Top Five Mini-Series Starring X-Related Characters

[Brian Cronin]

Here you are, folks, a new schtick straight from Comics Should Be Good (http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/category/top-five/) to the X-Board, a Top Five list!

This week's top five list is the Top Five Mini-Series Starring X-Related Characters (that means no series starring "The X-Men"). For mini-series length, I figure three-parts should be the minimum (as two-issue series seems way too short).

HONORABLE MENTION

X-Men Icons: Chamber JUST missed the list. Brian K. Vaughan did a good job on Chamber, and the art from Lee Ferguson and José Villarrubia was excellent. Still, there was some stiff competition on this list.

Kitty Pryde & Wolverine similarly JUST missed the list. Man, that Al Milgrom art was awful. And a rare example of a comic stretched out for six issues back in the 80s! But still, some good work by Claremont at certain places.

BOTH Deadpool mini-series, by Fabian Nicieza (#1) and Mark Waid (#2) were a lot of fun.

5 (tie). Havok/Wolverine: Meltdown and Beauty and the Beast

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/2860_4_1.jpg

Look at that Sienkiewicz cover for Beauty and the Beast!

In any event, the first one, Havok/Wolverine, is just a rollicking good time by Weezie and Walt Simonson, as they embroil the odd couple, Havok and Wolverine, who were trying to have a vacation, in a big international conspiracy. Fun was had by all.

The Beauty and the Beast mini-series was a toughie, because it was forced by Jim Shooter, who basically wanted the series done, no matter what, so the fact that Ann Nocenti was able to actually get some interesting character work out it is staggering to me.

4. Longshot

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/3028_4_1.jpg

This was a stretch, as Longshot wasn't an X-character at the TIME, but what can I say? I said X-Related characters, I didn't say WHEN they had to be X-Related!

This was our first intro to Art Adams (even mixed with the iffy Whilce Portacio inks), and this mini-series was an action-packed spectacle by Adams and writer Ann Nocenti.

Longshot has never been quite as good as he was in this excellent series.

3. Pryde and Wisdom

I liked Warren Ellis' Excalibur a lot, so obviously, I am going to be a fan of him just continuing their story in this mini-series.

A lot of the story from this mini-series are still being used today, 10 years later!

2. Nightcrawler

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/3035_4_001.jpg

Quite possibly the best work of Dave Cockrum's career, this Nightcrawler mini-series would have made a GREAT opening arc for a Nightcrawler ongoing series.

1. Wolverine

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/2671_4_1.jpg

Really, it's a bit of a no-brainer.

Chris Claremont and Frank Miller both brought their "A" game, and the results showed.

Agree? Disagree?

Let me know!

-Brian

[d newton]

Kitty Pryde & Wolverine similarly JUST missed the list. Man, that Al Milgrom art was awful. And a rare example of a comic stretched out for six issues back in the 80s! But still, some good work by Claremont at certain places.
I really disagree with you here - take a look at the cover for issue 5. ;)

As for my 5:
5 - Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix 1 to 4.

4 - Firestar 1 to 4.

3 - Magik 1 to 4.

2 - Madrox 1 to 5 & X Men / Alpha Flight 1, 2. (tie)

1 - Phoenix Endsong 1 to 5.

Honorable mention - True Friends 1 to 3.

[lament]

I
Madrox 1 to 5 & X Men / Alpha Flight 1, 2. (tie)



I agree with both of these. X-Men/Alpha Flight is one of my favorite minis. I got it way back when it first came out. And Madrox? Wow, it's just terrific.

And Meltdown? That's where I fell in love with Havok. One of my favorite all-time reads.

[Brian Cronin]

No X-Men ones!

Just ones starring X-Related characters!

-Brian

[Stagier]

i liked the magik series

[Dr Manolis Dooplove]

Pryde & Wisdom

Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix

Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix

Chamber

Wolverine/Doop

Bishop v1

[Mikl C]

Wolverine/ Kitty Pryde series are some of my favourite comics everrr.

[d newton]

No X-Men ones! Just ones starring X-Related characters!
I'm confused here - you're telling us not to list X minis but X related ones when you've got Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown among others in your list! :D

[ReaderX]

Ok, Universe X. I loved the idea of every person on the planet being exposed to the mists, especially since JJJ literally turned into an ass. And the fight between Franklin and the Celestials, golden.

Also, the Terra one shots were cool.

[An Average Madri]

Madrox should be in everyones list ;)

[jester1436]

I'm a big fan of any of the Kitty Pryde mini-series, though I haven't read all of them. I especially enjoy Kitty Pryde & Wolverine and thought the most recent mini was fun too.

Magik and Firestar are two of my all time favorites too, as well as Beauty and the Beast. I wish these characters could get a mini-series or two today. And of course the original Nightcrawler mini was a work of genius.

I also really like the Longshot mini. I have a lot of favorites it has to be said, I loved Fallen Angels and the Icons Iceman mini too.

However, I'd like to give a dishonorable mention to the original 80s Iceman mini, which is amongst the worst of all 80s x-minis, if not the very worst. I'm also unsure where I stand on the early 90s Northstar mini. It's probably more miss than hit.

I'm not particularly decisive here am I?

[The Sword Is Drawn]

My ten pence worth, in no particular order...

1. The original Wolverine limited series, leading up to the marraige that never happened. I loved the feel of this series, and it was one of my first experiences of a limited series properly tying in with continuity.

2. Pryde & Wisdom: This series worked so well largely for the same reason Pryde and Wisdom worked so well in Excalibur, the basic chemistry between Kitty and Pete. It was alsonice to see a modern take on the kind of things Excalibur looked into at the start of the series - investigating weird shit, rather than just another mutant related story.

3. Madrox - The mini that effectivekly created what we now know as the current model of X-Factor. I think I prerefed the mini to the actual series.

4. Excalibur vol. 2: Sometimes refered to as 'The Sword of Power'. This series featuring Captain Britain, the Corps, Meggan, Psylocke and The Black Knight was everything that Ben Raab SHOULD have done in his original Excalibur run. If he had maybe it wouldn't have been cancelled. A fairly solid story returning to andexpanding on the Captain Britain mythos and ending with Brian made monarch of Otherworld, and the revelation that the whole story had been engineered by Kang the Conqueror - a loose plot line never picked up on. Relies on the retcon that not all the Warpies were murdered by Black Air, but I can live with that.

5. X-23. This was theseries that made me like Laura as a character. It provided all the back story I wanted, and led to me to showing interest in the character again when she joined New X-Men. Also was the first glimpse of the improved art style of Billy Tan which we can now enjoy in Uncanny.

[Ryan K]

Definately agree with Wolverine at #1. I probably would have added Madrox as well. But by far the most overlooked great mini series starring X-Characters is X-Factor (Vol. 2). Great stuff!

[Steven F.]

I'm confused here - you're telling us not to list X minis but X related ones when you've got Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown among others in your list! :D

He means series staring one or more character related to the X-Men, not the X-Men AS a team. I personally love X-Men/Alpha Flight the most, but I could not include it on this list because it starred the X-Men team.

[mattbib]

HONORABLE MENTION

X-Men Icons: Chamber
Kitty Pryde & Wolverine
BOTH Deadpool mini-series

5 (tie). Havok/Wolverine: Meltdown and Beauty and the Beast

4. Longshot

3. Pryde and Wisdom

2. Nightcrawler

1. WolverineI totally disagree on some of these. Longshot on an X-mini list? No way. Stretching it is even a stretch. Nightcrawler...while fun, wasn't really that great. I prefer minis that are relavent. And Pryde and Wisdom tried way too hard to be cool.

I think my top five, without really thinking about it, would include:
Wolverine
X-Treme X-Men: Mekanix
X-Men Icons: Chamber
Storm & Illyana: Magik

Not sure about the fifth spot...
I loved Firestar, Beauty and the Beast, the X-Factor LS, Hellfire Club, a couple of the Magneto limiteds, Origin, and even the more recent Iceman limited. Also, would we count the Weapon X run in MCP as a limited series?

[Brian M.]

Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix was one of my favorites as was Search for Cyclops.

[MrBeebs37]

5. Dead-Girl - Scratched the X-statics itch when I didn't even know I had one.

4. X-Factor - The one from 2002 that had absolutely nothing to do with any previous/future (so far at least) incarnations of the book.

3. Wolverine/Doop - Doop as a noir detective with Wolverine as his side-kick as drawn Cooke and written by his creator. A great little two issue joke.

2. The first 2 Deadpool minis - Just because.

1. Sabertooth - The first one with Tex drawing, in my opinion, the definitive Creed. Extra points for making Creed an actual character rather than a vulger anti-Wolverine.

[Mikl C]

Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix was one of my favorites as was Search for Cyclops.

Seriously? I'd like to understand why you think search for Cyclops was good. I understand you like Scott/ Jean together but that mini just felt really horrible and forced to me.

[Brian Cronin]

I totally disagree on some of these. Longshot on an X-mini list? No way. Stretching it is even a stretch. Nightcrawler...while fun, wasn't really that great. I prefer minis that are relavent. And Pryde and Wisdom tried way too hard to be cool.

I think my top five, without really thinking about it, would include:
Wolverine
X-Treme X-Men: Mekanix
X-Men Icons: Chamber
Storm & Illyana: Magik

Not sure about the fifth spot...
I loved Firestar, Beauty and the Beast, the X-Factor LS, Hellfire Club, a couple of the Magneto limiteds, Origin, and even the more recent Iceman limited. Also, would we count the Weapon X run in MCP as a limited series?

That's why I had a tie for sixth! That way I figure if anyone really wanted Longshot off the list, then I'd just move Havok/Wolverine up one spot!

I will allow special dispensation and count serials in MCP. :)

-Brian

[An Average Madri]

I gotta admit i was a huge fan of the Icon: Chamber miniseries!

[foxfire]

I HATED the Beauty and the Beast mini. This was the one where Dazzler was in that lame underground gladiator spectacle, right? I've never understood the fascination that X-writers have had with the mutant gladiator story. The whole idea of having hundreds of rich and powerful people attending regular gladiator games in our society, and the fact that no one else knows about it, just does not work for me.

[fishtaco]

In no particular order...

Firestar by Tom DeFalco and Mary Wilshire

Kitty Pryde and Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Al Milgrom

Wolverine (1st Series) by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller

X-Men: True Friends (starred two members of Excalibur. The title is misleading) by Chris Claremont and Rick Leonardi

X-Terminators by Louise Simonson and Jon Bognadov

Honorable mentions to Nightcrawer (1st Series) (by Dave Cockrum), Phoenix (unpublished, by Chris Claremont and Rick Leonardi), Longshot (by Ann Nocenti and Art Adams), Havok and Wolverine: Meltdown (by Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, and John Muth), Rise of Apocalypse (by Terry Kavanagh and Adam Pollina).

I haven't read, but have high hopes for Magik, Iceman (1st Series), X-Men: Spotlight On...Starjammers, Beauty and The Beast, Wolverine: Days of Future Past.

[Mariah]

I loved the Adv. of Cyclops and Phoenix, just picked it up last week, and loves it!!! Wow, I can't believe I passed on this story the first time it came out. It made me a little lass mad at Cyke for sending baby Nathan into the future.

[fishtaco]

I loved the Adv. of Cyclops and Phoenix, just picked it up last week, and loves it!!! Wow, I can't believe I passed on this story the first time it came out. It made me a little lass mad at Cyke for sending baby Nathan into the future. Well, he could either send his son into the future, or his son would die a slow and painful death. He sent him to the future because he loved him. To do otherwise would be selfish, yes? Scott's decision made it clear in unmistakeable terms that he's a hero, and he thinks of others before he does for himself.

And after that? Well, I think they totally missed the point, but that's just my opinion.

[Mariah]

Well, he could either send his son into the future, or his son would die a slow and painful death. He sent him to the future because he loved him. To do otherwise would be selfish, yes? Scott's decision made it clear in unmistakeable terms that he's a hero, and he thinks of others before he does for himself.

And after that? Well, I think they missed the point.
Still doesn't mean that I have to like it. I don't like Cable all that much as a character, and the story to get rid of Baby Nathan was not the highlight of the original X-Factor run.

[Gene M.]

Wolverine: Days of Future Past.

If you can find it in a quarter bin or for a dollar an issue, get it. It's not terrible, but it's not great either. The art was good. The story was okay, but it loses some of it's impact because you know what's going to happen to most of the main characters.

[Mariah]

X-Men: True Friends (starred two members of Excalibur. The title is misleading) by Chris Claremont and Rick Leonardi
I didn't really like this series. I don't know if it was Leonardi's change in art style that did it, or what, but it just didn't really sit well with me.

[fishtaco]

Still doesn't mean that I have to like it. I don't like Cable all that much as a character, and the story to get rid of Baby Nathan was not the highlight of the original X-Factor run.I know, but I didn't understand why you were mad at Cyclops. And as for Cable? I hate him, because of the whole idea of him being Scott's son. I prefered Cable in New Mutants and the earliest issues of X-Force. Then again, I guess that means I can say I hate almost every character, since they've pretty much all been warped like him over the years.

[Mariah]

I know, but I didn't understand why you were mad at Cyclops. And as for Cable? I hate him, because of the whole idea of him being Scott's son. I prefered Cable in New Mutants and the earliest issues of X-Force. Then again, I guess that means I can say I hate almost every character, since they've pretty much all been warped like him over the years.
I was mad at Cyke. He could have found a way to keep Nathan. I was even more mad at the creators who wrote the story.

[Babylon23]

5. Magik - A really different x-story that filled in Illyana's transformation from Uncanny 160, and established her as one of the best x-characters of the 80s.
4. Mechanix - Claremont sends Kitty to college. A lot of great character development for my favoutire x-character. A pity most of it's been undone.
3. Madrox - Peter David returns to X-Factor in style, and in a manner completly different to his previous run.
2. Wolverine/Havok - Meltdown - A truly fun roadtrip comic pairing up 2 unlikely travelling companions. In the hands of a lesser writer, this wouldn't have worked. Plus you get some beautiful Kent Williams artwork.
1. Wolverine by Claremont/Miller. This one wins by a long shot.

[Gene M.]

Honorable Mention: Gambit (2nd mini)- This series wasn't really the typical Gambit story. It was interesting to see Remy LeBeau caught up in a supernatural struggle involving the forces of Heaven and Hell. Klaus Janson on art didn't hurt, either.

5. Excalibur: Sword of Power- I really liked Pablo Raimondi's art and the story was fun. It picked up right where the original Excalibur left off and offered up an entertaining tale that left its main characters in place for some new and (potentially) interesting adventures.

4. X-Statix Presents: Deadgirl- It was refreshing to see a good Peter Milligan book on the stands at the same time as his X-Men run. This one had all the weirdness of the original ongoing and gave us a new story with Mr. Sensitive and U-Go Girl!

3. The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix- A great family story with beautiful art by Gene Ha. It gave the spotlight to two characters that are almost always seen as part of an ensemble cast. It also fleshed out the backgrounds of Cable and Stryfe as well as showing how the destinies of the Summers family are intertwined.

2. Wolverine & Havok: Meltdown- A great conspiracy story with a mature readers feel from the original Epic line. I thought the use of different painters to illustrate Logan and Alex was brilliant. It's also hard not to feel bad for Havok at the end.

1. Wolverine- This is probably my second favorite Claremont story and hands down the definitive Wolverine story. Logan was never the same after this one.

[xakko]

5. Mekanix
4. Nightcrawler
3. Kitty Pryde & Wolverine
2. Magik
1. Wolverine

Wolverine gets the top spot - and I don't care for the character much. I consider Pryde & Wisdom merely the third best of the Kitty minis- better than Shadow & Flame and Agent of SHIELD, but compared to Mekanix or Kitty Pryde & Wolverine? I liked the X-files, too, so a mutant spin on it was enjoyable.

[d newton]

Anyone want to count up all the votes for the minis?

[Brian M.]

Seriously? I'd like to understand why you think search for Cyclops was good. I understand you like Scott/ Jean together but that mini just felt really horrible and forced to me.


Becuase I think it's a good story that's why. It was emotional to me.

[Mariah]

Becuase I think it's a good story that's why. It was emotional to me.
Yeah, he get's all emotional baby, everytime he thinks of it. He gets so emotional, aint' it shocking what love can do? Ain't it shocking what love can do? Woo hoo!

[kate-pryde]

1 - Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix
2 - Kitty Pryde & Wolverine
3 - Havok & Wolverine
4 - X-Men & Fantastic Four
5 - Magik

[Sophisticated_Gamer]

I hear a lot of talk about the Wolvarine Mini, so i was wondering what is it about? And is it any good? Also how long is it?

[Gene M.]

I hear a lot of talk about the Wolvarine Mini, so i was wondering what is it about? And is it any good? Also how long is it?

It's four issues long. It's about Wolverine travelling to Japan to see his estranged love, Lady Mariko. Over the course of the series Logan is put through a series trials that test his sense of self-worth and help prove to himsels that he is a man and not just a wild berserker.

[Sophisticated_Gamer]

wow sounds cool, do you think i can find some singles of that?

[Gene M.]

wow sounds cool, do you think i can find some singles of that?

They're pretty expensive. You can find the trade just about anywhere. Just ask your comic book store for the Claremont/Miller Wolverine trade.

[Sophisticated_Gamer]

Dang it, i wanted to get them in singles :( Dose any one of you want to trade?

[The Sword Is Drawn]

I consider Pryde & Wisdom merely the third best of the Kitty minis- better than Shadow & Flame and Agent of SHIELD, but compared to Mekanix or Kitty Pryde & Wolverine? I liked the X-files, too, so a mutant spin on it was enjoyable.

And that wouldn't have anything to do with your intollerance towards a certain Essex born ex-intelligence officer, would it...?

I though Kitty Pryde: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. remains one of the worst minis I've ever read. The artwork was terrible and the story seemed frankly out of character from any incarnation of Kitty. Oh Oguns back again! By any chance is he going to possess somebody, possibly Kitty? Haven'twe done this before, and a lot better? Oh yes. We have.

At least Shadow and Flame did something a little different, even if it wasn't great.

Did anybody else have soft spot for the Sunfire: Big Hero Six, mini? I think that was what it was called. Back in 1998, was it?

[Rich L]

Did anybody else have soft spot for the Sunfire: Big Hero Six, mini? I think that was what it was called. Back in 1998, was it?

::raises hand sheepishly:: Sunfire and Big Hero Six....yep, I liked it - even though it tied into the difficult-to-like Alpha Flight Vol 2.

And I really, really disliked Beauty and the Beast mini.

[jawbreaker]

glad to see a few here liked the Chamber series. BKV nailed the character & Ferguson's art was sexy as hell!
http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/2742/champinupti7.jpg
pretty:D