Essential X-Men Stories for Beginners

[ProfessorQ]

So, this is my first topic post and I'm off to a doozy. I scanned through back-topics but didn't see anything similar so decided to post one.

Well, this is gonna take some time to compile a list but what would you concider to be essential reading for anyone starting to read X-Men? What storylines are essential?

I ask because my girlfriend has noticed my comic reading has increased this past year and she was concidering reading a couple of X-Men story arcs (I know, BEST GIRLFRIEND EVER!). What would you suggest?

Early X-Men
- X-Men #1
- X-Men #4-7 (1st Brotherhood)
- X-Men #14-16 (1st Sentinels)
- X-Men #49-52 (Polaris)
- X-Men #57-59 (Sentinels Live)

All-New, All-Different
- Giant-Size X-Men #1
- X-Men #98-101 (Phoenix)
- X-Men #104, 105, 107, 108 (1st Shi'Ar)
- X-Men #131-137 (Dark Phoenix Saga)
- X-Men #141, Uncanny X-Men #142 (Days of Future Past)

(gets hard after this)

[IcemanDan]

As sacriligious as this may seem, but do you need to read the first 66? I mean I have just for the novelty but I would say that the second batch ate more important. Probably should start off with the Marvel Masterworks. And then just go from there. But yeah I agree.

[Magneto'sWay]

So many good stories to choose from it's hard to really answer. For me the main thing that makes great classic stories what they are is the character development that leads up to events. If starting with all-new all-different I would just suggest Giant-Size and all Uncanny Issues from 94 to 201. Might be biased as I've just been listening thru these retro reviews via the podcasts. These have been the most memorable issues for me cause they introduced me to most of the key characters in the franchise (debatable statement, i know). Might as well read all since you don't have many crossovers or spin offs at that point. Would definitely include transition to include New Mutants as well. One of my favorites would be 199-200 for the Magneto character development. After Those I would definitely have to say Asgardian Wars, Mutant Massacre.

[catscandal]

I'm pretty sure Brian recommended on the show reading Giant Size, then skipping to Dark Phoenix (i would throw in days of future past at this point too), then skipping to From the Ashes, then Mutant Massacre. That's pretty much what I would recommend too.

So that would be GSXM #1, UXM #129-137, 141, 142, 168-176, and then Mutant Massacre which you'll have to look up a read order for or just buy the hardcover. Starts with 210, anyway. That's about 30 issues that will introduce you to all the best characters in the franchise, catch you up on the most important stories, and hopefully get you interested enough to dig in further. I would also highly recommend adding the three Claremont limited series Wolverine, Wolverine & Kitty Pryde, and Magik to those, as well as God Loves, Man Kills, but it's no big deal to just read the Uncanny issues first and then go back and read those later.

The benefit of doing this is you skip some terrible issues at the beginning, you get the introduction of Kitty Pryde and Rogue (i.e. the best characters in the book) much faster than reading straight through, and you skip The Brood Saga which is basically just a twelve issue Alien ripoff and the Secret Wars tie-in issues with the Beyonder which are horrible. The downside is you miss a couple of key issues. 150 and 200 are both classic magneto issues, 153 is Kitty's Fairy Tale, 160 is the tie-in to the Magik miniseries which is my favorite X-men story of all time, and you miss 183, not a classic story per se, but one of my favorite single issues (the one with Colossus and Juggernaut at the bar), and 186, the beginning of the Forge/Storm relationship which gets really bad by fall of the mutants but as a single issue is fantastic.

Overall, I think it's worth reading the stuff between DoFP and FTA and the stuff between FTA and MM eventually if you want to learn more about those characters, but for a new reader it's too daunting to read the whole Claremont run considering how inconsistent it is in the beginning, and you're better off hitting the high points, even if you do miss those 5 or 6 great issues the first time around.

[mythmakingetc]

I would start with Giant Sized also. Yes there are first appearances in the first 66 but you'll probably care more about those once you've grown to like the characters from reading Claremont stuff.

[pmaestro]

yikes, tough call. personally... i wouldn't tell anyone to read any of the "classic" books, other than maybe the paul smith run when the x-men were in space fighting the brood to the Return of the Dark Phoenix! (spoilers, it's just mastermind!)

really i'd recommend more recent stuff. uncanny x-force (yes, girls like it cause it's got strong characterization and betsy's Kinda the star) x-men Schism, (fans seem to scrunch their nose, but i think this is the best introduction to the two most important X-Men and sets up the current situation nicely while telling a solid story, plus it's got all kinds of cool arts) hawkeye, (i know it's not x-men, but brian was right, it's possibly the best marvel book on shelves...)

oh and the astonishing run by whedon! come on! that shit's gold!

[pmaestro]

or sorry, reread your post as ESSENTIAL reading. ok, ESSENTIALLY, you just have to read Schism and AvX. done! #takeabow #exitstageleft

[MetoxoTheLavaMan]

Give her the chuck Austen run. She will never bother you about comics again.

[mythmakingetc]

[Phillies64]

I love the classic stuff, but for newer readers I'd start with Grant Morrison's X-Men run and go to Whedon and Cassaday's Adjective Run. Whedon's run is pretty much a love letter to the past, so if they dig that then you can get them into so older stuff.