whats a good year to to go back to start up comic reading?

[lazytitan]

About six or so months ago some ppl here helped me get back in comics. Was recommended I read through house of M and civil war. Which I did and was awesome, but there was so many things that I didn't under stand so I want to go back even further but how far back?

I started reading x-men #1 but way to old, now jumped to #94 which came out in 1975 I think and that's fine so far but i don't know how much of what I would read from 1975 would apply to what I would read now has. Is there a certain point where comics really stated stringing stories together or have they always and just need to suck up not knowing and just start some where.

[Last1oftheJedi]

The Phoenix Saga
Inferno
X-cutioner's Song
skip anything Onslaught and hop back on with Astonishing X-men 1-6. They have motion comics even on Youtube, so that's an easy score.
From there since you've read House of M, the Hope Trilogy will catch you up to what's going on atleast from the X-Men's perspective of A vs. X.

I hope this helps. I'm sure I missed a good plot line (like New X-Men, where Scott and Emma hook up) or two, but IMO those are some of the core stories, that could be picked up in graphic novel collections and save you having to hunt down a hundred books.

[lazytitan]

I want to read, I have a lot of time at work and but can't watch videos but can read.

Reason I want to go so far back is I'm reading newer xmen comics and Jean dead, Xavier no running show and other things different. I would just ask or read wiki find out. But why do that when could read it and enjoy good story.

[Probably_not_a_Nurgling]

My personal favorite era of X-Men comics is 2001-2005. If you want to know why Jean is dead and Xavier's no longer in charge, you'll find your answers in that period.

[Telos]

For X-Men, start in 2001 with Grant Morrison's New X-Men run (New X-Men vol 1-3). Then read Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men run (Astonishing X-Men Ultimate Collection 1-2).

For Avengers, start in 1998 with Kurt Busiek's run (collected in Avengers Assemble vol 1-5), followed by Geoff Johns' run.

[The Sword Is Drawn]

For X-Men, start in 2001 with Grant Morrison's New X-Men run (New X-Men vol 1-3). Then read Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men run (Astonishing X-Men Ultimate Collection 1-2).

Agreed. If you want to understand the modern X-Men situation, this is really where it begins.

Granted, one could argue this is also responsible for a number of the X-Men's shortcoming in recent years, but it is the best starting point for the modern era.

[kelly_warrior_princess]

For Avengers, start in 1998 with Kurt Busiek's run (collected in Avengers Assemble vol 1-5), followed by Geoff Johns' run.

This. 1000 times, this. possibly one of the best runs of Avengers.

[Brannon]

Well, if you're interested in reading all of the old, classic stuff, I'd strongly suggest picking up the two new Marvel Masterworks editions of Uncanny X-Men. You can get both for under 17 bucks on Amazon and they'll take you from Giant-Size X-Men #1 to Uncanny X-Men #110 which is only two issues or so into the John Byrne run. From there, pick up X-Men: Proteus, Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past trades also available on Amazon. This is considered to be the "classic" era of X-Men, and if you like this, you can from there. These trades will take you from Uncanny #94 to 143 with only a few missing issues between the second Masterworks volume and Proteus I do believe.

As far as Avengers go, I'd agree that the 1998 Kurt Busiek/George Perez run will be the easiest to get into. It basically brought the Avengers back to basics while expanding on the mythology. Pre-1998, Avengers material is pretty scattershot, but I'd suggest picking up the Avengers: Nights of Wundagore trade since it deals mainly with the Scarlet Witch's powers/family history.