Wolverine Back Issue Talk, Part Six: Am I Supposed to Be Impressed?
Okay, I’m really hoping to finish Wolverine Back Issue Talk this week, since next week I’m going to start on covering the 2024 comic industry predictions you made a year ago. Which reminds me, get your predictions in for this year soon, before too much of this year slips by!
So, on to this new batch of Wolvie issues…just click on the “Wolverine” category link to see more, since I’ve been too lazy to create a tag just for these Back Issue Talk posts.
Note: since this is wrapping up this week, I’m skipping a few here and there (like those post-adamantium-removal stories right after #75), most of which are solid sellers, more so than some of the other issues in the run. “Two Claw” rankers, using my system here. If I miss any you think are notable, feel free to say so in the comments!
First up is Wolverine #88 from 1994, cover by Adam Kubert:
Chris V in the comments beat me to it, but yes, I was definitely going to mention this issue in regards to its early Deadpool appearance.
This had a sudden bump in demand, going from “forgotten filler back issue of Wolverine to Hot Commodity in very short order. Yes, I’ve had copies of these relatively recently. And yes, they just fly out the door. I forget now what I had ’em priced at…probably closer to $50 than $100, using Chris V’s price range, but given how fast they sell maybe I should start nudging those numbers slightly upward.
Anyway, using the trademarked/patented/copyright-ened Three Claws system for Wolverine Back Issue Hotness, I’ll give this the mighty Three Claws rank. Always in high demand. always sells. At least as long as Deadpool is a hot character and/or supplies of this issue remain relatively difficult to come by.
Now here’s an interesting one…Wolverine #90 (1995) with a wraparound cover by Adam Kubert and the Hildebrandt Brothers:
This was the last issue of the series prior to it being replaced in the schedule for four months by the Age of Apocalypse alternate-timeline event mini-series Weapon X.
The wraparound cover is obviously a big selling point, as is the Wolverine/Sabretooth battle. Of particular note is the cliffhanger ending, where the story leaves off with Wolverine apparently springing one of his claws through Sabretooth’s head. And, like I said, this story was interrupted for a few months, feeding into fan curiosity and demand, leaving folks wondering just what the repercussions of this battle were going to be.
Now, thirty years later, that several month gap is no longer a factor, as anyone interested can just pick up the following issues out of the bins, no waiting, no fuss, no muss. Regardless, this issue remains in high demand, and likely will for the foreseeable future. Another Three Claw-er, sez me.
The final issue for today is issue #100 from 1996, with art by that Adam Kubert guy again, with inks by John Dell:
Yes, it came in a couple of flavors, with that hologram cover above, and sans hologram below:
It’s one of those extra-sized Big Round Number anniversary comics, always a plus in back issue demand, and the large splashy hologram certainly helps it move. The cover lacking the hologram also sells well, so lacking the cover gimmick doesn’t hurt its potential.
This is a status-quo-changing story, featuring Apocalypse (another popular X-Men villain) mucking about with Wolvie, resulting in him becoming a more savage and bestial creature for the next few issues, so as the beginning of sorts of a new storyline, that probably helped fan interest, too. Nowadays, though, it’s the double-whammy of being issue #100 and sometimes having the hologram that pushes sales. And sell it does…I’m calling this another Three-Claw Classic.
So, like I said, I do want to wrap this up this week, so next time I might cover a few more issues in the main Wolverine series proper, then touch on some other Wolverine-adjacent comics that always sell, or used to at any rate. Yes, I’ll probably mention those Hulk issues.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and I’ll see you folks on Wednesday.
We can talk about “wraparound covers” and “cliffhangers” all we want, but we all know Wolverine #90 is a hot seller because of the Sabretooth nip-slip. Comic collectors can’t get enough!
Along with Incredible Hulk 425, Wolverine 100 is one of my least favorite enhanced covers. The holograms on both don’t show up clearly. They both look like shiny blobs. I’m surprised to hear that Wolverine 100 still sells. The story inside isn’t all that great, either.
When I watch videos or read about which back issues sell, it’s usually “key” issues (1st appearances, major events, etc.) or comics with attractive covers . Wolverine 90 is a good example of the latter, and makes me wonder if (non-variant) covers make a difference in current comic book sales. As hard as it would be to objectively define a “good cover,” I’d like to see if a really nice regular cover resulted in a bump in sales.
Wolverine #90: wraparound 90’s saliva
“First up is Wolverine #88 from 1994, cover by Adam Kubert”
Doing his best Jae Lee impression!
“Wolverine #90”
…that’s just gross…
“#100 from 1996”
Reg. cover looks better! But the Holo probably looks better in person than on screen.