Wolverine Back Issue Talk, Part Eight: Okay, Grownups. It’s Beer O’Clock.
Okay, finally wrapping up what was going to be a two-part series with part eight, because if it’s one thing your pal Mike knows how to do, it’s run off at the mouth keyboard.
First, let’s go back to the comment that inspired this Final Chapter, from Mike Loughlin:
“…I’m curious if the painted Mark Texiera covers on the first Sabretooth mini drive back issue sales. Ditto the BWS or Sam Kieth Marvel Comics Presents covers.”
Well, well, well, Sabretooth:
…the series I kept buying out of collections until I realized its sales heyday was a couple of decades back and nobody is looking for it anymore, at least in these parts. I mean, they sell occasionally, but my clientele just isn’t Sabretooth-crazy (judging by my sales on the most recent issue).
I will sau, at least the die-cut gimmick on this cover is less obnoxious than the one on Wolverine #50. Using the ol’ “Three Claws” ranking system, as seen in the New York Times and as used by movie reviewers across the nation, I’ll give this Sabretooth mini One Claw…not a big seller, mostly forgotten by God and man.
As for Marvel Comics Presents, the long-running anthology title…well, Sam Kieth covers definitely moved the books during that period when he was a “hot” artist. My particular favorites are the front and back covers for #100 from 1992:
Don’t worry, folks, Wolverine is going to be okay, thanks to his adamantium-laced bones and his mutant healing factor!
Now, I still do get demand for both 1) Marvel Comics Presents issues, and 2) Sam Kieth art, but oddly not specifically Marvel Comics Presents covers by Sam Kieth. Which is a little weird. That said, they do still sell…much more slowly than they used to, and not for much, but folks seem happy when they spot them. One Claw, bordering on Two, for this ranking.
Now as for the Barry Windsor-Smith issues:
…which reveals a heretofore unseen chapter in Wolverine’s history, is always in demand, and I suspect always will be, so long as Wolverine remains a popular character amongst you funnybook fans. Even folks just poking through the back issue bins and come across these covers, knowing nothing of the story within, are compelled to buy these. The cover I posted above is one that’s particularly popular.
They are not as in-demand as they were when we were closer in time to their release, but they remain consistent sellers. I’d give this the coveted Three Claw ranking.
There are a couple other oddball things, like Iron Fist #15 from 1977, cover art by Dave Cockrum:
…featuring Wolverine in Sabretooth’s costume, you’ll notice. This issue (and the issue previous, with Sabretooth’s first appearance) are in huge demand, and probably will continue to be. Three Claws it is!
And here’s this sorta awkward Wolverine cover from Daredevil #196 (1983) by Klaus Janson:
Used to be quite the hot ticket, but, I don’t know, maybe local demand’s been saturated? They don’t sell like they used to. May a Two Claw ranking?
And just because they need to be noted, the very definition of Three Claw rankers in my ridiculous scale that I used in all these posts and will likely never use again…Wolverine’s first full-length appearance in 1974’s Incredible Hulk #181:
…with brief appearances in both #180 and #182. Art on the cover by Wolverine’s creators Herb Trimpe and John Romita Sr., written by the other creator of Wolverine, Len Wein, inside.
Then from 1988, one of the most iconic Wolverine images of all time, from Incredible Hulk #340, art by Todd McFarlane:
I mean, just look at that pic. Clearly McFarlane peaked with this and never did anything else of note.
And, that’s that for Wolverine Back Issue Talk. Look, I know I left out a whole bunch of stuff…there are a couple of prime covers on Uncanny X-Men I probably could have noted, but right now there’s enormous demand for any Uncanny X-Men pre-multiple reboots. Pointing out a Wolverine-centric issue or cover from that series as a “good seller” doesn’t really make any sense when they’re all good sellers right now.
So anyway, philfromgermany, I hope that answers your question.
Next week, I’m starting in on your 2024 comic industry predictions, and I’ll see how we all did! Plus, get in those predictions for 2025…we’re almost halfway through January, what’cha waitin’ for?
Wasn’t that the costume Wolverine co-opted from his fight with Fang of the Imperial Guard? It does look a bit Sabretooth-ey I guess.
Once you see how Janson placed the claws on the DD cover you can never unsee it
I did a senior high school presentation in English class about excessive violence in comics and movies that used that last comic as a centrepiece, esp the image of the eviscerated Hulk.
Thanks for this great insight. I might have gone about selling my #100s the wrong way, since these sat around the old ebay for a while. So that one was the most surprising of the bunch. Have to keep an eye out for that Iron Fist!
Thanks for answering my questions, Mike! I’m glad the BWS covers still sell, as the story and art within justifies the purchase. Well, the first 8 pages, at least…
Actually, I liked most of the back-up strips in MCP 72-85 when they were published. The Paul Gulacy art on the Shanna story was pristine. There’s a fun Sgt. Fury/ Dracula team-up. John Byrne drew a unique Sunspot story set in Brazil. Brian Stelfreeze’s 1st Marvel work, a grey Hulk & Selene story, is really cool-looking. There’s minor-league gold in them hills.
That’s definitely Fang’s costume on the Iron Fist cover. If I recall correctly, someone on Uncanny at the time (Cockrum? Claremont?) wanted it to be Wolverine’s permanent costume, but they lost interest or were overruled or something. Anyway, the point is that the period where Wolverine wore that costume was very short-lived. I can see why having him in it on the cover might have sold well, at least for a time.
As much as I take issue with the Image founders’ work — some more than others, I guess — I have to admit that Todd McFarlane was a real innovator. He shook up most books he took over, at least at Marvel. And that Incredible Hulk cover can’t be beat. (Even if the claws’ dimensions don’t make much sense.)
@Thom H. – I’m pretty sure that Byrne overruled Cockrum. The first issue after the M’Krann (sp) story, Byrne had him back in the yellow and blue and then, in Days of Future Past, but him in the brown one.
@Hal: That makes a lot of sense. It’s a very Cockrum costume, and definitely not a very Byrne one.
I have a vague memory that it was first on a LSH proposal Cockrum did (the famous one that gave us Nightcrawler and Storm’s costume [on a cat lady]). And then I think he was thinking of it as a new costume for Timber Wolf. And finally ended up on Fang/Wolverine.
I have to say that I think Timber Wolf’s classic ’70s costume –which I think Cockrum also designed–is better than Fang’s costume. Also, Timber Wolf’s ’70s hair style seems like the prototype for Logan’s hair style, only not as bushy …but I guess Eddie Munster’s hair style was the prototype for both T.W. and Wolvie…either that or else Wally Wood’s Ani-man from Witzend…
“mostly forgotten by God and man.”.
Much like the Starland Vocal Band.
“Marvel Comics Presents, the long-running anthology title…well, Sam Kieth”
I think that era was MASSIVELY overprinted, I used to see issues from that part of the run rather cheap. And I mean little piles of them!
“1974’s Incredible Hulk #181”
Honestly, give that a FOUR claw ranking!
“Incredible Hulk #340, art by Todd McFarlane”.
Cool, yes, iconic, yes. But i will ALWAYS maintain that is the WRONG way to draw his claws. They’re CLAWS, not 3 mini-samurai swords! They’d RIP out of his wrist/hand, gushing blood everywhere if they were that size.
Oh, what about the Captain America Annual w/Wolvie in it, cover & art by Mike Zeck?
“Once you see how Janson placed the claws on the DD cover you can never unsee it”
I think he drew the fist properly, but it doesn’t look like it at first, because Wolvie’s thumb is colored a lighter color than the rest of the hand. Still a little awkward, though.
” The Paul Gulacy art on the Shanna story was pristine.”
OH YEAH!! His specialty is, apparently, drawing hot women.
Yes, the Captain America Annual #8 has always been a collectible issue. As someone who never bought Cap comics until the 2010s, the Annual was hard to find and too expensive for what I like to spend on a book I consider a non-primary comic series in my collection. The price keeps getting inflated too; I thought $20 was too much to spend on a Cap comic from that period, but it looks like the book is priced over $100 in nice condition now. I did eventually find a water damaged copy for a buck though.
The Zeck cover is iconic, but there are also elements pertaining to the origin of adamantium which have probably kept the issue so over-priced outside of just the excellent cover. Although, it is a pretty badly written comic, so maybe it was the Zeck cover.
$100? Whoa!
I think it’s a pretty cool story, if also a bit silly.
“origin of adamantium”
Probably helps, part of the mythology.
“The Zeck cover is iconic”.
Oh yeah!
Zeck had a run on CAP around the same time as the annual (I think it was a little before? Or was it after? Hm.)
Those are a LOt more affordable, if anyone wants to see more great Zeck artwork, and JM Demattis’ writing was very good, too, esp, towards the end of the run, w/the battle against the Red SKull.