Episode 119 - Wolverine

[conorkilpatrick]

The short, hairy, surly mutant with claws and a weird haircut is the one of the most popular and enduring characters Marvel has. With the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, iFanboy takes a look at the history of Logan, and what makes him such a favorite.

Click here for download info. (http://www.ifanboy.com/podcasts/video/iFanboy_-_Episode_119_-_Wolverine)

When Wolverine first showed up in the pages of Hulk #180 way back in 1974, no one could have known that Len Wein and Herb Trimpe had introduced the most enduring comic book character since Spider-Man. When he joined the X-Men, and Chris Claremont and Frank Miller proclaimed him "the best he is at what he does," he took off in popularity, and hasn't let up since. A favorite guest star as well as a series regular in more than a handful of monthly comics, people can't seem to get enough of Wolverine. Josh, Ron, and Conor take a good look at some of the better stories involving the mean runt from Canada like his first mini-series, and Weapon X.

Hugh Jackman's performance in the X-Men films was a standout, and he brought Wolverine to life in a way that fans fell in love with. On May 1, we'll see the premiere of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in theaters, as the movies attempt to delve into Wolverine's secret and hidden past. This episode will let you know everything you need to know about everyone's favorite mutant.

[gabeja]

Is wolverine logan any good?

[optimus187prime]

Is wolverine logan any good?

The Vaughan mini series? It was okay, a fun short read but nothing I would go out of my way to get unless you are a huge Wolvie fan.

[mrpopular]

Interesting about him being the Canadian Cap America.. Did not know that... I enjoy Wolverine in moderation. Old Man Logan seriously rocks, and w/ new Avengers at least he is in the background So it doesn't feel like over kill.. I'll be interested in how the movie is, word on the street isn't good, but i want to give it my own chance. But the knife threw the heard is the Deadpool weapon XI especially when Ryan Reynolds agrees that it isn't the "Real" Deadpol (http://www.superherohype.com/news/x-mennews.php)

[gobo]

Yeah I think Cap was "Weapon I" and Logan was "Weapon X (10)", at least according to one of the retcons. There were 8 in between (not all human, some animal testing was done) and at least 5 after.

[cammyknoxville]

I totally agree that Barry Windsor-Smith's Weapon X is all you need for his origin.

Now to prepare for 10 other Weapon X-esque titles.

[brandeezy]

Yeah I think Cap was "Weapon I" and Logan was "Weapon X (10)", at least according to one of the retcons. There were 8 in between (not all human, some animal testing was done) and at least 5 after.

I think the the whole Wolverine being the Canadian answer to Cap is unrelated to the Weapon Plus program. It's more like how Captain Britain is the English answer to Cap, etc.

That being said, I think the coolest thing they have done with the character is tie him to Cap, Luke Cage and all the various Weapon Plus creations and/or spin-offs in that they are all attempts to recreate the success of Cap.

[bizreal1015]

I hope i don't seem like an asshole but, I'm a big fan of wolverine origin. Then again, i read it a while ago. Well, still a kick ass character

[cormano]

I liked Origin as a stand alone story, it feels way too much like an Elseworlds type of deal to be his real, definitive origin, though.

[zombox]

My favorite Wolverine story to this day is one from way back in the day. It was one of my earliest Graphic Novels. It was called Bloody Choices. For its time (late 80's, very early 90's), considering its mainstream roots, it was a very adult story that was very dark. Maybe I shouldn't have been allowed to read that...

[optimus187prime]

Great, great episode. I wish you guys would of spent more time on actual stories, but I understand there is a time constraint.

[soidl]

Guys,
This was a great show to get an intro into the character but please do a follow up. You mentioned that there are 8 or 9 different comics with Logan in them but you did not go into the story lines (except for the Japanese/Chinese stuff). I used to read X-Men back in the mid to late 80's, any suggestions on what to pick up to get caught up with the Wolverine character now?
Thanks,
So Idle

[jaflanagan]

We mentioned 9 current series going on that feature Wolverine. We named them. Those are monthly books coming out now. We tend to talk about regular monthly books on our audio show, and we've talked about most of those series there.

Glad you liked it, but I wouldn't hold my breath for a second Wolverine show for a while.

[dierect-current]

This was a really informative podcast. Ron really knows his stuff. I let go of the X-men just after it became two books and didn't buy Wolverine after that either so I really lost track of the character. I followed X-men/wolverine right from giant size reboot up until that point. I have to agree with you that the Dark Phoenix saga hellfire club issue with wolvie in the bowels of the club was a turning point in the charaters development. From that moment he began to shape into the wolverine that we have today. It's a shame that his history has become so contrived and complicated. There appears to be no mystery to him any more, which is a shame because that was one facet that made him a great character. Now he's just every where which, unfortunatly, doesn't make me care anymore.

[the-mangaman]

hurm...

there's only one thing that could have made that podcast better... more time.

[sullivan85]

I think you should discuss Wolverine, if only briefly, in every other podcast you do from now on. That would match the character's coverage in the Marvel universe!