I will run the ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ box office update tonight when the weekend totals become official and instead lead off with the new ‘Wolverine and the X-Men’ episode from Friday, “Greetings from Genosha (episode details)…

As for comics this week (May 28, 2009), Wolverine appeared in TWELVE TITLES, putting him in FIFTY-ONE COMICS over the past six weeks, not including variant covers. Holy cow!

And many, many thanks to the herculean efforts of Jrpbsp who have wrote up extensive recaps and reviews for…

• Wolverine #72
• Wolverine: Origins #36
• Wolverine: First Class #15
• X-Force #15
• Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #6
• X-Men Legacy #224

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

Runaways #10 (preview | thread)
“Mollifest Destiny”
Writer: Chris Yost
Artist: Sara Pichelli

If you liked the first 12 issues of ‘Wolverine: First Class’, then you will get a kick out of Wolverine’s interactions with little Miss Molly.

Funny, clever and ultimately poignant.

If only all Wolverine appearances were this much fun…

New Avengers #53 (preview | thread)
Writer: Brian Michael David Bendis
Pencils: Billy Tan
Inkers: Matt Banning

Sorcery takes center stage once again, but Wolverine does get his moments, as seen in the preview…

Amazing Spider-Man #595 (preview | thread)
“American Son, Part 1”
Writer: Joe Kelly
Penciler: Phil Jimenez
Inker: Andy Lanning

Interesting two-page cameo (the first half can be seen in the preview) for Wolverine. Again, if only all Wolverine appearances could be this relevant and appropriate.

But I still don’t get the power that Norman Osborn wields. Methinks if O.J. Simpson killed Osama Bin Laden, he might not be put in charge of the FBI by the President.

But that’s just me…

Avengers/Invaders #11 (preview | thread)
“Royal Allies”
Plot: Alex Ross & Jim Krueger
Script: Jim Krueger
Pencils: Steve Sadowski & Patrick Berkenkotter

Wolverine actually gets a few lines this issue, but I for one can’t wait for this series to be over…

Marvel Apes: Grunt Line #1 (preview)
“This Man… This Monkey”
Writer: Karl Kesel
Penciler: Reilly Brown and Joe Suitor
Inker: Wong & Paris and Joe Suitor

Intriguing Wolverine cameo in the final panel of the first story.

Worth a look at your local comic book store…

X-Men Future History – The Messiah War Sourcebook (details)
Writers: Jess Harold, Dugan Trodglen & Jeph York

Wolverine cameos on the cover and is featured inside as part of Scott Summers’ dissertation on X-Force.

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…

‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ pulled in $7.8 million this weekend, bringing its domestic gross to $165.2 million and positioning it as the #147th domestic grossing film of all time, slashing past ‘Hannibal’, ‘Batman Returns’, ‘A Bug’s Life’ and ‘Die Another Day’.

Up next? ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’.

With international box office added in, ‘Wolverine’ has accrued $310.2 million worldwide, clocking in as the #181st grossing film of all time worldwide, placing ‘Wolverine’ just ahead of ‘Ransom’, ‘Runaway Bride’, ‘Chicago’ and ‘Liar Liar’.

And now on with the regularly scheduled Wolverine news…
–CBR Comic Book Legends Revealed: All Wolverine, All the Time (details)
–Marvel: Daniel Way and Marjorie Liu on ‘Dark Wolverine’ #75 (details)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 5/28/09…
–Amazing Spider-Man #595 (preview): Wolverine guest stars…
–Avengers/Invaders #11 (preview): Penultimate issue…
–New Avengers #53 (preview): Cool Wolverine moment in the preview…
–Runaways #10 (preview): Wolverine teams up with Molly Hayes…
–Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #6 (preview): At long last, the final issue…
–Wolverine #72 (details): ‘Old Man Logan’ returns…
–Wolverine: First Class #15 (preview): Thor guest stars…
–Wolverine: Origins #36 (preview): Weapon XI continues…
–X-Force #15 (preview): Messiah War, Part 5…

We begin the week-in-review with the Friday box office update (I’ll catch up with the rest of the weekend totals on Tuesday) that pushes the ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ domestic total to $157.4 million. That makes ‘Wolverine’ the #160th domestic grossing film of all time, slashing past ‘X-Men’, ‘The Mummy’, and ‘Fantastic Four’.

Up next? ‘The Longest Yard’, ‘The Firm’ and ‘The Sting’.

The overseas box office has also been updated, upping the worldwide total to $302.4 million. That positions ‘Wolverine’ as the #188th grossing film of all time worldwide, just ahead of ‘Rocky IV’, ‘Superman’ and ‘X-Men.

‘Wolverine and the X-Men’ returned this week with a new episode, “Future X’, and Marvel.com has all the details…

As for comics this week (May 20, 2009), Wolverine appeared in ELEVEN TITLES.

That puts Wolverine in THIRTY-NINE COMICS over the past five weeks, not including variant covers — way too many if you ask me.

Many thanks to Jrpbsp and Brian Knippenberg who have written up extensive recaps and reviews for…

• Wolverine: Weapon X #2
• Uncanny X-Men #510
• X-Men Forever Alpha
• Fantastic Force #2

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

Wolverine Noir #2 (details | thread)
“Alley Cats”
Writer: Stuart Moore
Artist: C.P. Smith

I am not a fan of the Noir series Marvel has been putting out and this one is no exception. Sure the visuals are impressive, but the story is overly murky and confusing for no reason other than to be noir…

Timestorm 2009/2099 #2 (preview | thread)
Writer: Brian Reed
Pencilers: Eric Battle & R.B. Silva
Inkers: Andrew Hennessy & Vicente Cifuentes

Wolverine gets to battle an army of Hulks from 2099. As Wolverine notes, “How come my futures always stink?” Good line and a pretty good issue especially if you enjoyed the 2099 universe way back when…

Captain America #50 (preview)
“Days Gone By”
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Luke Ross
Inks: Rick Magyar & Luke Ross

Wolverine has a terrific cameo is this wonderful run by Ed Brubaker. I can can only dream what ‘Wolverine: Origins’ would have been like in Brubaker’s deft hands…

Agents of Atlas #5 (preview | thread)
“Taking the Fall”
Writer: Jeff Parker
Penciler: Carlo Pagulayan
Inker: Jason Paz

SPECIAL DIG PLOT SUMMARY: Agents of Atlas pretend to be villains to hoodwink Norman Osborn, incurring the wrath of the New Avengers.

A fairly weak premise. That is until the robot M-11 realizes that Wolverine is the same secret agent they met back in 1958 and burns all the flesh off of his arm.

Skull Kill Krew #2 (preview | thread)
“Apocalypse Cow”
Writer: Adam Felber
Penciler: Mark Robinson and Rob DiSalvo
Inker: Mark Robinson and Mike Getty

I have no idea why the hell this comic is being published (I know, I know. Grant Morrison/Mark Millar miniseries back in 1995 based on humans eating Skrull-burgers from the Skrull cows of Fantastic Four #2. Blah, blah, blah).

Regardless, someone claiming to be Wolverine appears wearing little more than a kinky rodeo harness, claiming to be undercover in a reverse rodeo (don’t ask and I won’t tell) to catch some non-cow Skrulls.

Sigh.

If this is a real Wolverine appearance, then Marvel has officially jumped the shark, or in this case, the cow.

Planet Skaar Prologue #1 (preview)
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Dan Panosian

Wolverine cameos in only one panel. For Wolverine completists only.

Marvel Adventures the Avengers #36 (preview)
“Which Wish”
Writer: Paul Tobin
Artist: Jacopo Camagni

An especially weak outing involving a Hulk-hating genie who is freed by Tigra.

A shame as the last issue was actually pretty good.

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 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…

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…