The X-Men cartoon, better known as X-Men: The Animated Series, has finally been released on DVD.

Debuting in 1992, X-Men brought a new generation of viewers to the X-Men universe, and deservedly so, as this is a pretty good show.

The series is deeply steeped in actual X-Men lore, from Days of Future Past (in this collection) to the Phoenix Saga (in the next), and does a terrific job touching even the remotest of storylines.

And Cal Dodd is tremendous as Wolverine, getting several classic lines per episode.

While you won’t find any DVD extras, you will find 16 episodes in the first box set for only $17.99 (at Amazon.com) which is a pretty good deal.

• Night of the Sentinels (Part 1)
• Night of the Sentinels (Part 2)
• Enter Magneto
• Deadly Reunions
• Captive Hearts
• Cold Vengeance
• Slave Island
• The Unstoppable Juggernaut
• The Cure
• Come The Apocalypse
• Days Of Future Past (Part 1)
• Days Of Future Past (Part 2)
• The Final Decision
• Till Death Do Us Part (Part 1)
• Till Death Do Us Part (Part 2)
• Whatever It Takes

The second collection is an even better deal with 17 episodes, again sans extras, for $17.99 (again at Amazon.com) including the stunning five-part Phoenix Saga.

• Red Dawn
• Repo Man
• X-Ternally Yours
• Time Fugitives (Part 1)
• Time Fugitives (Part 2)
• A Rogue’s Tale
• Beauty & The Beast
• Mojo Vision
• Reunion (Part 1)
• Reunion (Part 2)
• Out of the Past (Part 1)
• Out of the Past (Part 2)
• The Phoenix Saga (Part 1): Sacrifice
• The Phoenix Saga (Part 2): The Dark Shroud
• The Phoenix Saga (Part 3): Cry of the Banshee
• The Phoenix Saga (Part 4): The Starjammers
• The Phoenix Saga (Part 5): Child of Light

So if you’ve never seen this series, there is no better time to start watching, and if like most of us you loved it the first time, this is a great way to get reacquainted.

We are mere days away from the premiere of the first Wolverine movie and all the assorted hoopla surrounding the kickoff of the summer movie season.

That said, we kick off this week, as we did the past three weeks, with another awesome behind-the-scenes look at the ‘X-Men Origins: X-Men’ video game (see details | threads)…

For those of you planning on getting the game, Gamestop is offering the ‘Uncaged’ version of the game for XBox360 and PS3 with four extra rooms (Custom Combat Arena, Environmental Kill Room, Ladder Challenge Room and Dismemberment Room), available for preorder until May 1.

In Wolverine Movie News…
Lots of movie clips are cropping up across the Internet and we’re doing our best to keep up…
–X-Men Origins: Wolverine Clips/Trailers: SuperHeroHype | Facebook | Yahoo! (threads)
–WolverineFiles Forum: Charles Barkley, Wolverine Fan (details/thread)
–CharityBuzz: Two Prime Tickets for Wolverine Premiere (details)

In Wolverine Comic Book News…
–Marvel: Marvel Juggles Wolverine Schedule (details | thread)
–CBR: Putting Wolverine in Harms’ Way (details | thread)
–Mania: Chris Claremont Interview (details | thread)
–Marvel: ‘Wolverine: Hunger’ #1 As Exclusive Digicomic (details | thread)
–Marvel: Wolverine’s Best Costumes (details | thread)
–Marvel: Marvel Launches Wolverine Hub (details | thread)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 4/29/09…
–Avengers/Invaders #10 (preview): Will Wolverine get any lines this time?
–Dark Avengers #4 (preview): Daken vs. demons…
–Marvel Adventures the Avengers #35 (details): Wolverine appearance not yet confirmed…
–Marvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular #2 (details): Wolverine appears on the cover…
–Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #5 (preview): The penultimate chapter…
–Uncanny X-Men #509 (preview): No Wolverine in the preview..
–X-Men Origins: Wolverine #1 (preview): The X-Men Origins series continues…
–Wolverine Appreciation Month Covers (thread): Ms. Marvel #38 | Runaways #9
War Machine #5

Wolverine (and Dark Wolverine) appeared in ELEVEN FREAKIN’ TITLES this past week (April 22, 2009).

So to help with the workload, Brian Knippenberg and the man known only as jrpbsp (even to his family) have written up in-depth reviews for:

• Wolverine: Origins #35
• Astonishing X-Men #29
• X-Force #14
• Fantastic Force #1

As for the rest of the titles that they were too lazy to review, here are my non-in-depth thoughts…

Wolverine: First Class #14
(details | thread)
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Ronan Cliquet

Much like the previous issue, we are treated to a story more in line with ‘Marvel Team-Up’ starring Wolverine, Daredevil, Elektra and Kitty Pryde.

And the absurd demonic mask plot would feel more at home in ‘Jackie Chan Adventures’ than in First Class.

The art, too, is surprisingly pedestrian.

Just look at the first two panels of page two. Quick, which one is Wolverine and which one is Elektra? I honestly had to stare and compare the two to figure out who was who. Obviously, Elektra is in desperate need of a brow trimming.

Even Kitty Pryde, her friend Sarah, and Keli Saga look nearly identical.

Oh and the really cool cover? Has absolutely nothing to do with the issue.

Sigh…

Wolverine: The Anniversary #1
(preview | thread)
“The Anniversary”
Writer: William Harms
Artist: Jefte Palo

Wonderful art by Jefte Palo, but the story by William Harms is rather run-of-the-mill. Wolverine travels to Japan by commercial airliner only to discover hijackers preparing for a 9/11-style terrorist attack.  What follows is fairly predictable on the one hand and over-the-top on the other. I mean, does Wolverine really need to claw his way from the belly of the plane to the cockpit — on the OUTSIDE OF THE PLANE?!?

“Ghosts”
Writer: Jonathan Maberry
Artist: Tomm Coker

Very sweet story, very beautiful artwork.

And Logan kills a ton of ninjas.

It doesn’t get much better than this…

New Avengers #52
(preview | thread)
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Billy Tan, Matt Banning and Justin Ponsor & Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend and Antonia Fabela

Not much of a Wolverine issue, but entertaining regardless.

And the pages by Chris Bachalo simply rock…

Incredible Hercules #128
(details | thread)
Writers: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Pencils: Dietrich Smith
Inks: Terry Pallot

Having enjoyed the old Hercules miniseries from back in the 1980s and the writings of Fred Van Lente in the present, I was looking forward to this issue and the Daken appearance herein.

Suffice it to say that the humor really didn’t work for me and I’ll be happy if there are no more Wolverine appearance (Dark or not)  in this series any time soon…

Wolverine: Weapon X Files
(details | thread)
Head Writer/Coordinator: Jeff Christiansen

Another Wolverine handbook, but this time dedicated to many of the secondary characters to run through Wolverine’s past: Azrael; Daken; Deadpool; Kimora; Landau, Luckman & Lake; Maverick; Muramasa; Sabretooth; Seraph; Silver Fox; John Wraith; and Unceglia to name just a few.

There is no attempt to reveal anything new in the profiles or even to connect the dots but it is a useful guide if you are interested in Wolverine’s past and aren’t familiar with all of the names listed above.

That said, there is an interesting listing for John Howlett, Jr. (James Howlett’s older brother) that places the events of ‘Wolverine: The End’ firmly in the alternate universe of Earth 4011…

Marvels: Eye of the Camera #5 (preview) features a brief Wolverine cameo from Uncanny X-Men #200, while in X-Men: The Times and Life of Lucas Bishop #2 (preview), Wolverine’s image appears twice in generic flashbacks…

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…

Following on the heels of a slew of guest artists, Marc Silvestri finally came on board as the new artist of Uncanny X-Men with issue #220.

And with Uncanny X-Men #221, he delivered a stunning cover with Dan Green that literally blew Wolverine away…

Unfortunately, many Wolverine covers from the same year didn’t hold up quite as well…

Brett Blevins filled in as guest artist for Uncanny X-Men #219 and created a truly evil vision of X-Men, but the cover is more about Havok and the X-Men than Wolverine. Uncanny X-Men #222, on the other hand, is all Wolverine (and Sabretooth), but this cover by Marc Silvestri and Dan Green just doesn’t have the same pop as the classic cover of the previous issue…

Alan Davis and Paul Neary provided the cover for Uncanny X-Men Annual #11, but the issue is known more for Wolverine regenerating from a single drop of blood (really!) than for the cover. And while Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1 is a great read, the cover by Mark Bright and Al Williamson really doesn’t do the story justice…

Jon Bogdanove and Terry Austin did a terrific job on the Fantastic Four vs. the X-Men miniseries (yup, Marvel liked the versus books back in 1987), but the covers never effectively captured the tension of the series itself. And finally, Wolverine failed to receive that truly classic cover from the X-Men vs. the Avengers miniseries (I told you Marvel liked versus books) by Marc Silvestri and Josef Rubinstein…

Previous Classic Wolverine Cover: Uncanny X-Men #213 | Next: Alpha Flight #52

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

With countless possible appearances for Wolverine within the July 2009 solicitations, I am featuring only the ones most likely to feature Wolverine and Dark Wolverine (Daken).

To view all of Marvel’s July solicitations, see Marvel’s  full July solicitations (Newsarama). To discuss, check out the Wolverine Files Forum July solicitation thread…

NOTE: NO ‘WOLVERINE: WEAPON X’ IN JULY…

WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #38
Written by DANIEL WAY
Penciled by SCOT EATON
Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
“ROMULUS”
After years of searching, Logan finally knows where to find Romulus. But to get there, he must first get through…Omega Red! HE’S BACK! Part 2 (of 4)

NEW AVENGERS #55
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by STUART IMMONEN
Ultimate Spider-Man artist Stuart Immonen rejoins series regular Brian Bendis for this all-new blockbuster Avengers story. One of the Hood’s gang has found a way to power drain the New Avengers and it turns the tides of the Dark Reign in ways no one would have expected it. Plus the new Sorcerer Supreme has a lot to learn, and they’re going to learn it from…Spider-Man?

X-FORCE #17
Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST & CRAIG KYLE
Pencils & Cover by MIKE CHOI & SONIA OBACK
“NOT FORGOTTEN” Part 1 (of 4)
MESSIAH WAR AFTERMATH! When X-Force was pulled into the future, what was forgotten in the present? The Leper Queen’s murderous acts? The Sapien League’s attack on the United Nations using two of the X-Men’s students? Wolfsbane’s reunion with the Asgardian Wolf Prince? H.A.M.M.E.R.’s hunt for X-23? After three months, the wait is over. Find out who lives and dies as the MESSIAH WAR ONE-SHOT art team of Mike Choi and Sonia Oback returns to X-FORCE!

UNCANNY X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #1 (of 8)
Written by SCOTT GRAY
Pencils & Cover by ROGER CRUZ
The early days of the X-Men’s second generation are revealed in an all-new series starring Cyclops, Storm, Banshee, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Wolverine and Phoenix! Professor X invites the mysterious Inhumans into the X-Men’s home, but when Wolverine and Gorgon meet, the party turns ugly! Nightcrawler faces a crisis of faith and searches for an answer in the Inhuman city Attilan – but has he found his salvation or ultimate destruction? Don’t miss a culture clash that will rock both super-teams to their cores!

WOLVERINE: FIRST CLASS #17
Written by Peter David
Penciled by RONAN CLIQUET
Cover by CAMERON STEWART
“I’ll show ya who’s the real Cyclops!” Logan goes undercover as the mysterious “Patch” to visit an old enemy posing as a good guy…but the eye sees all…

ASTONISHING TALES #6
Written by C. B. CEBULSKI, DANIEL MERLIN GOODBREY, MATT YOCUM & JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by KENNETH ROCAFORT, LOU KANG, ADRIANA MELO, NICHOLAS PITARRA & JONATHAN HICKMAN
Cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
Marvel’s hit anthology series continues! Fur flies as WOLVERINE & PUNISHER duke it out with PREDATOR X and butt heads with the powerful women of Madripoor! IRON MAN 2020 clashes with those who would seek to steal the future – in space! Israeli super soldier SABRA prepares the heroes of tomorrow! And in MOJOWORLD, two goofy guys must make movies – or else!

MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #6 (of 6)
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Pencils & Cover by JAY ANACLETO
The grand finale! As the X-Men face a splashy televised death in Dallas, Phil Sheldon and his family have a quiet and unexpected late-night reunion. Will it be their last time together as a family? What will it mean for Phil’s legacy, and his book? This issue brings the second great story of Phil Sheldon and the Marvel Universe to an unforgettable conclusion.

TIMESTORM 2009/2099 #3 (of 4)
Written by BRIAN REED
Penciled by ERIC BATTLE
Cover by PIOTRE CIELINSKI
Will 2099 invade 2009? The fabric of time is dissolving, Spider-Man 2099 and Human Torch 2099 collide in the combat arena, and Hulks rampage across modern day Washington DC! New alliances are formed, old enemies reveal themselves, and the temporal tempest reaches critical mass!

See Dark Wolverine and Alternate Wolverine appearances after the jump…
Read more…

With the Wolverine movie less than two weeks away, the amount of Wolverine news is growing at a staggering rate. So don’t be surprised to see more frequent news updates to keep up with the increased stories.

That said, we kick off this week, as we did the past two weeks, with another behind-the-scenes look at the ‘X-Men Origins: X-Men’ video game (see details | threads)…

In Other Wolverine Video Game News…
–GameTrailers: ‘Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2’ Trailer (details | website | threads)
–MarvelKids: ‘Wolverine: MRD Escape’ Mini-Game (details | thread)

In Wolverine Movie News…
–WolverineFiles Forum: Got Milk, Wolverine-Style (details/thread)
-CBR: Hugh Jackman Loves FCBD (details | thread)
-IGN: Hugh Jackman Talks Wolverine — and Comic Books (details)
-MTV: ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ Character Profile Video (details | thread)
-USAToday: Exclusive ‘Wolverine’ Video (details | thread/EW cover)
-ComingSoon: ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ Extended Clip from Papa John’s (details | thread)
-IGN: Final ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ Poster (details)
-CBR: More ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ Stills (details)
-Marvel: ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ App on FaceBook (details)

In Wolverine Comic Book News…
–Marvel: Wolverine #72 Preview (details)
–Newsarama: Wolverine: Weapon X #2 — Djurdjevic Variant Cover (details | thread)
–CBR: Matt Fraction Talks ‘Uncanny X-Men’ (details | thread)
–Marvel: Wolverine World Tour (details | thread)
–Marvel: Wolverine vs. Omega Red (details)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 4/22/09…
–Astonishing X-Men #29 (preview): ‘Ghost Box’ picks up steam…
–Fantastic Force #1 (preview | threads): 500 years from now, it’s the Hooded Man…
–Incredible Hercules #128 (preview): Dark Wolverine vs. Hercules…
–Marvels: Eye of the Camera #5 (preview): Wolverine makes the cover at the very least…
–New Avengers #52 (preview): Chris Bachalo on pencils…
–Wolverine: The Anniversary #1 (preview | thread): Two stories centered around Mariko…
–Wolverine: First Class #14 (details): Peter David’s second issue…
–Wolverine: Origins #35 (preview): How long before they rename this ‘Daken: Origins’?
–Wolverine: Weapon X Files #1 (details | thread): Brand-new Wolverine handbook…
–X-Force #14 (preview): ‘Messiah War’, part three…
–Wolverine Appreciation Month Covers (thread): Amazing Spider-Man #592 | Daredevil #118
Ghost Rider #34 | Hulk #11 | Incredible Hercules #128 | Wolverine: First Class #14

Wolverine appeared in three titles this past week (April 15, 2009) and two more appearances that I missed from last week.

I also posted the awesomely detailed review of Uncanny X-Men #508 by Brian Knippenberg yesterday, so make sure to check it out and let Brian know what you think.

As for the rest of the titles …

Rampaging Wolverine #1
(preview | thread)

Evocative of the classic black and white Rampaging Hulk magazine from 1977 (I loved the Bloodstone backup stories), Rampaging Wolverine features four stories (one as an illustrated  text piece) by four different creative teams.

Two of the stories are top-notch, the others two not so much.

“Sense Memory”
Writer: Joshua Hale Fialkow
Art: Paco Diaz Luque

Here is my recap: Logan finds happiness. Happiness is violently torn from Logan. Many years later, Logan returns for his revenge.

Nothing wrong with it per se, but we’ve all read it a hundred times before.

“Unconfirmed Kill”
Writer: Chris Yost
Art: Mateus Santolouca

Terrific, terrific story. Chris Yost really knows how to spin a fun yarn.

“Kiss, Kiss”
Writer: Robin Furth
Illustrations: Nelson

I hate text pieces in comic books.

Ever since Alan Moore wrote those wonderful backup pieces in Watchmen, everyone thinks they can write a text piece for a comic book. The problem is, we buy comics to read comics, not text pieces. While reading a comic book, we are not wired to read a long hunk of text.

Put the same text in a regular book or magazine, and we will eat it up. Put it in a comic and we roll our eyes at the additional effort required of us.

Or was that too long of an explanation?

“Modern Primitive”
Writer/Artist: Ted McKeever

If you like Ted McKeever’s warped sense of humor like I do, you will get a kick out of this one.

So all in all, a good first issue, if you can get past the first story and the allergic reaction to extended hunks of text in a comic book…

Wolverine Noir #1
(preview | thread)
Writer: Stuart Moore
Artist: C.P. Smith

If the other online reviews are any indication, this hard-boiled version of Wolverine’s origin should have been slipped a mickey before it even hit the stands.

That said, the art by C.P. Smith is a treat, even if the characters look nothing like their 616 counterparts.

And two brief appearances from last week that I missed: a dead cameo in Exiles #1 and a monkey cameo (and a surprise final page) in Marvel Apes: the Amazing Spider-Monkey…

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…

Uncanny X-Men #213.

Wolverine vs. Sabretooth.

It doesn’t get much better than this.

Alan Davis and Paul Neary kicked 1987 off in stunning fashion with this wonderful study in savagery…

Inside Alan Davis filled in as guest artist with inker Paul Neary and provided a truly primal sequence when Chris Claremont was not quite as loquacious as he was in later years…

Wow.

Previous Classic Wolverine Cover: Uncanny X-Men #212 | Next: Uncanny X-Men #221

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

We kick off the week, as we did last week, with another behind-the-scenes look at the ‘X-Men Origins: X-Men’ video game (see details | threads)…

In Other Wolverine Video Game News…
–Newsarama: Three Hours with ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ the Game (details | threads)
–Marvel: New Video Game Images and Video (details | threads)

In Wolverine Movie News…
–IGN: New Stills from ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ (details | threads)
-ICv2: Over One Million Wolverine Downloads (details | threads)
-Adelaide Now: Hugh Jackman Heartbroken at Leak (details | threads)
-Newsarama: Friedman Fired over ‘Wolverine’ Review (details | threads)

In Wolverine Comic Book News…
–Newsarama: Wolverine: Weapon X’s Jason Aaron (Part I | Part II | IGN | threads)
–Marvel: Barry Lyga on ‘Wolverine: Worst Day Ever’ (details)
–CBR: Antony Johnston on Wolverine Manga (details | thread)

In Other Wolverine News…
–IGN: Wolverine Origins and Beginnings (details)
–Marvel: Wolverine Costumes (details)
–Marvel: Wolverine Psych Ward (details)
–Marvel: Wolverine’s Teams (details)

Probable (and Possible) Wolverine Appearances in stores on 4/15/09…
–Rampaging Hulk #1 (preview | thread):
–Wolverine Noir #1 (preview | thread): Meet Jim Logan, New York City private eye…
–Wolverine: Weapon X #1 (preview | threads): Wolverine in black & white…
–The Wolverine Files (details | thread): Alas, nothing to do with this website…
–Wolverine Appreciation Month Covers (thread): Moon Knight #29 | Uncanny X-Men #508
X-Men Legacy #223

Wolverine appeared in five titles this past week (April 8, 2009), the review of his  newest series, ‘Wolverine: Weapon X’ #1 was posted earlier in the week.

As for the rest of the titles…

Wolverine: Prodigal Son
(preview | threads)
Writer: Antony Johnston
Art: Wilson Tortosa

With apologies to Lloyd Bentsen, I know manga.

I’ve been reading manga for years.

Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Death Note.

My friends, this no manga.

Sure it looks like manga, but therein lies the problem.

It looks like manga, but it’s not actually manga.

It’s a simple (and understandable) attempt to cash in on the manga craze with, I kid you not, a British writer and a Filipino artist.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot of crappy manga out there. But without Wolverine’s name on the cover, this series would be D.O.A.

Frankly, even with Wolverine’s name on the cover, this series might be D.O.A.

And to be honest, that might not be such a bad thing.

Ultimate Wolverine vs. Ultimate Hulk #4
(preview | thread)
Writer: Damon Lindelof
Artist: Leinil Francis Yu

Perhaps this issue should have been called Ultimate She-Hulk vs. Nobody.

Traveling back in time to witness the birth of She-Hulk is an interesting concept that should make for an interesting next issue, but after waiting three years, it’s frustrating that the plot still hasn’t been advanced.

And the dialogue is more cutesy and self aware than clever and funny like the first two issues.

Perhaps after all this time waiting, the bloom is finally off the rose…

Timestorm 2009/2099
(preview | thread)
Writer: Brian Reed
Penciler: Eric Battle
Inker: Andrew Hennessy & Vicente Cifuentes

Wolverine only appears for the final few pages, but next issue promises some entertaining fireworks…

Wolverine: Worst Day Ever
Writer: Barry Lyga

Written as a series of blog posts by a young mutant teen whose mutant ability is not to be noticed, this story by Barry Lyga is surprisingly sweet and quite well done. Intended for a younger audience (it reprints three issues of the Wolverine/Power Pack miniseries), this is a wonderful change of pace if you can manage the $14.99 cover price.

Even this curmudgeon laughed at some of the Wolverine revelations within…

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…