It all started innocuously enough on the Byrne Robotics forums whilst discussing ‘X-Men Forever’. But before you know it, fans have John Byrne plotting his own X-Men future in ‘X-Men Evermore’…

• Byrne Robotics: The X-Men Evermore Discussion…
• ComixFan Forums: Chris Claremont Responds…

This is probably the last movie update as ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ is really winding down at the box office, its domestic gross barely creeping up to $177.9 million over the weekend. Having been passed by ‘Transformers 2’ and ‘Up’, the film actually fell back to being #126th domestic grossing film of all time, but still inched past ‘Hitch’ in the process. With international box office added in, ‘Wolverine’ has accrued $361.1 million worldwide, remaining the #126th grossing film of all time worldwide.

In other Wolverine News…
–Newsarama: Daniel Way and Marjorie Liu on ‘Dark Wolverine’ #75 (details)
–Newsarama: X-Men Animated Series Vol. 3 & 4 Coming in September (details)
-Houston Chronicle: Wolverine continues his guest star in the Spider-Man Strip (details)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 7/01/09…
–Uncanny X-Men #513 (preview): Dark Wolverine, at the very least, confirmed..
–Astonishing Tales #6 (preview): Wolverine/Punisher continues…

Wolverine appeared in ELEVEN TITLES (13 if you count Daken as Dark Wolverine) this past week (June 24, 2009) and once again, our very own jrpbsp provides an impressive series of write-ups for…

• Wolverine: Weapon X #3
• X-Force #16
• Wolverine: First Class #16
• Astonishing X-Men #30
• X-Men Forever #2
• Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1

As usual, I will share my curmudgeonly impressions for the rest of the Wolverine (and Dark Wolverine) docket…

Dark Wolverine #75 (preview | thread)
“The Prince, Part 1”
Writers: Daniel Way & Marjorie Liu
Penciler: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Inker: Onofrio Catacchio

This is, quite frankly, the best Daken story I have ever read.

It returns to some intriguing themes from early issues of ‘Wolverine: Origins’ and goes into greater details about his powers and perhaps, most importantly, into how his mind works…

Dark Avengers #6 (preview | thread)
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Mike Deodato & Will Conrad

Brilliant artwork as always by Mike Deodato, but the story is starting to fall apart for me a little.

I find myself getting bored with the continuing in-depth portrayal of  Norman Osborn, and for the life of me I don’t understand how he is able to hold so much sway over everyone, especially when it is becoming clear that he is about to crack.

I think it’s time for the final act…

Elektra #4 (preview | thread)
Writer: Zeb Wells
Pencils: Clay Mann
Inks: Mark Pennington

Cool Wolverine cameo in the final two pages…

Ms. Marvel #40 (preview | thread)
Writer: Brian Reed
Artists: Sana Takeda and Luke Ross

Very funny Wolverine cameo in the final three pages with an even briefer Dark Wolverine cameo…

The New Avengers #54 (preview | thread)
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Billy Tan
Inks: Batt and Billy Tan

Not much of a Wolverine issue as Brother Voodoo takes center stage.

Is it just me or has Bendis worn out the “10 minutes ago’ story device?

Avengers/Invaders #12 (preview)
“The Last Full Measure”
Plot: Alex Ross & Jim Krueger
Script: Jim Krueger
Pencils: Steve Sadowski & Jack Herbert

I’d love for fans of Captain America and Bucky to weigh in on this series because Wolverine could have skipped this entire series without anyone noticing…

Timestorm 2009/2009: X-Men #1 (preview | thread)
Writer: Brian Reed
Artist: Frazer Irving

A surprisingly fun little diversion that matches Wolverine present and future…

UPDATE: I failed to review Wolverine Noir #3 in this (last) week’s wrap up. I will add that to the next week-in-review if  I can track down a copy (my store was shorted on the title).

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…

Two major comic book conventions convened over the weekend, Heroes Con 2009 and Wizard World Philadelphia, and both had breaking news…

• CBR was all over Wizard World Philly, covering Dark Reign: The List,  the Mondo Marvel Panel, and Jason Aaron,
• Newsarama got the Heroes Con scoop on the X-Men Panel, the Return of the X-Babies, and Dark Reign: Wolverine – The List…

‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ is winding down at the box office, its domestic gross inching up to $177.4 million over the weekend, positioning itself as the #125th domestic grossing film of all time, slashing past ‘Ice Age’ and ‘Tootsie’. With international box office added in, ‘Wolverine’ has accrued $360.6 million worldwide, clocking in as the #126th grossing film of all time worldwide, placing ‘Wolverine’ just ahead of ‘Planet of the Apes’ and ‘Toy Story’.

In other Wolverine News…
–Newsarama: Marvel Comics FULL September 2009 Solicitations (details)
–Marvel: ‘Astonishing Tales #6: Wolverine/Punisher Digital Comics Exclusive (details)
-Houston Chronicle: Wolverine faces off with Dr. Octopus in Spider-Man Strip (details)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 6/24/09…
–Astonishing X-Men #30 (preview): Ghost Box, Part 6…
–Avengers/Invaders #12 (preview): At long last, the finale…
–Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1 (preview): Dark Avengers Take on the X-Men…
–Dark Reign: Elektra #4 (preview): Wolverine guest stars…
–Ms. Marvel #40 (preview): New Avengers (and Wolverine) guest star…
–New Avengers #54 (preview): A Sorcerer Supreme is chosen…
–Timestorm 2009/2099: X-Men #1 (preview): X-Men 2099…
–Uncanny X-Men #512 (preview): Wolverine appearance seems doubtful…
–Wolverine: First Class #16 (preview): Dazzler guest stars…
–Wolverine Noir #3 (preview): Make it stop…
–Wolverine: Weapon X #3 (preview): The Adamantium Men, Part 3…
–X-Force #16 (preview): Messiah War finale…
–X-Men Forever #2 (preview): Wolverine dies!

Probable (and Possible) Dark Wolverine (Daken) Appearances in stores on 6/24/09…
–Dark Avengers #6 (preview): Dark Reign continues with Daken…
–Dark Wolverine 75 (preview): Daken takes over…

Wolverine appeared in FIVE TITLES this past week (June 17, 2009) and once again, our very own jrpbsp provides a series of write-ups for…

• Wolverine: Origins #37
• Cable #15
• Fantastic Force #3
• X-Men Legacy #225

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

Marvel Adventures the Avengers #37 (preview)
“Doll Winners Squad”
Writer: Paul Tobin
Penciler: Dario Brizuela
Inker: Leandro Corral

A little more silly than the usual Marvel Adventures fare, but amusing nonetheless with Wolverine getting more than his share of comedic one-liners.

Daily Bugle 1939 (details)
“Cross-Border ‘Creature’ at Canadian Border”
Writer: J.C. York

The free ‘Daily Bugle’ handout at stores this week is from October 13, 1939 in recognition of Marvel’s 70th anniversary. Included are numerous news items about the mysterious heroes of the day. And one particular article chronicles the sightings of “a short, stocky man” glimpsed along the U.S.-Canadian border.

Definitely worth a look if your store has a copy.

TV Update: Friday night featured a brand new ‘Wolverine and the X-Men’ episode, the surprisingly good “Battle Lines”, dealing with the coming showdown between Magneto and the Sentinels (episode details)…

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…

Marvel has released several previews of their September Solicitations…

• CBR has Advanced X-Solicits, including Dark Wolverine, Dark X-Men, Wolverine: Origins #40, Old Man Logan Giant-Size #1, Wolverine: Weapon X #5 and much more…
• IGN has Release Preview, with the Dark Avenger, New Avengers and a wave of Dark Reign books

Next up is the ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ box office update…

‘Wolverine’ pushed its domestic gross to $176.2 million over the weekend and positioned itself as the #128th domestic grossing film of all time, slashing past ‘Crocodile Dundee’ and ‘The Bourne Supremacy’. With international box office added in, ‘Wolverine’ has accrued $352.4 million worldwide, clocking in as the #138th grossing film of all time worldwide, placing ‘Wolverine’ just ahead of ‘The World Is Not Enough’ and ‘Ocean’s Twelve’.

In other Wolverine News…
–Bleeding Cool: Phil Jimenez Next ‘Astonishing X-Men’ Artist (details)
–CBR: X-Position with Craig Kyle & Chris Yost (details)
–Newsarama: Hero Initiative Update with Jim McLauchlin (details | Wolverine 100 | thread)
–IGN: Dark Wolverine #75 Preview (details)
–Marvel: Dark X-Men – Deadly Genesis (details)
–IGN: Dark X-Men – Exodus and Confession Revealed (details)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 6/17/09…
–Cable #15 (preview): Messiah War, Part 6…
–Fantastic Force #3 (preview): Dark Phoenix!
–Marvel Adventures the Avengers #37 (preview): Guest starring the All Winner’s Squad…
–Wolverine: Origins #37 (details): Romulus, Part 1…

Wolverine appeared in FOUR TITLES this past week (June 10, 2009) and once again, our very own jrpbsp writes up a series of extensive recaps and reviews…

• Wolverine #74
• Uncanny X-Men #511
• Uncanny X-Men: First Class Giant-Size Special #1
• X-Men Forever #1

I usually share my curmudgeonly impressions for the rest of the Wolverine docket at this point, but the only remaining comic this week, Amazing Spider-Man #597 (preview), is a Dark Wolverine appearance. So let me simply add that the two-part “A Mile in My Moccasins”  by Jason Aaron in Wolverine #73 and #74 is the high point of the month for me. Simply a wonderful take on Wolverine’s countless appearances with a poignancy that ‘Wolverine: Origins’ could sorely use.

TV Update: Friday night featured a brand new ‘Wolverine and the X-Men’ episode, “eXcessive Force”, dealing with Mr. Sinister (episode details)…

Comic Strip Update: Wolverine continues his guest starring role in the ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ comic strip. We pick up with Monday’s appearance in the Houston Chronicle, though the storyline started June 1st…

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…

The ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ box office update is up first.

‘Wolverine’ pushed its domestic gross to $174.3 million over the weekend and positioned itself as the #130th domestic grossing film of all time, slashing past ‘Home Alone 2’, ‘National Treasure’ and ‘Apollo 13’.

With international box office added in, ‘Wolverine’ has accrued $350.7 million worldwide, clocking in as the #140th grossing film of all time worldwide, placing ‘Wolverine’ just ahead of ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Seven’ and ‘Hannibal’.

In other Wolverine News news…
–Bleeding Cool: (as seen above) Wolverine Sneakers from Nike (details | thread)
–The Hero Initiative: ‘Wolverine 100’ Project to Help Comic Book Creators (details | thread)
–CBR: Larry Hama Talks Wolverine… and G.I. Joe (details)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 6/03/09…
–Uncanny X-Men #511 (preview): Wolverine confirmed…
–Uncanny X-Men: First Class Giant-Sized Special #1 (preview): Early New X-Men…
–Wolverine #74 (details): Jason Aaron/Daniel Way split finales…
–X-Men Forever #1 (details): Claremont returns…

Just when I think this week’s Wolverine Week-in-Review is ready, something new crops up…

The latest delay comes from the sudden need to change hosting companies and to finally establish the website on Wolverine Files.com, instead of my personal website of TypingMonkeys.com. For complete details, please see the most recent Wolverine Files Update (XXXVIII)…

So this week’s announcement concerning a slight change (or perhaps, more accurately, a clarification) in Wolverine Files’ policy is published much later in the weekend than I had intended. In any event, please note the following …

• Wolverine Files is a Wolverine site, first and foremost. So while I will cover Wolverine’s son, Daken, for the time being, I no longer feel obliged to detail Daken’s cameo appearances, such as the single panel appearance in ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #596. It’s hard enough tracking down every Wolverine appearance, so if others want to add those appearances in the comments below, please feel free.
• I’ve mentioned my fervent belief in the past that Wolverine is in too many books, such as the FIFTY-ONE APPEARANCES over a recent six-week span. So while I will continue to chronicle Wolverine’s countless cover appearances and single panel flashback cameos, I, for one, will no longer be buying them. I know this doesn’t impact the site or you, but I simply will not financially support these gratuitous appearances anymore. So, again, if I have miss anything, please note my omissions in the comments below.

Movie Update: With ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ petering out at the box office, I will be running updates on Monday nights when the weekend tallies have become official.

TV Update: Friday night featured a brand new and intriguing ‘Wolverine and the X-Men’ episode, “Past Discretion”, dealing with Wolverine’s past (episode details)…

Comic Strip Update: Wolverine guest stars in the ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ comic strip. And you can read them all at the Houston Chronicle, Wolverine’s appearance starting June 1st…

As for comics this past week (June 3, 2009), Wolverine appeared in only FOUR TITLES.

Jrpbsp wrote up an extensive recap and review for ‘Wolverine: Revolver’ #1, and as usual, I will give my curmudgeonly impressions for the rest of the Wolverine docket…

Ultimatum #4 (preview | thread)
“A Time to Die”
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: David Finch

This series has been a disaster (in more ways than one)  from the word go.  And this issue is no exception.

Since I don’t read ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ or ‘Ultimate Fantastic Four’, I have no idea what is going on as the story has suddenly jumped from previous issue’s finale without explanation.

Further, the relationship between Wolverine and Kitty Pryde seems to be tied more to the 616 universe instead of the Ultimate universe.

Only one issue to go, and I hope, frankly, that Wolverine does not survive so I won’t be forced to continue enduring this universe…

Dark Avengers #5 (preview | thread)
Writer: Brian Michael David Bendis
Art: Mike Deodato

While I have thoroughly enjoyed this Dark Reign storyline, you know you’re in trouble when the writer takes to Twitter to defend his handling of Norman Osborn and the press.

So it would seem that I am not the only one not buying the Norman Osborn manipulating the media.

Norman Osborn is the Green Goblin. If you wanted to finesse this properly, then Marvel should have used the events of One More Day/Brand New Day to wipe everyone’s memories of Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin as well.

Seems like a rather appropriate turn of events when dealing with the devil…

Astonishing Tales #5 (details | thread)
“Lowtown Showdown”
Writer: C.B. Cebulski
Artist: Kenneth Rocafort

Were I not a Wolverine completist, this is one of the titles I would be dropping…

UPDATE: I should mention that Wolverine does not appear in ‘Dark Avengers’ #5 and that while Daken does appear, it’s not a substantial appearance…

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…

As you may have noticed, the Wolverine Files website was down for much of Saturday.

Unfortunately, this has become an all-too-frequent occurrence.

When I launched Wolverine Files on a whim back in 2005, it was as part of my personal website, TypingMonkeys.com.

Not sure who to use as my provider, I chose ValueWeb.

Big mistake.

For some reason, their SQL databases are horrendously slow and prone to crashing for hours at a time.

Well, I finally purchased WolverineFiles.com through GoDaddy earlier in the year when we launched the forums.

But it was last night when I snapped and moved the entire website (save for a few older pages) from TypingMonkeys.com (and ValueWeb) to WolverineFiles.com (and GoDaddy).

One hopes, the transition will be seamless as I used 301 redirects to map the old site to the new.

But if you happen to notice a broken link or something screwy, please don’t hesitate to contact me at dig@wolverinefiles.com, leave a comment below or in this forum thread.

DiG…

Before we get to the comic strip news, let’s start with a movie update.

‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ pushed its domestic gross to $170.8 million over the weekend and positioning itself as the #138th domestic grossing film of all time, slashing past ‘A Beautiful Mind’, ‘A Quantum Solace’ and ‘Chicago’.

Up next? ‘Tarzan’ and ‘The Matrix’.

With international box office added in, ‘Wolverine’ has accrued $341.1 million worldwide, clocking in as the #151st grossing film of all time worldwide, placing ‘Wolverine’ just ahead of ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’, ‘Wanted’ and ‘Batman Forever’.

And now on with the regularly scheduled Wolverine comic strip news…
–Newsarama: Wolverine to Appear in ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ Comic Strip (details)
–Marvel: The First Wolverine Appearance in ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ Comic Strip (details)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 6/03/09…
–Dark Avengers #5 (preview): With Dark Wolverine…
–Ultimatum #4 (preview): Oft-delayed Ultimatum limps on…
–Wolverine: Revolver (details): Another Wolverine one-shot…