You may have noticed a new graphic on the left rail of the ‘Wolverine Files’ website.

Yup, we just won the Project Fanboy Award for Website Excellence for June!

And we will be one of the nominees for the Best Fansite of the Year award.

“Project Fanboy is host to the coveted Project Fanboy Awards. The Awards began as a monthly honor, bestowing fansites with the ‘Project Fanboy Award For Website Excellence’ but soon grew into accolades on a much broader scale.In May of 2008 the Project Fanboy Award was restructured and reslated as an annual event and now boast twenty-five different annual categories.

The Awards are nominated and voted on by fans spanning the globe and nominations in all categories are now being accepted. Nominations will end November 1st, followed by two months of voting with the winners announced on the 1st of January, 2009. ONLY THE TOP FIVE NOMINEES WILL BE VOTED ON IN EACH CATEGORY.

Click here to submit your nominations for the Project Fanboy Awards. All categories are not mandatory, but your nominations are important to us so please cast nominations in every category possible.”

Categories include:
1. Best Writer
2. Best Artist
3. Best Title
4. Best Indy Writer
5. Best Indy Artist
6. Best Indy Title
7. Best Comic Book to Movie Adaption
8. Best Comic Book to Movie Adaption: Actor
9. Best Comic Book to Movie Adaption: Actress
10. Best Character
11. Best Hero
12. Best Indy Villain
13. Best Indy Character
14. Best Indy Hero
15. Best Villain
16. Best Storyline
17. Best Publisher
18. Best Comic Book Related Novel
19. Best Graphic Novel
20. Best Black & White Title
21. Best Rookie Title
22. Best Comic Book News Source
23. Best Webcomic
24. Best Comic Book Website
25. Best Fansite

Sales over the past eight years of the ‘adjectiveless’ X-Men series have declined some 20%, but considering the collapse of other titles over the same period, these numbers are quite resilient, especially for the junior X-Men series in the Marvel universe.

And while there have been many jumps in sales since 2000, the letters on the chart above correspond to the most pronounced spikes:

– A: Issue 114 (sales of 135,394) featured the debut of Grant Morrison as series writer
– B: Issue 151 (sales of 124,012) was Grant Morrison’s final arc, the future of the X-Men with Marc Silvestri as artist
– C: Issue 188 (sales of 95,487) kicked off the Mike Carey/Chris Bachalo run
– D: Issue 200 (sales of 136,672) started the ‘Endangered Species’ backup series
– E: Issue 207 (sales of 104,793) concluded the ‘Messiah CompleX’ crossover event

Actual data comes from the monthly top 300 charts generated by ICv2.com.

Previous sales overview include
–New Avengers #1-41 Sales
–Ultimate X-Men #1-94 Sales Analysis
–Sales Overview for ‘Astonishing X-Men’ #1-24 (and Giant-Size)
–Sales Overview for ‘Wolverine’ Vol. 2, uh… Vol. 3?
–‘Wolverine: Origins’ Sales Freefall

Marvel Adventures The Avengers #26
Cover: Leonard Kirk

You can barely make him out, but Wolverine is standing in the corner of the dugout. That’s as close as he gets to the latest issue of ‘Marvel Adventures the Avengers’.

And we can all thank God for small favors as this story is especially dreadful, even by Marvel Adventures’ standards.

From Marvel (preview): “It’s the bottom of the ninth, the Avengers are down by two, two strikes down and bases loaded. The stakes for the Cosmic Pennant have never been higher. How will Galactus call this one? Okay… we admit. We have no idea what’s going on in this story. Kirk drew the cover, and now Parker has to come up with something. THAT’S GOOD COMICS!!!” On sale July 16, 2008.

Mighty Avengers #16
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Khoi Pham; Inks: Danny Miki

Presenting… How Elektra came to be a Skrull!

Starring… Wolverine-Skrull! He stretches! He says things like, “Finish her fast!” And he dies when you stick a sai in his eye!

Please make it stop.

‘Secret Invasion’ is a truly dreadful comic book event. The world has stopped for four months while Brian Michael David Thomas Bendis shares every single freakin’ detail about the Skrull Invasion.

TMI, Brian. TMI.

Wake me up when the invasion is over.

From Marvel (preview): “ELEKTRA IS A SKRULL!! Words that have echoed through Marvel Comics for the last two years. But how did this happen and for how long has this been true? THE ANSWER IS HERE! Hint! She went down swinging. Plus the answer to the biggest question in modern Avengers history…” On sale July 16, 2008.

X-Force (Vol. 2) #5
‘Angels & Demons, Part 5’
Writer: Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost
Artist: Clayton Clay

This issue makes a lot more sense if you read the voiceover separately from the rest of the issue. Not the cleanest of storytelling methods, but it is the only way I could make heads or tails of the story.

Wolverine, alas, is very much a passenger this month, both literally and figuratively. And this being a blog about Wolverine, you can probably see why this issue left me wanting. Wanting Wolverine to do something. Something other than riding shotgun. Like shooting a shotgun.

From Marvel (preview): “It began with one simple mission: Kill the Purifier leader Matthew Risman before he kills any more mutants. But everything went to hell…and now it gets worse. Wolfsbane’s decent continues. War rages between Risman and Bastion. The Choir rises. And if that weren’t enough… it’s X-FORCE VERSUS ARCHANGEL.” On sale July 16, 2008.

Brian Bendis followed up the hugely successful ‘Avengers: Disassembled’ storyline with the new series, ‘New Avengers’. Sales for the first issue topped 240,000, and while numbers did understandably decline, sales stayed well above 120,000 for 31 of its first 32 issues. And while sales have dropped to the 100,000 range recently, ‘New Avengers’ has achieved a most impressive run during its first 3 1/2 years.

The letters on the chart above correspond to spikes in sales as shown below (some increases significant, but most less so):

– A: Issue 5 (sales of 162,412) featured Wolverine joining the team and on the cover
– B: Issue 21 (sales of 134,278) was a Civil War crossover boasting ‘New Avengers: Disassembled’
– C: Issue 23 (sales of 154,262) was another big Civil War crossover featuring Spider-Woman
– D: Issue 27 (sales of 130,531) promoted the return of the New Avengers
– E: Issue 31 (sales of 160,911) teased the infamous “most important last page of the year,” unveiling the Skrull secret Invasion
– F: Issue 40 (sales of 110,470) started the ‘Secret Invasion’ crossover issues

Actual data comes from the monthly top 300 charts generated by ICv2.com.

Previous sales overview include
–‘Wolverine: Origins’ Sales Freefall
–Sales Overview for ‘Wolverine’ Vol. 2, uh… Vol. 3?
–Sales Overview for ‘Astonishing X-Men’ #1-24 (and Giant-Size)
–Ultimate X-Men #1-94 Sales Analysis

Secret Invasion #4
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler: Leinil Yu

You’d think with the number of ‘Secret Invasion’ titles Bendis is writing each month that this story would be progressing a little faster. But between the ponderous flashbacks and the heavy-handed attempts to create paranoia, this Invasion feels like it’s never going to end.

I’m also trying to reconcile how Black Widow can kill these next generation Skrull duplicates with just a handgun. I mean, if that is all it takes, then much of this ‘Secret Invasion’ could be stopped by the military because, you know, they have guns.

My customary rant aside, the best line of the whole issue comes courtesy of Wolverine. “Carrot sticks.” Heh.

And while I have your attention, let me confirm that Wolverine does NOT appear in ‘Ultimate Origins’ #2 (another back story-heavy tale by Brian Michael Thomas Bendis). Nor was Harry Truman Vice-President in 1942 for that matter.

From Marvel: “The world has turned upside down! The Skrulls have taken the Earth as part of their empire, the Avengers and Initiative are scattered…but there are two people who want some answers. One has a hammer and one has a shield.” On sale July 10, 2008.

Let me pull back the veil a little today since new comics won’t arrive until Thursday and I’ve already published sales analysis and Wolverine news earlier in the week.

You may have noticed that I’ve been making changes to the site recently — moving to a daily publishing schedule, increasing the size of the covers in posts, and the addition of new features like the aforementioned sales analysis.

I would also like to publicly thank frequent commenter ‘EmperorVamp’ who was kind enough to nominate ‘Wolverine Files’ for the Project Fanboy Awards (I’ll let you know when voting starts).

And finally, I want to acknowledge ‘Roleplay Adventures’ for recent kind words and comments…

You ever think of setting up an ‘Ask DiG’ section? I know myself that I would enjoy being able to come to you with questions on the X-Men. For example I came across a comic that I thought was very interesting.

The Marvel Database says the issue contains a ‘Wolverine’ who has become a ”pure rage with god-like fighting abilities.” Also there is suppose to be a story in their where “Logan is the last living man on the planet after a worldwide virus and a nuclear winter.”

I haven’t seen you comment on any of these stories or reference them. So since you have briefly mentioned non-canon story lines like ‘Wolverine: The End’ and ‘Marville,’ I’m really anxious to hear your opinion on it. Perhaps you can review old requests based on the demand?

Let me address this issue first. To quote the back cover, ‘X-Men: Millennial Visions’ (2000) “…is a trip through the next evolutionary phase of the X-Men. Over 24 of today’s hottest artists give us a look at what they believe the future holds for the followers of Xavier’s dream.” A follow up issue was done in 2001 with Alex Ross contributing. So while intriguing, all of these version of the X-Men were limited to a single pinup and a one-page pitch.

As for answering questions on a weekly basis, I would love to do that, but frankly I am short on time as it is since updating the chronology is really my top priority. Plus I am woefully behind on questions sent to me over the past two years!

That said, I will attempt to catch up on old questions over the next few months and once I am caught up, I will start fielding a fresh batch. Cool?

Hulk vs. Wolverine, direct-to-DVD, premieres at San Diego Comic Con on July 24th and available in stores January 2009.

Marvel states, “This dark, violent, smash and slash story was first told in issue 181 of THE INCREDIBLE HULK and the rematches have continued to thrill comic fans ever since. Now Marvel and Lionsgate takes the best of those famous comic book battles and merges them into one heart pounding 33-minute story.”

Want more details? Marvel continues…

ALBERTA, Canada. Over the past week, The INCREDIBLE HULK has been tearing a line across the Canadian wilderness, leaving a swathe of destruction in his wake. He has to be stopped, and there’s only one man up to the job.

He’s the best at what he does, but what he does isn’t very nice.

He’s WOLVERINE, an elite agent of Canada’s top secret Department H, and he’s been put on Hulk’s trail with a single objective: stop the Green Goliath… at all costs.

Hulk and Wolverine are about to enter the fiercest battle of their lives. And they have no idea that there are a few unpleasant surprises waiting for them on the other side.

And from earlier in the summer, Marvel announced, “WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN marks the return of Marvel’s most Uncanny mutant heroes to the small screen and in 2009 the first 26 episodes of this new saga will begin airing on NICKTOONS.”

Like ‘Hulk vs. Wolverine,” this series will be debuting at the San Diego Comic Con. Watch the first trailer here.

Following the huge success of ‘Ultimate Spider-Man,’ Marvel decided to ultimatize their mutants and launched ‘Ultimate X-Men’ in December of 2000. The first issue logged impressive sales of 116,017, but those numbers didn’t last, dropping down to the 90,000 range over the next 2 1/2 years.

The letters on the chart above correspond to spikes in sales as articulated below (some sales increases significant, but most less so):

– A: Issue 34 (sales of 110,753) began Brian Bendis’ Wolverine-Spider-Man crossover
– B: Issue 38 (sales of 117,729) featured Brian Bendis and Ultimate Phoenix
– C: Issue 50 (sales of 103,154) boasted Brian K. Vaughan and Ultimate Gambit
– D: Issue 61 (sales of 87,097) kicked Brian K. Vaughan’s final run
– E: Issue 75 (sales of 73,837) starred Ultimate Cable by Robert Kirkman
– F: Issue 87 (sales of 63,028) offered up the Ultimate Sentinels by Robert Kirkman

Actual data comes from the monthly top 300 charts generated by ICv2.com.

Previous sales overview include
–‘Wolverine: Origins’ Sales Freefall
–Sales Overview for ‘Wolverine’ Vol. 2, uh… Vol. 3?
–Sales Overview for ‘Astonishing X-Men’ #1-24 (and Giant-Size)