Wolverine #73

So...Wolverine #72 never came out right? And now I hear it all ends in Giant Size Old Man Logan, was that always the plan?

Oh, and are the Kuberts out of their DC contract? 2 Years goes by fast... 

Yeah, no.  I'm not buying an issue that's half 'Wolverine Origins,' I made that mistake when it crossed over with XMen Legacy.

So is this just filler while McNiven works on the rest of Old Man Logan? Or is that story going to be continued elsewhere?

Elsewhere. Giant Size Old Man Logan #1. Dark Wolverine starts at #75. Which then I am dropping. Makes me said, I had a nice run of Wolverine going. 

Wow F this, I was excited for wolvy to come out this week, but this is bs. Not only is it not Old Man Logan, but its a split issue, no thanks.

smh. Anyone else read the press release thingy Marvel put out a few weeks ago, instructing retailers to promote this issue heavily in order to catch people who had "just" seen the Wolverine movie? The press release acted like Marvel did all of this scheduling (pushing back #72 in order to make way for 73 sooner) so that retailers could have the "part 1" of something to sell to all the new readers who were wanting to jump aboard. So many problems with that logic it isn't funny.

Could be worse, though. Marvel could have slapped this with a 3.99.

Darn it, I don't want this. I want the end of the last arc. Now I have to buy it because it's on the pull list at my store. Should NOT have released these out of order.

Damn you and your marketing Marvel! Damn you!

what happened to 72????????

Is there a way to un-pull a book on this site? It's minor, but I pulled this thinking it was Old Man Logan. Blah.

What the deuce!?

I'll pick this issue up cuz of Jason Aaron.

Why isnt this just a one-shot or annual? Marvel does a fucking ton of Wolverine one-shots and this couldnt be like a two for one deal?

Seriously this is just plain stupid. Replacing #72 with #73 doesnt make a lick of sense. Maybe if McNiven for once in his life could be fast with his pencils; none of this would've happened. Hell take out one of his two, three month delays between issues....Old Man Logan would've been done months ago. Shame on Marvel for this.

@Andrew if you go to "Your Comics" you can remove it from there. That's what I did when I realized it wasn't Old Man Logan.

I can't recall a series ever skipping an actual number in its publication.  Anyone else know of this happening before?  I've seen plenty of fill-ins, and reprints, but never just holding the actual issue number back.  And if the Old Man Logan arc is finishing in a Giant Size anyway then why skip the issue number?  Very strange.

Will read the Aaron story in the store, that is all.

@tnc i think 72 will come out and than the giant size old man logan

@ rwpos: They can make the Giant Sized issue a Number 1 like they did with Astonishing X-Men Giant Size and then it won't mess up the numbering in Wolverine proper.

They did all of this so issue 75 would line up with the renaming of the title to "Dark Wolverine". How messed up is that? "Let's screw up like five things, but on the plus side we'll can make the 75th issue more of an 'occaison' or whatever." 1-They screwed up the order of the releases, 73 before 72. 2-They made it so OML would conclude outside of the "Wolverine" series. 3-They chopped up two different stories so they could stretch them out over 73 and 74, when they could have put out two one-shots. 4-Tell retailers that this was done in the interest of getting movie fans, when even comic fans can barely follow this convoluted mess. (Be sure to tell all the new readers not to buy the next issue of Wolverine after 73, because that will be issue 72; issue 74, which concludes the stories from the "jumping on point" of 73, will come out directly after issue 72. And then at issue 75 the series is getting renamed anyway--so what are all the new readers supposed to do then?) 5-This is unrelated, but just so you know, the OML hardcover just got pushed back from August to November. Enjoy waiting till mid-September or so for Giant Sized Old Man Logan #1. 6-But hey! "Dark Wolverine", everybody! Doesn't it mean so much more that it'll happen at issue 75??!!!!!

On the bright side, I've really been coming around on Old Man Logan. I still think it's the most overhyped thing since Obama (though not as hyped as Snakes On A Plane was), but I am starting to enjoy it more. I found all the back issues I missed, for cover price. It's a fun story. And issue 72 has a hell of a cover. I wish I could see that cover in real life sometime soon.

@flapjaxx: Other then saying its overhyped you pretty much put all the words in my mouth

What is Dark Wolverine supposed to be? Who is writing it?

In all seriousness, this is clearly an example of how an artist can screw a title up. Again if McNiven was just faster at getting issues out; this would never have become a problem. Dark Wolverine, cant believe I am defending anything Dark Reign related, would've been out sooner if not for this.

How many titles/events must McNiven ruin before he realizes he needs to change his work method?

relax everyone, you don't have to buy this if you don't want to and there was always going to be a massive wait until the next Old Man Logan issue.

the only possible problem i could see with this is a truncation of the actual ending of Old Man Logan. If there is noticable weirdness with the conclusion i may shit my pants because i'm so disappointed, angry and annoyed

I'll skip this and happily wait for McNiven's painstaking detail on OML.

@JesseG: it will be Daken's book in 75:

I don't care about the shipping order and don't mind waiting a few more weeks for OML.  Millar and McNiven are giving me a hell of a story.  After they wrap it up though, I'm dropping this title.

@flapjaxx - If I had to list the three things that were the most hyped up in recent years, and then subsequently delivered on said hype, they would be Old Man Logan, Barack Obama, and Snakes on a Plane, not necessarily in that order. Things that didn't deliver on the hype? Ghost Rider movie, Final Crisis, and Watchmen movie. Oh, and Killzone 2.

Anyway, I thought Wolverine: Weapon X was meant to snag people who just saw the movie. It's a moot point anyway since so many people saw the digital bootleg a month ago. And Daken being the star of the book? Why don't they just rename Wolverine: Origins to Dark Wolverine? Daniel Way is already writing it, and it's already heavy on the Daken. This is a serious mess, and I really would have liked to have been there for the conversation that decided on this mix-up being the answer.

I guess I'll be dropping Wolverine after issue 74 (cuz Aaron and Kubert sounds too good to pass up, but I probably won't even read the other story), keep reading Weapon X, and get the rest of my Wolvie fix in the half dozen other books that he frequents?

Anyone know what's happening to Origins? Not that I care, I haven't read it since around issue 10, I'm just curious...

Aaah! Where's the unpull button.  Unpull!  UNPULL!

I call for a boycott of this book on general principle.  I even love Jason Aaron but I can't support this level of stupidity. 

I personally could give 2 s#@t's if McNiven's awesome Old man Logan delays some retarded Daniel Way wolverine story about stupid Dakon.

Yes the number and everything is out of order and I'd rather pay for 1 issue of Jason Aaron writing than 2 half issues of Jason Aaron plus more retarded D Way writing but that's an editorial decision and should not be blamed on the creators.

If marvel signs to have a comic done by McNiven they should know full well that it won't come out on a regular schedule and should plan accordingly. You'd think they woulda learned after civil war.

Now to decide if a half issue of jason aaron+adam kubert is worth 2.99 cause i know the other half that's done by Way isn't gonna be worth a D@!n

Wait. What? Marvel are releasing #73 before #72? Why? To fill the massive gaping void of Wolverine titles on the racks due to Old Man Logan's delay ... or to keep the cash rollin' in thier mutant-cash-cow? Hmmmmmmmm, I wonder what the answer is ...

Pulled this before I realized it wasn't Old Man Logan. I won't be buying this. Unpulled!

@rwpos Spawn did the same thing back around issue 20 - but if I remember correctly, they skipped two issue numbers, and then released the issues some time after. It was part of a plan to get the book's solicitations back on track.

Bottom line...this just is wrong!!

These two issues aren't for us, they're for people who are seeing the movie. Yes, it's an inconvenience, but it's also smart marketing, and it will help the company fund other projects that you do enjoy. Cry about it if you want, but it's the right move for them to make.

@rwpos

Spawn #21 came out before #19 and #20 way back in the mid 90's. I don't even remember then why they did it. Something to do with Diamond or the Batman crossover. I really don't remember anymore, but it has happened.  

My biggest complaint is not the numbering mix up, or even the half story bullsh*t, it's that the main Wolvie title is going to be starring Daken and keeping the same numbering. That's just stupid. Seriously, wasn't Wolvie: Weapon X supposed to hook in the moviegoers?

If they had released issue 73 ahead of 72, and 73 was Jason Aaron and Ron Garney doing the same story from Wolverine: Weapon X #1, I'd be fine with that. That would make sense. Rename Origins to Dark Wolverine and (assuming Origins is getting canceled) you'd have the same amount of Wolvie titles, and much less confusion.

Is that so tough?

As someone who doesn't read this book, I think most of you seem to be freaking out a bit much. 

Is it odd how the numbering is going, for sure. But whenever a major book gets delayed, a lot of comic stores miss out on a book that month, like Batman RIP or what happened to a couple books because of Civil War. This at least gives them something.  

jason aaron/ kubert story.  that will make everything ok.  just wish it was in one whole issue and not split between two.

I know it seems odd, but this makes total sense from a business standpoint. They're keeping the shelves saturated with Wolverine content since the movie is out and trying to make sure that the numbering isn't screwed up on Old Man Logan. It has one more Wolverine issue and a Giant Size special, which is how it was originally solicited to end in, so whoever was complaining about it ending "outside" of the wolverine series, you should have been bitching a long time ago. It's no different than ending Whedon's Astonishing X-men run with the Giant Size #1. The only people this should really be pissing off are the people who are hardcore collectors who just seal everything away in mylar bags and don't even read them.

@Anson- If they were looking at it from a business standpoint wouldn't it have been smart for Mcnivien to get most of the issues drawn before releasing the first issue. That way they could have released one of their better books on time, thus selling more books. They know Mcnivien is slow, so why rush him, why not wait till he has most of the issues under his belt. They could have made both Aaron and Way's stories one shots. Fans of the movie aren't going to be happy if they pick up this comic which makes them believe that comics are 11 page stories that don't have much content. This isn't a good business decision this is an example of sloppiness on Marvel's part. They knew when the movie Wolverine was coming out, they should have planned ahead.

FreeBozo & Nate - thanks for the Spawn knowledge!  I'm intrigued that a publisher would opt to skip numbers, since that sort of defeats the idea of sequencing - if the only purpose of the numbering is to identify a story arc, then publishing mini-series rather than an ongoing periodical makes more sense.  When the Last Son storyline was delayed in Action Comics, and the Kryptonite story delayed in Superman Confidential, and the Heinberg Wonder Woman fell of the tracks, DC just moved on and published the conclusion of those story arcs in specials or later issue numbers and I didn't get confused by any of those.  Also, Marvel has been publishing Wolverine specials on a nearly monthly basis, and have had several Wolverine minis as well, so people saying this is a business decision to keep a Wolverine title on the shelves isn't genuine.  This is such a trivial thing that it doesn't upset me, but it just seems stupid.  I give Marvel editorial very low marks for managing the Wolverine comic brand; keeping Origins and Weapon X as the Wolverine titles, and turning Wolverine into the non-Wolverine title - what the hell are these idiots doing?

I guess Marvel editorial isnt as genius as we thought it was

Old Man Logan should have been a mini series from the beginning.

It is the perfect story arc for such a thing.

Weapon X is the comic to jump on after you see the movie . . . which seems silly cuz I doubt that people were rushing to the comic shop after seeing Wolverine. So that whole marketing strategy seems pointless to speculate on and bitch about. Until I see a huge spike in comic sales that shows a positive relationship between comic movie and comic book, I won't believe that the movies affect sales.

Marvel does something right. They sell more comics than anyone else. Let's keep that in mind.

The only Wolverine comics I've ever bought is Old Man Logan. Now, I'm buying this issue.

That's another thing they did right.

I buying this issue because of the creative juice behind it.  Jason Aaron, Adam Kubert, and Tommy Lee Edwards.  Who wouldn't pass that up?

As for numbering, it's not really that big of a deal to me.  In a few months, the trade/HC will come out and we'll all forget about it.  Besides, one could make the same argument for when new volumes of characters are started (i.e. I remember buying Wolverine #75 in the 90's...in one of the previous volumes) or when something starts with a #1 then goes to previous numbering (like Thor).  In the end, it's no biggie because we only remember the storylines, not the specific issues.  

i am not pulling this, i'll get it in trade maybe. i just don't like to be screwed around by marvel and i'm not falling for it this time. I love Jason Aaron but his work on wolverine in the manifest destiny has seemed stale so this is unpulled as of today

This was in my pull bin....and I secretly put it back on the shelf.

Adam Kubert on Wolverine again?  I'm all over this like white on rice!

The Jason Aaron story is great.  Way, not so much.  But hey, Tommie Lee Edwards' art is nice.

Really? I was reading the first story and thought it had to be Way's. Then I get to the end of it and it was Aaron's and I felt that the comic was doomed.

Way's story kicked ass all over Aaron's.

This issue was suprisingly good.  And Way's story was definitely better than Aaron's-- which shocked the heck out of me. 

I'd actually really recommend this issue to any Wolverine fans out there.  

wow this issue was great

overall i take these issues over Millar's overwritting and Mcniven's lateness anytime.

Aaron's story was pretty clever and funny while Way's was a little more standard but the art made up for it. Overall, good stuff. I don't think I would mind reading a more light hearted book done up from Jason Aaron, instead of the usual grim and gritty stuff that's been attached to his name.

I read it in store, the first story was tongue in cheek fun commenting on Logan being everywhere, the second story made me not bother buying it.

i cant believe im saying this, but the i think i liked the daniel way story better than the jason aaron story.  maybe it's just because it had a plot and reminded me of the show the sons of anarchy, but i liked it.  and the art was good too.  this was a surprisingly good issue all around, despite being split in two

Kinda amusing to me that Adam Kubert is filling in or whatever is going on with this weird mess for McNiven since I remember way back when when AK was super late with his stuff as well (one of which was Wolverine) because he was so awesomely detailed.

@TNC - Ditto.  Owner hands books, buyer casually and without suspicion makes his way down to the "W" section, buyer places comic back on shelf.

Enjoyed Aaron's story much more than Ways but I like Edward's art much more than Kubert. If only they could switch artists.

Aaron's story - 5 stars

Way's story - 3 stars

Average rating - 4 stars

Aaron's Story was interesting, and decent enough, but not as good as Aaron usually is like with Ghost Rider and Scalped, but Way's story literally put me to sleep with how boring and poorly written it was. And, at least to me, Edward's art was not very enjoyable to look at. There's not a very good chance for me to buy the next issue to complete this. If anything, these stories should have be a free comic book day thing or something like that. Not worth the money. I was already planning to drop the comic when the "Dark Wolverine" story started, unless it had a good writer, but now that I see that Way is going to be writing it, that already sealed to dropping of this book. Way's decent enough with Deadpool, though that's starting to get kind of meh, but besides that there's not much he writes that I'm that interested in. Oh well, OML was a fun ride while it lasted.