Click Here If You Want to Know What X-Books to Pick Up

**Mister Mets** · 04-04-2005, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by CLavery

OK, I'll ask a question first.

I want to start reading some X-men back issues so:

What are the 5 best X-men story's from the last 10 years?

New X-Men Volumes 1-3 (Hardcover)- Grant Morrison's epic run on the X-Men, Controversial, but accessible, and I loved it.

Mark Millar's run on Wolverine- I just love this book. Wolverine's the dangerous badass he was always supposed to be.

X-Force isn't really a core X book, but it's enjoyable as all hell. X-Statix has great moments, but simply isn't as good.

The best current book to pick up is Astonishing X-Men, as it's accessible, has a great creative team, and it's pretty much the flagship title right now,

If you want the X-Men stories ever, I'd recommend the Essential X-Men Volumes 1, and 2, which are packed with the defining (and best ever) X-Men stories. I'm honestly convinced the book was never this good again until Morrison.

The Best of Wolverine hardcover includes defining stories of the defining X-Men.

**fishtaco** · 04-04-2005, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Twigglet

The thing I noticed with the Essential Volumes of X-men, it's easy to see thier is a slight but increasing decrease in quality, right after DOFP, apart from a few highlights, the X-men really get bad after that point.

Not at all! It gets better and better. The best era is from 201-224.

EDIT: 251-278, actually.

**Mister Mets** · 04-04-2005, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by fishtaco

Not at all! It gets better and better. The best era is from 201-224.

I don't believe I've ever read those issues, so I'll have to take your word for it. The next Essential Volume should cover this period. :D

**venuscameback** · 04-05-2005, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by CLavery

Hmm is Age of Aapocalypse any good?

The 10 year Aniversary is out now isn't it.

i wouldn't recommend Age of Apocalypse to any new reader, from what i know of it.

i think such a lengthy alternate worlds story is mor einteresting for the longer-term reader whol knows the characters, thier history and how they usually appear; it makes the AoA differences more understandable and dramatic

so if you've been reading the new x-men books for a few years, cool, go to AoA, but if you only read x-men comics for a relatively short time, then personally i'd read other trades first

if you like thoughtful stories with action thrown in, something like Riot At Xavier's. if your interest is primarily action, the first couple of X-Treme X-Men trades would be good choices.

the Essential trades are excellent value and full of great stories; for a very new X-Men reader i'd skip the first volume for now and jump in at volume 2 - i don't think the earliest stories of Uncanny X-Men are that good and i think by the time we reach Proteus & the DP Saga the creative team are hitting top gear.

venus

**venuscameback** · 04-05-2005, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by Cyberman

X-Statix has great moments, but simply isn't as good

if you can take a heavy dose of irony with your comis, X-statix is superb. I can understand why fans of straight superheroics don't like it, but if you enjoy the humour of the book it's wonderful and the most consistently good x-book of recent years.

The best current book to pick up is Astonishing X-Men, as it's accessible, has a great creative team, and it's pretty much the flagship title right now

i've quite a few criticisms of Astonishing, it is hugely over-rated, but it is the ebst x-book out there at the mo', and by a stretch. it's also the most accessible to new readers.

If you want the best X-Men stories ever, I'd recommend the Essential X-Men Volumes 1, and 2, which are packed with the defining (and best ever) X-Men stories. I'm honestly convinced the book was never this good again until Morrison.

someone said that Uncanny X-Men tails off slightly after #142, and that's controversial but i for one agree. the next 35 issues are not as strong as what just went before. but by the mid-170s it picks up and there are some amazing issues ahead of #200, including my favourite single x-issue of all-time, Uncanny #186, in which Storm and Forge get to know each other and Storm deals with the recent loss of her powers. It's a character issue, with almost no action, but it's the issue i went from loving and comics and loving the X-Men to realisiing that comics could also be a serious artform.

As i said above, the book picks up and has some relaly good issues between the mid-170s and #200, and then it hits it's second great peak - pretty much all the issues from around #210 to around #230 are excellent, and there are several major storylines that are generally agreed to be classics, such as Mutant Massacre and Fall of the Mutants.

I so wish Claremont had quit then because although there are some good stories to follow, none of his subsequent x-books were this good again

venus

**Bishop_Proudstar** · 04-10-2005, 02:41 PM

Buy any X-books and X-trades available.

Research storylines online before going to the store:

http://www.uncannyxmen.net

**Stephane Garrelie** · 04-12-2005, 10:49 AM

Chris Claremont is the x-men.
buy his essentials (the best for me are the ones drawn by John Byrne, Paul Smith or John Romita Jr, but the issues drawn by Cockrum, Silvestri or Jim Lee are great too)
If you want color buy the tradepaperback of The dark phoenix saga Claremont/Byrne/Austin.
If you want current stuff buy:
Uncanny x-men Chris Claremont/Alan Davis.
Astonishing x-men Whedon/ Cassaday.

**profesorx2690** · 04-26-2005, 05:36 PM

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**UniqueFrequency** · 05-26-2005, 08:04 AM

Hi guys, comic shop here is having half price on back issues, so i'd like to get some insight on what i should pick up. I'd generally get the big titles, so i'm looking more at comics that might have 'slipped under the radar'

the top on my list for the X-men are:
Cable/Deadpool
New X-Men: Academy X

anything else to be recommended? thanks!!

**fishtaco** · 05-26-2005, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by UniqueFrequency

Hi guys, comic shop here is having half price on back issues, so i'd like to get some insight on what i should pick up. I'd generally get the big titles, so i'm looking more at comics that might have 'slipped under the radar'

the top on my list for the X-men are:
Cable/Deadpool
New X-Men: Academy X

anything else to be recommended? thanks!!

Pick up some Uncanny X-men (older issues). And New Mutants (the 80's series). And of course, pick up Cable and Deadpool :D

**Dr. Killbydeath** · 05-26-2005, 09:00 AM

It isn't old, but if you like New Xmen, you should definately check out the New Xmen: Hellion mini that kicked off yesterday...

**The Lucky One** · 05-27-2005, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by venuscameback

someone said that Uncanny X-Men tails off slightly after #142, and that's controversial but i for one agree. the next 35 issues are not as strong as what just went before.

I dunno, Ian... not all the issues in there were as good as what came before, but #150 has a definite shot at the title of best Magneto story ever (certainly in the top 3), and the first X-Men/New Mutants meeting -- plus a classic tussle with the Brood Queen Xavier -- is an undeniable classic. I'd say at the very least, even if it wasn't quite as good, there were some definite bright spots in there.

-D