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

[krisis]

So here's the deal. 2006/2007 was the last time I was able to make a comic book purchase. A lot has changed since then. What I'm specifically interested in is which titles have been renumbered, which ones now have different names, and what titles have spun out of X-books since then. I do know X-Men became X-Men Legacy at least.

Anybody care to fill me in? Thanks!

That's actually a super-interesting question, because things have REALLY shaken up since then.

Most importantly, Uncanny X-Men ended in late 2011 with #544 (and Schism) and relaunched as the pair of Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 2 and Wolverine and the X-Men. They are on separate sides of an ideological divide, so you can elect to pick one or the other instead of reading both.

On the Uncanny X-Men side (AKA Team Cyclops AKA Utopia):
- New Mutants started from #1 with the familiar NM team, and is now in the #40s.
- X-Men, Vol. 3 launched in 2010 from #1 and is now in the upper #20s
- Generation Hope launched in 2010 from #1 and concluded with issue #17 last month.

On the Wolverine side (AKA the school AKA New York)
- X-Men, Vol. 2 continued its numbering straight into Legacy without skipping a beat, starting with #208.
- X-Factor jumped from #50 to #200 by combining its numbering with the 90s volume, and is now in the #230s.
- X-Force started in 2008 (before there were sides), then concluded in 2010 and relaunched as Uncanny X-Force, starting from #1.

Astonishing X-Men has bounced back and forth, but despite long pauses it maintains its numbering from the 2003 launch (presently about to hit #50).

If you were familiar with New X-Men, they are now scattered between the two sides, although you will see much more of them in action on Wolverine's side in the main title and Legacy.

Wolverine's solo titles are a bit more complicated. He had two ongoings, Wolverine and Wolverine: Origins. Wolverine turned into Dark Wolverine, which starred his son, Daken. As a replacement, he got a third book, Wolverine: Weapon X. In 2010 all three were cancelled, and a new Wolverine book launched from #1. However, around issue #20 that book leaped up to #300, which would more or less be where Wolverine's numbering would be if it had continued straight from the original 1988 series.

This summer we'll see new #1s of X-Treme X-Men (an Exiles-style title with Dazzler) and Gambit.

Questions?

[tylr99]

Questions?

Woot! Very helpful!

[Bryan Rios]

Questions?

Actually I am pretty sure you answered all questions I had. Thank you very much! Also, I looked through the two guides you have in your sig, both of which seem extremely helpful.

While I was planning on going back to try and read as much of what I missed as possible, this definitely helps as I look for all of it.

[Bernoulli]

I got Season One first, and now Marvel Masterworks Uncanny X-Men Vol.1. Its so different from the new comics, i mean the look and stuff. The world in drawing comics changed so massive. wow

[The Ion]

Hi. I have read the first couple of pages of this thread and there's been a lot of discussion on where to start reading X-Books and I'm after a jumping on point myself. The majority of people say Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon is a good place to begin and others say The Essentials, and other people say House of M, and also other people suggested Age of Apocalypse. I'm not interested in the really old essential stuff as I'm wanting newer/better artwork in the trades so I was looking at this X-Book reading list I have that I found somewhere else and was wondering is The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic Book 1(shown below) a good place to start? I want to start as far back but quite modern as I can you see.

[krisis]

Hi. I have read the first couple of pages of this thread and there's been a lot of discussion on where to start reading X-Books and I'm after a jumping on point myself. The majority of people say Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon is a good place to begin and others say The Essentials, and other people say House of M, and also other people suggested Age of Apocalypse. I'm not interested in the really old essential stuff as I'm wanting newer/better artwork in the trades so I was looking at this X-Book reading list I have that I found somewhere else and was wondering is The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic Book 1(shown below) a good place to start? I want to start as far back but quite modern as I can you see.

If your goal is to read a chunk of good stories in trade this is a sort of awkward place to begin - one, because Age of Apocalypse is an alternate reality story with little bearing on the main continuity of the X-Men, but also because the five or so years directly following it are not very thoroughly collected. And, finally, this book actually is a lot of odds and ends that were mostly released after the actual AOA stories were told.

[The Ion]

If your goal is to read a chunk of good stories in trade this is a sort of awkward place to begin - one, because Age of Apocalypse is an alternate reality story with little bearing on the main continuity of the X-Men, but also because the five or so years directly following it are not very thoroughly collected. And, finally, this book actually is a lot of odds and ends that were mostly released after the actual AOA stories were told.

Ah ok thanks, I'm just confused with a lot of people suggesting different starting points..

[Bernoulli]

Ah ok thanks, I'm just confused with a lot of people suggesting different starting points..

I think you can go for X-Men: Season One its the very original story with modern art. I enjoyed it very much.

[The Ion]

I ended up getting Astonishing X-Men Ultimate Collection Book 1 by Joss Whedon but thanks to you both for replying, and krisis; your blog/guide to X-Books is great

[Mufasa92]

It has been bugging me all day that my site didn't have a good answer to this sort of question, so I made a new page called Become an Instant X-Men Expert that only includes all the biggest X-Men blockbusters with the longest-lasting impact that are going to be relevant to today's storylines. Since not everyone loves TPBs, I also included issue ranges on the page.

Also, my Guide to Marvel Events disclaims very explicitly if the X-Men get involved in every epic full-line story-arc.

Hey krisis,

You may have remembered when I asked for a complete guide to the x-men books sometime ago. I want to say thanks for the Instant X-men expert page, but how come there is a jump between X-men 1-10 all the way to 94-100? Again thanks for the help.

[krisis]

Hey krisis,

You may have remembered when I asked for a complete guide to the x-men books sometime ago. I want to say thanks for the Instant X-men expert page, but how come there is a jump between X-men 1-10 all the way to 94-100? Again thanks for the help.

Since the rest of my guide covers every single X-issue ever, on that page I took the approach that many question-askers take - if I can read a minimum of older issues to become 80% of an expert on X-Men, what are they?

[joemauer]

Since the rest of my guide covers every single X-issue ever, on that page I took the approach that many question-askers take - if I can read a minimum of older issues to become 80% of an expert on X-Men, what are they?

You sir are one of the greatest x fans ever.

[The Ion]

@ krisis - One other question, because there are quite a few different X-Men teams.. when you say on your guide that one book/trade is parallel to another book/trade, is it worth reading the other book that is parallel to the other one at the same time, if you know what I mean?

[Split007]

What current X-men book with wolverine is alot like the 90s cartoon?

[Phelpzy]

Is the new mutants title any good? I know it's on like issue 50 but was thinking bout starting it from issue 1 if it's any good? Whos on the team and will I have to deal with Ckyes b.s?