Wolverine and the X-Men: Final Crisis DVD review
Wolverine and the X-Men Final Crisis DVD
The final three episodes of the first season of “Wolverine and the X-Men” come to DVD in the “Final Crisis Trilogy.” With tons of characters packed in, and the culmination of the 26-episode season, this may not be the prime jumping-on point for this series. But “Wolverine and the X-Men” ends with an action-filled epic.
Emma Frost, a telepathic mutant who can encase herself in diamond skin, helps the inner circle of the Hellfire Club, a group of mutant telepaths, to capture Jean Grey. The club has designs on using Jean’s Phoenix powers
Magneto, meanwhile, has taken control of the government’s Sentinel program, initially designed to hunt mutants, and plans to use it to attack Genosha, sparking a mutant-human war. Jean is the only one with the power to stop these sentinels, and without Jean, the dystopian future that Professor Xavier has warned the X-Men about will come to pass.
Wolverine receives a warning from the future saying he should trust — but whom he should trust doesn’t come through.
The writers have taken influence from the “X-Men” films and story lines such as “Days of Future Past” and Grant Morrison’s “New X-Men” to create the most mature look at the X-Men in an animated series. While the show focuses on the Wolverine character, the conceit of his leadership of the X-Men — something that would seem to go against his loner status — is explained well. Steve Blum provides quality vocal work as Wolverine; closer to Clint Eastwood than Hugh Jackman but appropriately flinty.
The show’s creators provide commentary on the three included episodes. “Wolverine and the X-Men” comes to a well-plotted finale. But since this final DVD set includes only three episodes, it may not be a cost-effective way to enjoy the program.
— By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Hugh Jackman: Nerdage’s #15 actor
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
He’s hosted the Oscars and the Tony Awards, and even won a Tony Award for “The Boy from Oz.” But I imagine the reason that Hugh Jackman is #15 on Nerdage’s list of actors with geek appeal has to do with Wolverine, the six-clawed Canadian member of the X-Men played by Jackman in four films.
Jackman played Wolverine for the fourth time in last year’s “Wolverine: Origins” and even exhorted fans to check out Free Comic Book Day at their local comic-book stores in a promotional video. A sequel to “Wolverine: Origins,” reportedly based on the Chris Claremont-Frank Miller miniseries, is in development.
- Matt Price
Singer may return to X-Men
Empire Online reports that Bryan Singer has met with Fox about possibly returning to the X-Men franchise.
“I’m still looking to possibly returning to the X-Men franchise. I’ve been talking to Fox about it,” said Singer. “I love Hugh Jackman. I love the cast.”
That indicates that Singer may be more likely to return to an “X-Men 4″ with the original film X-Men versus taking the helm of a reboot or an “X-Men First Class” set in the early days of Xavier’s school.
Click past the cut to vote on whether you think Singer should return to the X-Men.
Hugh Jackman talks to Katie Couric about Wolverine
Katie Couric talked with “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” star Hugh Jackman about the possibility of more “Wolverine” films. Jackman indicates, as he has in the past, that the next film will likely be based on the Chris Claremont-Frank Miller “Wolverine” miniseries. Katie Couric gives the impression that she wouldn’t be able to tell a comic book from a phone book.
See the entire interview after the break.
NewsOK Comics Podcast: Die Hard Year One 1, Spider-Man Clone Saga 1, Superman 692 and Wolverine Weapon X 5
Die Hard goes back to the 1970s in “Year One,” while Spider-Man revisits the 1990s in “Clone Saga.” The Guardian stars in Superman 692, and Wolverine Weapon X closes out its first story arc. Kyle Roberts and Matt Price discuss this week’s comics in the NewsOK Comics Podcast.
NewsOK Comics Podcast: Supergirl 44, X-Men Legacy 227, Wolverine Weapon X 4 and Archie 600
Kyle Roberts and Matt Price discuss how you can’t always judge a comic book by its cover, as they review Supergirl 44, X-Men Legacy 227, Wolverine Weapon X 4 and Archie 600.
Hero Initiative book featuring Wolverine set for November
The Hero Initiative officially has announced the Wolverine 100 project, which will feature 100 original covers of Marvel Comics’ most famous mutant. The Hero Initiative is a charity that helps comic-book creators in medical or financial need.
Marvel Comics has donated 100 blank-covered cardstock copies of the Wolverine: Weapon X #1 to Hero. Artists including Neal Adams, J. Scott Campbell, Frank Cho, Gene Colan, Ron Garney, Dale Keown, Adam Kubert, Leinil Yu, and John Romita Sr. and Jr. will create a cover for the issue.
“Marvel fully supports the Hero Initiative and its mission, and is proud to offer one of our premier characters in Wolverine to help their efforts,” said Marvel Publisher Dan Buckley in a release. “The amazing outpouring of support and creativity we see from the artists in this is a wonder to behold as well.”
All 100 original Wolverine covers will be published in a book set for release in November. A public viewing of all covers will also be held.
“Fasten your seat belts. From what I’ve seen, this is the craziest 100 project to date,” said Hero Initiative Board member Brian Pulido in a release. “The artists are very good at what they do and what they do is very awesome! They are pulling out all stops to deliver the goods on Marvel’s marauding mutant. You won’t be disappointed.”
Marvel is also hosting an informational video on the Hero Initiative, which you can see here.
- Matt Price
Writer Chris Yost dissects Wolverine’s busy animated life
Wolverine’s not going to be out of the limelight anytime soon.
Hugh Jackman announced at the recent Teen Choice Awards that work has begun on a second “Wolverine” film, to be set in Japan.
Meanwhile, Wolverine is also very busy in animation. The second DVD of the animated series “Wolverine and the X-Men” arrived in stores last month, and selected episodes are available to watch online at Marvel.com or to download from iTunes. The series airs on Nicktoons.
An anime version of Wolverine is in development to air in Japan and the U.S. Also on the way is “Super Hero Squad,” which will co-star Wolverine, scheduled to air on the Cartoon Network.
“The great thing about Wolverine is that he can be in ‘Super Hero Squad’ and be for young kids, and he can be in ‘Wolverine and the X-Men’ and be like in the middle range, and then he can be in (the direct-to-DVD PG-13 animated film) ‘Hulk Vs. Wolverine,’” said Chris Yost, a writer for “Wolverine and the X-Men.”
“You immediately think, ‘This guy’s got knives on his hands; he’s really inappropriate for children.’ But you know, children respond to it. Children love Wolverine, and there’s a good reason for that. He’s a hero. There’s more to him than just violence.”
In “Wolverine and the X-Men,” Wolverine must take charge of the X-Men after an attack on the X-Mansion scatters the team. “With ‘Wolverine and the X-Men,’ we had an opportunity to show you the X-Men’s world as we know it,” Yost said in an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego. “We know the mansion, we know the Danger Room. … And then immediately the show’s turned on its head by the events of the first episode.”
The attack on the mansion in the first episode is what resets the world from the X-Men we know into a world that shares similarities with the “Days of Future Past” story line from the comic books.
“Everything blows up, and everything is different,” Yost said. “Wolverine’s now in charge, and Scott’s all brooding, and Jean (Grey) and Xavier are gone. It was a very conscious decision to show normal, and then get into what the show is going to be.”
“Wolverine and the X-Men” follows a long, epic journey in Wolverine’s attempts to reunite the team as they deal with mutant prejudice and the threat of Magneto.
“I believe there are things you can do in animation, like with ‘Wolverine and the X-Men,’ the scope and the epic scale of that story, you’re never going to see that in a movie, ever,” he said.
Yost also co-wrote the “Hulk Vs. Wolverine” script with Craig Kyle, and writes the character in the monthly “X-Force” comic book, also with Kyle. Yost said he considers himself lucky to have been able to chronicle Wolverine’s adventures in various media.
“With the DVDs, with the comics, it’s being able to show different sides of this character,” Yost said. “At the end of the day, he’s always a hero.”
- by Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
DVD review: Wolverine and the X-Men vol. 2: Deadly Enemies
Five more episodes of the “Wolverine and the X-Men” cartoon series come to DVD with “Deadly Enemies.” Logan still is attempting to re-form the X-Men after an attack left Professor Xavier in a coma.
Fortunately for Wolverine, Xavier now can communicate with him from the future. Xavier’s future gives Wolverine hints to events he must stop with his X-Men crew.
In “Overflow,” the Shadow King takes over the mind of Storm, and the X-Men must prevent the destruction of Africa by the powerful mutant. Cajun mutant Gambit makes his first appearance in “Thieves’ Gambit,” in which he’s hired by an anti-mutant group to steal a power-inhibiting device. And the blue, elfin mutant Nightcrawler comes to the forefront in the swashbuckling episode “X-Calibre,” which pays tribute to comic-book writer Warren Ellis’ take on the character. Bruce Banner and his alter ego guest-star in “Wolverine vs. The Hulk.” Finally, the team must work together to stop a dangerous, exploding mutant in “Time Bomb,” an episode that again brings the X-Men into conflict with the Brotherhood of Mutants.
“Wolverine and the X-Men” pays homage to classic X-Men tales like “Days of Future Past” while making a cartoon modern audiences also can enjoy.
- Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
NewsOK Comics Podcast: Wolverine 74, X-Men Forever 1, Toy Story 1, Unwritten 2
Kyle Roberts and Matt Price discuss Wolverine 74, X-Men Forever 1, Toy Story 1 and Unwritten 2 in this week’s comics podcast.
