View Full Version : Developing my X-Men collection
megladon8
10-07-2005, 11:25 PM
I'm getting more and more into X-Men. I never disliked them, just never really followed them either.
However, I have been reading/collecting Astonishing X-Men since issue 1 and love it, so I have been branching out into the other series'.
I have started collecting the second series of X-Men (beginning in 1991 I believe). I bought issue 1 signed by Stan Lee, and then bought the other variant covers for the 5 in total, then I bought issues 2-7. I also have a handful of other random issues that I have had for a long time, ranging from around 40, right into the 200s.
Are there any other good X-Men series'? I really don't mind spending the money...I am just becoming an absolute comic addict.
ibrakeforchinwe
10-07-2005, 11:52 PM
I personally loved Claremont's 80's Uncanny X Men and Excalibur.
spoon_jenkins
10-08-2005, 07:30 AM
I'd say buy as much of Chris Claremont's classic run on Uncanny X-Men from the 1970s and 1980s as you can. It's great; it's what propelled X-Men to the top.
It's Giant-Size X-Men #1 and Uncanny X-Men #94-280 (CC wrote all but the very beginning and end of that and like one issue in between). The cheapest, easiest way to get a lot of those issues would be to buy the Essential X-Men TPBs. So far they've released six volumes that reprint #94-213 (plus GSX #1, some Annuals, and some other stuff). If you'd prefer color, Classic X-Men (later retitled X-Men Classic) lasted 110 issued and reprinted most issues between GSX #1 and Uncanny #206. There are also high-quality Marvel Masterworks reprints.
Would you prefer recommendations focused on shorter runs?
1) Since you liked X-Men #1-7, you should enjoy Jim Lee's earlier work on Uncanny. He drew #248, 256-258, 268-277 (IIRC). That's been reprinted too, but I don't know the TPB's name.
2) I love the From the Ashes storyline (#168-175), which has also gotten the TPB treatment.
3) The John Byrne drawn issues of Uncanny are great. He drew most issues from #107-143 (the most praised stuff starts around #129, but it's all great).
4) I enjoy the Walt Simonson pencilled issues of X-Factor (around #10-39), but opinion vary on this.
5) A lot of New Mutants is good too. A nice highlight is the Demon Bear story in #18-20. Bill Sienkiewicz's art style is kind of funky, so it can off-putting to some fans.
P.S. If you don't like Claremont's recent writing or have heard bad stuff about it, don't be discouraged from buying his earlier X-Men work. Many people who think his recent stuff is merely good (or even think it sucks) really love his original run on X-Men.
Chris Claremont defined the X-Men. Although Lein Wein wrote Giant Size X-Men #1 & plotted Uncanny X-Men #94-95 to Chris Claremont's scripts. Claremont is responsible for Krakoa's demise in Giant Size X-Men #1, but did not get a credit. Chris Claremont began writing the X-Men full time with Uncanny X-Men #96-278, Uncanny X-Men Annuals #3-12, 14.
You might also want to find Classic X-Men #1-44 which reprints the adventures of the new X-Men, but comes with new important backstories.
Chris Claremont also co-created The New Mutants #1-53, Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants, The New Mutants Special Edition #1, The New Mutants Annuals #1-3. Magik #1-4 is an important part since Illyana joins the team in The New Mutants #14.
Chris Claremont co-created Excalibur with Excalibur Special Edition #1, 2, EXcalibur #1-34, X-Men: True Friends #1-3...
Chris Claremont wrote Wolverine #1-4 with Frank Miller. The unofficial sequel is Kitty Pryde & Wolverine #1-8.
John Byrne's very first X-Men is Marvel Team-Up #53 when the team makes a cameo in the book.
You might also want to find the obscure Iron Fist #1-15 & Ms. Marvel #1-23 since these characters are intergrated into the X-Men book (Scott dates Colleen Wing; the X-Men guest star in Iron Fist #15, Sabretooth first appears in Iron Fist #14, Mystique first appears in Ms. Marvel #16, 18, Deathbird first appears in Ms. Marvel #9, Jean Grey & Scott Summers cameo in Iron Fist #11)
Chris Claremont's swan song is the important X-Men #1-3 (second series)
Nightcrawler
10-08-2005, 09:05 AM
If you can, pick up the Essential X-Men books. They're fairly inexpensive, and have timeless stories that lay the foundation for the X-Men we know today. The only drawback is the lack of color.
milhouse123321
10-08-2005, 08:24 PM
If you're looking for something newer and different and enjoy the feel of the Marvel Universe and its slew of characters, I'd say read (at least the first trade to try it out) of Exiles, written by Judd Winick.
megladon8
10-08-2005, 08:29 PM
If you're looking for something newer and different and enjoy the feel of the Marvel Universe and its slew of characters, I'd say read (at least the first trade to try it out) of Exiles, written by Judd Winick.
Isn't Exiles about a team of mutant celebrities or something?
megladon8
10-08-2005, 08:33 PM
If you can, pick up the Essential X-Men books. They're fairly inexpensive, and have timeless stories that lay the foundation for the X-Men we know today. The only drawback is the lack of color.
Which series do I want to get? As far as I can tell, there are several different series' of "Essential X-Men" TPB's...
http://www.popularcomics.com/images/items/20249.jpg
http://i19.ebayimg.com/01/i/03/a8/4d/c9_1_b.JPG
http://www.popularcomics.com/images/items/20244.jpg
foxfire
10-08-2005, 08:44 PM
I am just becoming an absolute comic addict.
Welcome to our world :)
megladon8
10-08-2005, 08:46 PM
Welcome to our world :)
And I'm loving it :)
I can't believe how scorned upon comic book reading is by a lot of people. They think it's crepy for anyone over the age of 10 to be reading comics.
fishtaco
10-08-2005, 09:13 PM
Buy any X-book that was published in the 80's.
megladon8
10-08-2005, 09:17 PM
Buy any X-book that was published in the 80's.
What about the second series that I mentioned in my first post (began in the early 1990s)?
fishtaco
10-08-2005, 09:47 PM
delete post.
foxfire
10-08-2005, 11:07 PM
What!?!? Deliberately skipping over Chuck Austin runs? I'm shocked! :)
blues_99
10-09-2005, 01:57 AM
I'm not necessarily the most critical person of X-books (translation, I read more or less all of them). For current titles though I would recommend Astonishing, Uncanny, Ultimate and Academy X. For team books these are some of the best. There have also recently been a number of solo series, Nightcrawler was one of the best. This pretty much a skeleton list though, so flesh out as you see fit.
Doodle Bob
10-09-2005, 12:15 PM
Which series do I want to get? As far as I can tell, there are several different series' of "Essential X-Men" TPB's...
The first two are the same volumes, just with different covers. That is the one everyone is talking about (starting with Giant #1 and continuing with #94 onwards).
The third volume you have there is the Essential collecting the original series from the early 60s written by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
If you want to do some more research on this, go to www.wikipedia.com and search for x-men. It's a fairly good history of the series.
megladon8
10-09-2005, 01:45 PM
The first two are the same volumes, just with different covers. That is the one everyone is talking about (starting with Giant #1 and continuing with #94 onwards).
The third volume you have there is the Essential collecting the original series from the early 60s written by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
If you want to do some more research on this, go to www.wikipedia.com and search for x-men. It's a fairly good history of the series.
Awesome. Thank you kindly.
EDIT: Why is the Essential X-Men book in black and white? Were the comics not in colour?
Awesome. Thank you kindly.
EDIT: Why is the Essential X-Men book in black and white? Were the comics not in colour?
The Essentials are in black & white to keep the cost down. You can find TPB (trade paperbacks) that reprint Uncanny X-Men in color, but it will cost more. You can find The Dark Phoenix Saga (Uncanny X-Men #129-137) for $19.95.
megladon8
10-09-2005, 06:08 PM
The Essentials are in black & white to keep the cost down. You can find TPB (trade paperbacks) that reprint Uncanny X-Men in color, but it will cost more. You can find The Dark Phoenix Saga (Uncanny X-Men #129-137) for $19.95.
I won the Dark Phoenix Saga TPB, but have been weary to open it, since other than the movies and catching the occasional cartoon, I don't really know much about the X-Men past the obvious things like their powers and such.
I won the Dark Phoenix Saga TPB, but have been weary to open it, since other than the movies and catching the occasional cartoon, I don't really know much about the X-Men past the obvious things like their powers and such.
Use the movies as a rough outline of the characters. The comic book characters are far more developed within the comic books.
Marvel Masterworks reprint 10-11 comics in color; however, the books cost about $49.95 each! Buy the Essentials that begin with Giant Size X-Men #1. The Essentials have been reprinted up to Uncanny X-Men #209 thus far.
fishtaco
10-09-2005, 07:18 PM
Use the movies as a rough outline of the characters. The comic book characters are far more developed within the comic books.
Marvel Masterworks reprint 10-11 comics in color; however, the books cost about $49.95 each! Buy the Essentials that begin with Giant Size X-Men #1. The Essentials have been reprinted up to Uncanny X-Men #209 thus far.Uncanny X-Men 213, actually. :)
megladon8
10-09-2005, 09:23 PM
Use the movies as a rough outline of the characters. The comic book characters are far more developed within the comic books.
Marvel Masterworks reprint 10-11 comics in color; however, the books cost about $49.95 each! Buy the Essentials that begin with Giant Size X-Men #1. The Essentials have been reprinted up to Uncanny X-Men #209 thus far.
I'm just really put off by the whole black and white thing. Colour is such an important part of comic books, and especially X-Men, which I always saw as being very colour driven.
It's like showing a widescreen movie in pan & scan. Sure, you see the movie...but you don't seeit the way the director wanted you to.
Doodle Bob
10-10-2005, 05:46 AM
I'm just really put off by the whole black and white thing. Colour is such an important part of comic books, and especially X-Men, which I always saw as being very colour driven.
It's like showing a widescreen movie in pan & scan. Sure, you see the movie...but you don't seeit the way the director wanted you to.
I understand your qualms, but for me it's simple economics. Collecting the original CC run from Giant #1 onwards is a rich man's game that I cannot afford. So, this is the next best thing.
Plus, you would be surprised about how quickly you can get used to reading them in B&W. These are Marvel comics after all. So, the method of their creation (independent steps from script to pencils to inks to coloring) mean that you get a fairly coherent story without the coloring.
Incidentally, do yourself a big favor and read the Phoenix Saga. It is fairly self-contained (Claremont does a good job of making his stories accessible to newcomers) and is most likely the best X-Men story ever.
I'm just really put off by the whole black and white thing. Colour is such an important part of comic books, and especially X-Men, which I always saw as being very colour driven.
It's like showing a widescreen movie in pan & scan. Sure, you see the movie...but you don't seeit the way the director wanted you to.
Take your time building your X-Men collection. I have been reading comics since I was 12-15 years old. From 1987 onward, I have been finding Uncanny X-Men backissues. I am still looking for a near mint Uncanny X-Men #94 to complete by new X-Men collection.
You could find Classic X-Men #1-44 which reprints the early adventures of Giant Size X-Men #1, Uncanny X-Men #94-138 respectively with new backstories; they are cheaper than the original comics.
megladon8
10-10-2005, 12:01 PM
Take your time building your X-Men collection. I have been reading comics since I was 12-15 years old. From 1987 onward, I have been finding Uncanny X-Men backissues. I am still looking for a near mint Uncanny X-Men #94 to complete by new X-Men collection.
You could find Classic X-Men #1-44 which reprints the early adventures of Giant Size X-Men #1, Uncanny X-Men #94-138 respectively with new backstories; they are cheaper than the original comics.
How much are you willing to pay for that issue? 'Cause I just found a whole buttload of them.
The Lucky One
10-10-2005, 12:26 PM
How much are you willing to pay for that issue? 'Cause I just found a whole buttload of them.
A whole buttload. Of UXM #94. From 1975.
That's... quite a find, all right. I'd be really sure they're not reprints before you try selling them. Just saying.
;)
-D
megladon8
10-10-2005, 02:14 PM
A whole buttload. Of UXM #94. From 1975.
That's... quite a find, all right. I'd be really sure they're not reprints before you try selling them. Just saying.
;)
-D
I don't know about them being reprints or not, but I found about 15 of them on eBay ranging from $300 to $800.
The Lucky One
10-10-2005, 02:38 PM
I don't know about them being reprints or not, but I found about 15 of them on eBay ranging from $300 to $800.
Ah. My mistake. Yes, that makes sense... I was under the impression that you had yourself found a whole bunch of them and were looking to sell. Which would have been quite a find indeed.
:D
-D
megladon8
10-10-2005, 02:45 PM
Ah. My mistake. Yes, that makes sense... I was under the impression that you had yourself found a whole bunch of them and were looking to sell. Which would have been quite a find indeed.
:D
-D
Yes, indeed.
If I just literally "found" a bunch, I wouldn't be a bastard and try to sell them. DDM is looking for one, so I'd give him one.
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