolverine normally. The plot advancement was mostly the introduction of the two new characters. The Answer seemed to be pretty much redundant, he was simply the reason that Ruby was chosen to be the one to spill information to Romulus.

Deadpool is meant to be the real surprise here and if this was a year ago it might have worked. Now it is more of a shock when Deadpool is not included in a plot somewhere. Considering that Way writes both titles, it was only a matter of time until Wade showed up. A year ago I would have been excited to see Deadpool getting more exposure, but now he is in too many books. Not to mention that he is not exactly the planning type, or very subtle, so his appearance does not even make much sense.

I was also a bit confused at Silver Samurai being a part of the group. I know that Logan went to him for help but I thought that was limited to sword training. Considering the fact that the two men hate each other, it does not make much sense for Harada to go to the extra trouble and leave Japan to help Logan. I would have liked to see a bit more of reasoning behind that move rather then just have him showing up here with the rest of the gang.

In the end this issue was decent, mostly because there was not much to it. The fight scenes were pretty well done and they comprised most of the story. It would have been better for the overall plot line if a bit more had happened, still it was nice to see a bit of action. With only a few more issues in this story though, I hope the narrative picks up a bit next issue or the comic series is going to feel very slow and drawn out.

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 next time.

My sincere apologies but I doubt I will be able to update this site until this weekend.

Work has been crazy, crazy, crazy, but I can finally see light at the end tunnel. The hope, of course, is that it is daylight and not an oncoming Acela train.

My desire for the weekend is to wrap up posts from last week, and get caught up with all news, reviews and open threads from this week.

Whether that will happen or not remains to be seen.

DiG…

Wolverine Origins #45 (Preview)
Writers: Daniel Way
Pencils: Doug Braithwaite
Ink and Washes: Bill Reinhold with Mike Manley

From Marvel: “Wolverine’s plan to take down Romulus is revealed, and the endgame to what it’s all been building to begins! But who is the mastermind behind it all? And more importantly, will it even work? With the treacherous Ruby Thursday set to tell all to Romulus, it seems doubtful…”

On sale March 17, 2010.

Share your thoughts on the finale of the penultimate arc of the series in the comments below. And if you haven’t picked up the issue, make sure to read the preview, linked next the series title above.

Crazy, crazy week at work, so here is the belated and lengthy list of probable/possible Wolverine appearances for the week of 3/17/10, with super-awesome previews…

–Dark Avengers #15 (preview): Siege tie-in with Dark Wolverine…
–Doom War #2 (preview): The X-Men battle Dr. Doom…
–Hercules: Fall of an Avenger #1 (preview): Wolverine attends Hercules’ wake…
–Hulk #21 (preview): Fall of the Hulks…
–Incredible Hulk #608 (preview): More falling Hulks…
–Nation X #4 (preview): Wolverine does appear…
–Prelude to Deadpool Corps #3 (preview): With this series, who knows…
–Siege #3 (preview): Marvel’s big, big event…
–Spider-Man and the Wars #4 (preview): Flashing back to ’80s…
–Wolverine Origins #45 (preview): Building to the big finale…
–X-23 #1 (preview): Unbelievable pages in the preview…

In the remaining Wolverine appearances for the week, we first have a neat tale from the early days of the new X-Men, second is a bizarro alternative universe appearance, third is a kids version of Wolverine (ugh!), and finally, we have a fun appearance I missed from previous week…

Breaking Into Comics: The Marvel Way #1 (Preview)
“Let It Out”
Writer: Chris Yost
Art: Paul Davidson

From Marvel: “Want to know what it takes to break into Marvel Comics like these guys? Then look no further than this two-part book which is a must-have for anyone wanting to be a Comic Book Breakout Star! After traveling the globe and meeting scores of talented illustrators, intrepid writer, editor and talent manager C.B. Cebulski is giving twelve rising star artists the opportunity to do their breakout work at Marvel Comics! But not only will BREAKING INTO COMICS THE MARVEL WAY showcase the work of these up-and-comers, C.B. will also provide an insider’s commentary on how these artists got their work seen and what it was that landed them the gig. And with step-by-step submission information and a sample Marvel Comics script, these books are MUST HAVES for anyone interested in doing their breakout work and breaking into the comics industry!”

In stores March 10, 2010.

Prelude to the Deadpool Corps #2 (Preview)
Writer: Victor Gischler
Art: Whilce Portacio

From Marvel: “Witness the birth of the most important super hero team ever in a universe-spanning event that will rock the month of March! Wade Wilson has been tapped to save the Universe, and to do that he’s going to need help. Enter: The sexy-but-insecure Lady Deadpool! The devious-but-lovable Headpool (a.k.a. the Zombie Deadpool Head)! The bratty-but-brilliant Kidpool! And the irascible mutt known as Dogpool! Individually, they’re, well, kind of messed up, but together, they’re the unstoppable force know as DPC.”

In stores March 10, 2010.

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Marvel Super Hero Squad #3 (Preview)
Writer: Todd DeZago
Art: Leonel Castellani, Marcelo DiChiara

From Marvel: “‘When Slurks The Slime!’ When a tiny jellyfish is transformed into a giant slimy blob, the Super Hero Squad have their hands full trying to keep it from engulfing all of Super Hero City! Also, Thor reflects on his childhood–and his own gorgeous reflection in ‘Reflections!’ And, Captain America and The Falcon team up again…for the first time! ”

In stores March 10, 2010.

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Girl Comics #1 (Preview)
“Head Space”
Writer: Devin Grayson
Art: Emma Rios

From Marvel: “With the most controversial question in the Marvel Universe finally answered right on the cover, Marvel is proud to bring you a celebration of amazing women in comics with the first of a three issue anthology entirely created by the most talented and exciting women working in comics today, including Ann Nocenti (DAREDEVIL), Amanda Conner (Power Girl), Laura Martin (SECRET INVASION), G. Willow Wilson (Air), Devin Grayson (Nightwing), Stephanie Buscema (WEB OF SPIDER-MAN), and more! With stories featuring your favorite Marvel characters, from the Punisher to Mary Jane, don’t miss what will be the one of the most talked about series of the year! (Please note: She-Hulk would totally win).”

In stores March 3, 2010.

Share your thoughts on the four Wolverine appearances in the comments below.

And don’t forget to add any Wolverine other appearances from the week that I may have missed (that still means you, Comusiv!)…

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here…This week we have another Wolverine One Shot up for review, ‘Wolverine: Mr. X’. Hope you enjoy it.

Wolverine: Mister X #1 (Preview)
Writer: Frank Tieri
Art: Paco Diaz with Guillermo Ortega

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Mr. X remembering his childhood when he experienced a dying woman’s thoughts and it jump started his psychic powers. He then reflects on his history of training and his fights with Wolverine, including losing the second time they fought. Being beaten has made him obsessed with Logan and in the present it is revealed that he has been dressing people up like Wolverine and killing them. He has also been training to match Logan’s berserker rage by fighting actual wolverines. Once he has killed a hoard of them he declares himself ready.

Logan is in a bank waiting in line. It is predictably robbed but he takes out the gun men in seconds with no one being hurt. The teller thinks that Wolverine is trying to steal the money until he produces his Avengers card. A delivery man interrupts the exchange and nearly loses his head. He hands Logan a package and runs off. Inside, Wolverine finds a note from Mr. X and the severed head of a kindergarten teacher wearing a Wolverine mask. X says he will kill the kids unless Logan makes a personal appearance.

Wolverine races to the rescue and finds the kids, in Wolverine masks, dosed in gasoline and X holding a lit match. He threatens to kill them unless Logan gives him what he wants, which is a rematch. They set up a meeting in the hall of warriors at the Museum of Natural History at midnight. Wolverine arrives and is greeted by an arrow from the dark which he prompting deflects. Having passed the test of worth, X attacks him.

The fight is brief though, as Wolverine refuses to unleash his berserk side. Instead he decides not to fight at all. X hits him and then grabs a sword and begins cutting off bits of Logan but he refuses to fight back. Eventually Mr. X falls to his knees defeated. After Wolverine leaves, X receives a call from Osborn asking him to join the Thunderbolts.

MY TAKE: The Wolverine one shots are generally a mixed bag and this is no exception. I am not really a fan of Mr. X so his history did not interest me, but there were some pretty good scenes of his battles and even his monologue had its moments. On the other hand, most of Wolverine’s scenes were pretty cliche and not very interesting. Even though this was ostensibly a Wolverine story, he seemed to be more of a secondary character for the whole issue.

There is very little that is new here, most of these plot points have been done a hundred times. The traumatic death that triggers mental powers, the hard training to take down a powerful foe. Wolverine has foiled bank robberies so many times I wonder why they even let him through the doors. He is obviously bad luck to the entire banking industry. Maybe that is how the delivery men was able find him in a bank since there is no other explanation to receiving a package in a public place.

The ending was original though, and I definitely like seeing Logan using his brains rather then just his claws. The scene was pretty intense too and enough to make any guy wince when he read it. However, I am a bit confused at how that was actually beating X. There is no reason why he can not go back to taking and killing little kids to make Logan fight and there is every reason to believe he would. While Logan might be willing to suffer torture to win, I do not see him letting innocents die because he will not fight.

In the end, this issue had some pretty good fight scenes and interesting ideas but was hurt by an unoriginal plot. It was certainly not bad for a one shot but I found it hard to get into due to my lack of interest in the antagonist. Still it was fast paced and it read well. I was hoping the story would increase my interest in X, but there was nothing that really grabbed my attention. Perhaps a future story will make the character better developed but for now I would have preferred a story with a more established villain.

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 next time.

Wolverine: Mister X #1 (Preview)
Writers: Frank Tieri
Art: Paco Diaz with Guillermo Ortega

From Marvel: “Mr. X is back for a rematch and revenge on the only man who’s ever beaten him: Wolverine! Find out everything you never knew about one of the most dangerous psychopaths in the Marvel Universe. The first time these two met, Wolverine barely escaped with his life, and this time…well, one thing’s for sure, you’ll never see the end coming but you’ll love how you got there!”

On sale March 10, 2010.

Share your thoughts on this Wolverine one-shot in the comments below. And if you haven’t picked up the issue, make sure to read the preview, linked next the series title above.