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Wolverine Limited Series

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What did you say about my mom, bub? SNIKT!

 

Several years ago (2003), when I was a college student, a little movie called X2: X-Men United reminded me that I was an X-Men fan. I used to watch the cartoons as a kid, I had some action figures and even a few Age of Apocalypse issues I bought of the stands, but I was a bigger fan of another hero and another publishing company. Not long after I saw X2, I picked up a copy of Wizard with an article showcasing many great X-Men covers and a rundown of essential X storylines, this was my first introduction to the Dark Phoenix saga and Days of Future Past. One of the covers featured in the Wizard article was Wolverine #1, the classic 1982 limited series. I knew of Frank Miller, I had yet to read The Dark Knight Returns or anything from Sin City then, the artist name and cover art had me intrigued.

 

Over the holiday break that year, I was out shopping with my mom when we stopped at my LCS. On the wall was the four issue limited series, and all four covers looked good together! The cover to #1 was the best one to me, Wolverine with a grin, claws unsheathed in one hand and the other motioning you to come here, that orange background, I had to have it. My mom noticed this and took the issue from my hand, she said it would be a Christmas present; she also took issue #2 of the wall. I had been coming to this comic shop for a few years by then, the owner knew me as the Batman guy, when we took the issues to the counter, he said that these were not Batman and that the Wolverine issues must not be for me.

 

At the time, these first two Wolverine issues were the closest things I had to anything that could be called key or special. I do not remember how much they were at the time but they were books that would have broken my budget had I bought them on my own. After Christmas that year, I went back to my comic shop and purchased Wolverine #4, the green one with the cross bow, with some Christmas money from my grandpa. I remember the comic store owner telling me that these were cheap books for the longest time and that they had started to rise in value over the last few years, the owner also told me that the Wolverine issues I bought were his copies from back in the day. There was still issue #3 to get, still on the comic store wall, but it would have to wait.

 

When spring came around, I came home from school yet again for a few days; I also have a birthday around this time, and guess what I got? Wolverine #3, the black cover. These four issues were a first for me; this was the first time I had something complete in terms of comics, my first set of "wall books" if you will. I'm not sure what they would grade, maybe 9.0 to 9.4, just a guess, but they are nice and clean copies. I did go on to find the TPB of the series, I did not want to touch my individual issues, I loved it and now know why it's such a classic.

 

Looking at these four issue together takes me back to a time when a $30 book was a rare treat, they also take me back to a time when X-Men was still somewhat unfamiliar to me. Since getting these four books, there have been two Wolverine movies, X3, First Class and Days of Future Past, my mom also asks occasionally if I still have the Wolverine books she bought me.

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Nice set!

 

For regular sized comic books, this was also the first set I ever got!

Bought 4 copies of each at comic shipping for 60 cents each! Unfortunately, my family had to put all if our belongings in storage for 22 years, and I never saw then again until last year! I finally graded them and kept 1 set for myself and sold the rest-

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These books are all so awesome! Best limited series ever?

 

Each cover is iconic. What's not to love?

 

I remember a friend of mine acquiring a copy of the first issue when we were both teens. It was in great shape. We traded/sold this book back and forth for several years, so it was kind of a shared acquisition.

 

In fact, the first issue was the first book I ever sent into the CGC. My friend and I were certain that it would come back as a 9.9, but what did we know?

 

Nothing, apparently. It came back a 9.6. :)

 

Years later, I purchased another raw that was "guaranteed" to come back as a 9.9.

 

Came back a 9.8 of course.

 

It was a big lesson learned, that's for sure.

 

But my love for this comic will never cease. I would love to own a 9.9 one day, but the prices ceased to be reasonable years ago.

 

I'm surprised how much this book keeps growing in value! If I'm not mistaken, it's the most graded comic of all time. That may have changed, but it's still in the top five. Has to be.

 

But who cares if it's common as long as you love it?

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These books are all so awesome! Best limited series ever?

 

Each cover is iconic. What's not to love?

 

I remember a friend of mine acquiring a copy of the first issue when we were both teens. It was in great shape. We traded/sold this book back and forth for several years, so it was kind of a shared acquisition.

 

In fact, the first issue was the first book I ever sent into the CGC. My friend and I were certain that it would come back as a 9.9, but what did we know?

 

Nothing, apparently. It came back a 9.6. :)

 

Years later, I purchased another raw that was "guaranteed" to come back as a 9.9.

 

Came back a 9.8 of course.

 

It was a big lesson learned, that's for sure.

 

But my love for this comic will never cease. I would love to own a 9.9 one day, but the prices ceased to be reasonable years ago.

 

I'm surprised how much this book keeps growing in value! If I'm not mistaken, it's the most graded comic of all time. That may have changed, but it's still in the top five. Has to be.

 

But who cares if it's common as long as you love it?

 

I was tempted to send this set in when I joined in '06 and got my first and only coupon to date. After that disappointing, devastating, disastrous experience of sending what I thought were my best books, grade wise, I went through a phase where I thought all my raw books were worthless. I had actually made plans to sell all my raw to acquire more CGC. Good thing I never followed through!

 

I had thought about getting a 9.8 set of this series, I figured prices would cool down eventually, but that has yet to happen. I can't believe the prices 9.9s bring for theses issues, didn't a 10 for #1 break 10k a few years back?

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I can relate to your attachment to these books.

 

I love comics that take us back, and give you that "happy", nostalgic feeling...

 

Comics are good for that! I remember shooting hoops with my cousin a few days after getting my Wolverine #4, I kept thinking about the cover to #3. A random but good moment in time.

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Thanks for bringing back some great memories!

 

I believe, the first time I read or saw Wolverine was in Uncanny X-Men 129. Chris Claremont and John Byrne wrote and illustrated an epic in the Dark Phoenix saga. That was 1979-1980. On or about that time, the X-Men, and in particular, Wolverine became insanely popular. And his popularity has not waned since. In my estimation, Wolverine is only behind Spider-Man and Batman in terms of popularity. That limited series you so fondly remember I bought off the newsstand racks back in the day. My only regrets are that they are well read and my not get graded past 9.0... But I love the limited series and it may be the best limited series to date!

 

Thanks for sharing such great memories.

 

SW3D

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