Wolverine: By The Numbers

August 28, 2013 by X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

The Wolverine Teaser One-SheetIt’s been a little over a month since The Wolverine hit theaters, how is it stacking up to X-Men: Origins: Wolverine? A movie which left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths and seriously endangered The Wolverine’s chances to do anything but flop.

(all prices in US dollars and courtesy of Box Office Mojo)

X-Men: Origins: Wolverine 

  • Production Budget: $150m
  • Domestic Total Gross: $180m
  • Foreign Total Gross: $193m
  • Total Gross: $373m
  • Opening Weekend: $85m
  • Opening Theater Count: 4,099 theaters
  • Drop off after opening weekend: 67.2%
  • Total Run: 22 weeks

The Wolverine (so far)

  • Production Budget: $120m
  • Domestic Total Gross: $125m
  • Foreign Total Gross: $226m
  • Total Gross: $351m
  • Opening Weekend: $53m
  • Opening Theater Count: 3,924 theaters
  • Drop off after opening weekend: 59.9%
  • Run So Far: 5 weeks

So, while The Wolverine is not a runaway success as some recent superhero movies, it’s not doing too bad. It opened softer than Origins, likely because of buyer wariness. But it retained a higher percent of ticket sales in the second weekend. For comparison, Avengers had a 50.3% drop off in its second week, Iron Man 3 was 58.4%.

Internationally, Wolverine has already surpassed Origins which means that in only 5 weeks the film is only $22m short of making more money than Origins, and on a budget that was 30m less. I can’t be positive, but I think they can call this a win. Maybe not a Gold Medal win, but hey, Bronze Medal is still a medal.

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Review: Morbius #6

August 28, 2013 by X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

Morbius #6So… what happened, did the author change? Nope. Did the line up? Nope. This title just completely changed directions from a third-person introspective of the rise of an anti-hero to some kind of typical pseudo-espionage ‘gotta do the thing’ story.

While both story lines are valid in regards to reading comics, the sudden shift is a bit vertigo inducing. What about the whole ‘revolution’ thing he just did, and those people who are depending on him now? It just… I dunno… it’s an awkward transition but there is still the end game with The Rose.  I just hope the title settles down and doesn’t do another quick-change again.

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Review: Fearless Defenders #7

August 27, 2013 by X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

Fearless Defenders #7For a story based around Norse Mythology… it’s showing clear signs of Greek influence. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you.

Val, knowing that she has to do something to correct this grievous error, goes to Valhalla to pull Annabelle from ‘paradise’. But it’s not that simple, she has to get Clea to help, thus adding the sorceress to the ranks of the Fearless. The addition of Clea really does make this a rather diverse team, powers wise, and it’s always good to see her back in the pages.

As for Annabelle, props to her, she’s not happy in Valhalla, it’s not her thing, but she’s accepting of her fate. She knew going in she might die, even before approaching Rage, and especially after she decided to do so. She wanted out but she wasn’t going to let Val get into trouble cause of it. Though body-sharing? She didn’t exactly sign up for that… so this should be rather interesting.

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Review: Deadpool #12

August 26, 2013 by X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

Deadpool #12Only Deadpool would offer the devil hot sauce while he’s eating a heart.

This issue wraps up the Vetis arc and explains why shooting Michael was the right thing to do. That’s the thing with Deadpool, he’s totally unpredictable but there is a method to his madness and gets results. If anything, his shear lack of giving two rats for his own well-being kinda ensures it. Though, he is very protective of kids, sometimes that can get him into trouble too.

As for his blank mental landscape, considering the known history of Deadpool, he’s a textbook case of someone who needs repressed memories just to be able to function. Posehn keeps scratching at that surface while throwing Deadpool around like a meat puppet, let’s hope that he pays off on this soon so it doesn’t get left as just another lost plot thread as we’ve seen a few zillion times in comics.

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Review: X-Men Legacy #13

August 26, 2013 by X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

X-Men Legacy #13I heart Pete Wisdom. He just doesn’t give two flying you know whats.

So when David comes to London-town on his preemptive mission, Peter gets a little preemptive on his own. Tracking David down he tells him to shove off. Then when David tries to mentally manipulate him, Pete figures it out and is more put out. One thing you don’t want on your hands is a very annoyed and grumpy Brit. This is fact. Though somehow I suspect he didn’t do nearly as much damage as that last panel would have us to believe.

It was actually a pretty fun issue, what with a who’s who of British mutants popping in for cameos. Kinda annoyed though that Psylocke and Pixie couldn’t break David’s mind control like Pete, but then Pete has been through Avalon and back so who knows… not to mention he is a very grumpy Brit.

I guess the big question is if David is going to end up going through with his plan… and just what the heck Aqiria has to do with everything… because you know… it’s important cause of course it is.

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Review: A+X #9

August 25, 2013 by X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

A+X #9Cap, Wolvie, and Quire… they seriously just keep repeating the same characters and then throwing in a new one for good measure. It’s really annoying since Marvel has a bazillion to choose from.

In any case, what is Cap and Wolvie up to? Snipping at each other while fighting off big animals/bugs, then giving a quick after-school lesson special. Other than a few nice wise-cracks at Logan’s expense, meh.

Then it’s on to Quire being Quire, which, okay, is always worth a grin. Leave it to him to try to bed Pixie into a bikini. It’s nice though to see Eye-Boy, a new and minor character, get a little plot advancement in his general personal background. As for Doctor Strange, he’s just so casual about almost getting his soul sucked out… but then all in a day’s work for him.

Still, this series has a lot of potential and it only seems to live up to a third of it recently.

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Reblog: X-MEN-FANTASTIC FOUR Movie Crossover Is ‘Without Question’ Says Fox’s Marvel Man

August 25, 2013 by X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

Via Newsarama

Cover from Marvel mini-series X4
CREDIT: Marvel Comics

Fox just wrapped principle photography on 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past this past weekend. So while next up on the studio’s plate will be post-production work and gearing up production for 2015’s Fantastic Four reboot by Chronicle’s Josh Trank, if their Marvel movie consultant Mark Millar has his way, those two things could be very closely related.

In an excerpt from an upcoming longer interview in SFX #239, Millar tells that “without question” he thinks crossover between the X-Men and FF universes (ala the Marvel Cinematic Universe) is in Fox’s future.

“I think you have to see some of these guys showing up in each other’s movies,” he said. “I think the most exciting thing in superhero movies, until The Avengers came along, was when Nick Fury showed up in Iron Man. Even though it was a guy with an eye patch it was really cool – and I expect we will see more of that.”

Next year’s Days of Future Past post-credit scene might be the first opportunity Fox will have to co-opt Marvel Studios’ marketing roadmap, and given The Wolverine’s post-credit baton-passing to Days, staying to the very end of next summer’s X-Men epic would be advisable for FF fans.

And even though Millar has a sentimental attachment to Fox’s first FF movie, the writer was upfront in his assessment of the film and its director, Tim Story.

“These first two movies were not very good but I’m quite sentimental towards them,” Millar responded, asked by SFX what the new film will need to get right. “I took my youngest daughter to see the first one, she was only five when it came out, and she thought it was the best film ever made. At the end, when Johnny Storm says, ‘Flame on!’ for the first time, she thanked me for taking her to see it. So even though it was a crap movie that memory makes me sort-of like it in a strange way.”

“Sam Raimi gave us a great Spider-Man. Christopher Nolan gave us a great Batman. So a brilliant director is probably the most important thing for a great Fantastic Four,” continued Millar. “Tim Story was seen as an odd choice for Fantastic Four but when you have a Josh Trank you know you are in safe hands.”

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Review: Uncanny X-Men #8

August 25, 2013 by X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

Uncanny X-Men #8Mutants have always been seen as an analogue for various minorities around the world. Bendis makes full work of that in this issue.

First you have newly minted mutant David who is just figuring out his powers when the police come and treat him like he just murdered someone. Not to mention the woman who was previously thinking things were kinda cool, what with him controlling cars and whatnot, decides to immediately out him to save her own skin.

Then you have Fabio go home to get the typical denial and ‘you’ve been brainwashed’ reaction out of his parents who don’t want it to be true, complete with ‘we should have gone to church more’ comment.

It’s actually laid on a bit thick but the pacing being broken up by the Cuckoo’s comedic stylings and Scott and Magneto’s talk. Magneto is one of those characters that has been through it all, seen a lot of crap, so you want to listen to what he has to say, even if you don’t really agree with it, because he always has a good point. It’s nice to see that at least the two can be honest with each other, though his comment about his kids miff’s me a bit. Perhaps it’s because he’s always had a hard time being a father to them? They never needed him to be, they were strong enough on their own, and if anything Magneto needed them. Maybe he’s projecting onto Scott? Dunno, too early to tell at this point.

Lastly, the Cuckoo’s are hilarious, where they always this awesome or is this a Bendis thing?

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Review: All-New X-Men #14

August 24, 2013 by X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

All-New X-Men #14Young Bobby and Young Cyclops are cutie-pies. Mystique and Lady Mastermind are friggin’ awesome. That about sums it up.

There is actually a lot more going on in this issue. First off, Jean tried to use the persona of Dark Phoenix to stop the bad guys, but that only serves to give Wolvie a dose of PTSD and he nearly gutted Jean. It’s a pretty strong reaction from the feral guy and I almost don’t blame him, but still, she held it up for a few more seconds and he would have done it.

It looks like Lady Mastermind is back in prison again, which is a shame, I like how Bendis was writing her, she could have a lot of fun in another title, or least left out to be used elsewhere.

But it looks like the Mystique plot line is wrapped up for now, which means on to a filler issue before the next arch. With the whole ‘love is in the air’ teaser stuff, all I can do is groan.

p.s. I really liked the cover, I really wished they would have actually done something along those lines for the story though…

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Review: Wolverine & the X-Men #32

August 24, 2013 by X-Men: The (fan fic) Series

Wolverine and the X-Men #32If anyone was going to find a new/clever use for alcohol, it would be Wolverine.

It still kinda irks me that Quire and Idie left willingly and yet are being hunted down to be brought back, when the Avengers Academy kids were kidnapped and pretty much forgotten about. Oh well, such as it is in comics. And it gives a great reason for Lockheed to substatue teach, that’s totally awesome.

The real interesting fact here though is that the Siege Perilous rejected Quire. What does this mean? Will it really pay off? I hope so, cause Quire is just too fun/cool a character not to.

As for Paige and Mortimer, I’m really starting to hate Paige but I don’t think she’s herself, something is definitely wrong. I hope there is a good reason, like mind control or something, and not Aaron screwing up her character.

Man, I hope for a lot of things on this title, but in this case, I think it’s a good thing.

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