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X-Men Epic Collection
X-Men Epic Collection, Vol. 19: Mutant Genesis
The end of an era for the X-Men! The original team, now called X-Factor, takes center stage when Proteus returns from the grave. But when Apocalypse strikes, infecting Cyclops' son Nathan with a deadly virus, Cyclops must make a bitter sacrifice! And the current X-Men return to Earth to find that Professor X's old foe the Shadow King has risen - and taken over Muir Island! It will take X-Factor and the X-Men's combined strength to triumph - and when the dust clears, the two teams will become one! An uncanny new era begins as the reunited X-Men go back to basics - beginning with a deadly confrontation with Magneto and his fanatical Acolytes! Collecting X-MEN ANNUAL (1970) #15, X-FACTOR (1986) #65-70, UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) #278-280, X-MEN (1991) #1-3, and material from NEW MUTANTS ANNUAL #7 and X-FACTOR ANNUAL #6.
472 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2017
40 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Chris Claremont
3,276 books888 followersChris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 26, 2025
This epic collection is a bit of an odd duck in that most of it has been collected in other trades. The 5 part Muir Island Saga can also be found in the recently released X-Men: Legion - Shadow King Rising. It's probably better read there as it also includes the back story with the Shadow King that led up to it in the previous 20 issues or so. The last 3 issues in the trade can also be found as part of X-Men: Mutant Genesis that collects the first 7 issues of the solo X-Men book that Jim Lee drew before jumping ship to Image. Furthermore, the book begins with the last half of the story that ran through the X-Annuals in 1991. I'm not sure why they didn't collect the whole story as Marvel includes a bunch of backup stories from the X-Men annual and some interviews that could have been dropped from the book to make room for the whole story. Plus the two part story is also interrupted by a 3 part Freedom Force story that also ran through the annuals. It was just dumb that they didn't reorder both of these stories to give them to us uninterrupted.
On to the stories themselves. The stuff from the annuals isn't that great and the only thing in the collection not written by Chris Claremont. The single issues are all pretty great and collect the end of Claremont's run on the X-Men. You get the end of X-Factor where they battle Apocalypse and see baby Cable get sent off to his future. Plus the big showdown with the Shadow King on Muir Island and the long awaited return of Magneto. All pencilled by the magnificent Whilce Portacio and Jim Lee back when they still met monthly deadlines.
I'd give the content itself 4.5 stars, but the poor editorial decisions in making this collection probably drop a star off of it.
On to the stories themselves. The stuff from the annuals isn't that great and the only thing in the collection not written by Chris Claremont. The single issues are all pretty great and collect the end of Claremont's run on the X-Men. You get the end of X-Factor where they battle Apocalypse and see baby Cable get sent off to his future. Plus the big showdown with the Shadow King on Muir Island and the long awaited return of Magneto. All pencilled by the magnificent Whilce Portacio and Jim Lee back when they still met monthly deadlines.
I'd give the content itself 4.5 stars, but the poor editorial decisions in making this collection probably drop a star off of it.
August 15, 2018
This is a huge understanding of several stories regarding Muir Island, Legion, the Shadow King, and the return of Magneto. Unfortunately, both the writing and the art are wildly inconsistent: this is worth it for nostalgia and culminates in the changing of the guard from Chris Claremont to Jim Lee, from the New Mutants to Liefeld's X-force, from the Claremont X-factor to the even more sitcom-feeling Peter David X-factor. In short, it is the beginning of the early 90s X-men, which the X-men cartoon largely immortalized and was further cemented by the cinematic franchise of the early aughts. However, it is one of the most wildly inconsistent periods: one can tell that Claremore is getting side-lined, the plot lines are increasingly convoluted, but not so convoluted that one can't follow it at all: Fabien Nicenza's dialogue moves from largely trying to match Claremont to its own.
The art is, with the exception of Jim Lee's work which is still like this but of higher quality and figure consistency, mixed and the "90s-iest 90s thing to ever 90s." All women are modeled on nudes and men are pained, muscled out and grimacing constantly. I loved this when I was eleven and twelve years old, but it is embarrassing now.
Given that there 50 characters to keep up with, multiple convoluted plots, and the changing of the guard: this is a nostalgia read or a completist read. It hasn't aged as well as one would have hoped.
The art is, with the exception of Jim Lee's work which is still like this but of higher quality and figure consistency, mixed and the "90s-iest 90s thing to ever 90s." All women are modeled on nudes and men are pained, muscled out and grimacing constantly. I loved this when I was eleven and twelve years old, but it is embarrassing now.
Given that there 50 characters to keep up with, multiple convoluted plots, and the changing of the guard: this is a nostalgia read or a completist read. It hasn't aged as well as one would have hoped.
May 11, 2018
A mixed bag. On the one hand there's some excellent storytelling and I can see a bit now where the FX show gets the background material from. On the other hand much of the artwork, particularly the way they drew women, is both loathsome and makes it hard to tell which character is which. That plus the loathsome rah rah Gulf War One bit in the beginning is a stark reminder to why it was I was reading the DC/Vertigo line and not Marvel in the early 90s.
June 23, 2018
Der Anfang ist etwas zäh und für Marvel-Verhältnisse sehr gewalttätig, aber dann kommen klassische Geschichten mit Apocalyse (Cable!), dem Shadow King und natürlich Magneto.
September 1, 2022
End of an era. I’m sad now.
September 7, 2025
this completes my deep dive into the Claremont era of the merry mutants. from the dark phoenix saga to xmen issue 3. 16 years of his seminal work that developed xmen lore to what most know them as today. a melodramatic soapy space-opera with more character development than most writers even get the opportunity to accomplish. many of the omni’s and collections did have other writers involved but nothing compares to the voice and hold claremont had on these characters.
claremont is the blueprint for how the xmen should be portrayed in media, be it cartoons, film, or series.
claremont is the blueprint for how the xmen should be portrayed in media, be it cartoons, film, or series.
June 8, 2021
Ah, os mutantes.
Há, basicamente, 5 histórias nesse volume. Uma é bacana, uma é famosa e o resto é uma bosta.
Começamos com aquele ideia de jacú de unir diferentes Anuais sob um único tema, então temos os Novos Guerreiros, a recém formada X-Force e o X-Factor encarando o Proteus - filho da Moira - e um outro cara com poderes muito parecidos que querem transformar o mundo numa simulação digital. É uma bosta, a única coisa que vale são as capas com o Mignolão da Massa.
Junto com essa porcaria, os Anuais tem uma história altamente descartável da Força Federal enfrentando heróis muçulmanos no Iraque, imagino que durante a Guerra do Golfo. É o tipo de história que alguém diz "Vamos matar algum personagem que ninguém se importa!" e aí eles matam algum personagem qualquer; se ninguém se importa com o Blob, o Pyro, o Avalanche não é com o velhinho que corre rápido que alguém se importa. Outra bosta.
Depois, temos a história bacana; o confronto "final" entre o X-Factor e o Apocalipse. E o pau come na Lua, com a ajuda dos Inumanos. Essa história que Nathan Cristopher Summers, filho do Scott e da Madelyne, é infectado pelo vírus tecnorgânico e mandam ele pro futuro. A história é desenhada pelo Portaccio que tá desenhando pacas e funciona bem direitinho, mas falta um momento de reflexão ao fim. O cara mandou o piá pro futuro, sabe? E não tem um único quadrinho com o cara refletindo isso. Apesar dos heróis arregaçarem o Apocalipse, não dá pra dizer que é uma vitória, né?
Agora vamos para a Saga da Ilha Muir, o Rei das Sombras está controlando os X-Men que estão na ilha, então os outros X-Heróis devem se unir para baixar o cacete o Rei das Sombras. O maior problema dessa história é que é um plot requentado, eu já li uma história parecida e melhor, totalmente sem graça, uma bosta.
E, ao final, a história famosa, X-Men #1 do Lee e do Claremont.
Essa todo mundo leu, né?
Vendeu 23 gazilhões de cópias.
É o gibi mais vendido da história.
Algumas histórias a cada leitura apresentam uma ou outra coisa nova, algo que tu não tinha percebido antes. Esse não é o caso.
Essa história é exagerada, chocante, todo mundo tem um chavão ou uma frase de efeito.
Não acho que seja uma grande história, mas tem seus momentos.
Há, basicamente, 5 histórias nesse volume. Uma é bacana, uma é famosa e o resto é uma bosta.
Começamos com aquele ideia de jacú de unir diferentes Anuais sob um único tema, então temos os Novos Guerreiros, a recém formada X-Force e o X-Factor encarando o Proteus - filho da Moira - e um outro cara com poderes muito parecidos que querem transformar o mundo numa simulação digital. É uma bosta, a única coisa que vale são as capas com o Mignolão da Massa.
Junto com essa porcaria, os Anuais tem uma história altamente descartável da Força Federal enfrentando heróis muçulmanos no Iraque, imagino que durante a Guerra do Golfo. É o tipo de história que alguém diz "Vamos matar algum personagem que ninguém se importa!" e aí eles matam algum personagem qualquer; se ninguém se importa com o Blob, o Pyro, o Avalanche não é com o velhinho que corre rápido que alguém se importa. Outra bosta.
Depois, temos a história bacana; o confronto "final" entre o X-Factor e o Apocalipse. E o pau come na Lua, com a ajuda dos Inumanos. Essa história que Nathan Cristopher Summers, filho do Scott e da Madelyne, é infectado pelo vírus tecnorgânico e mandam ele pro futuro. A história é desenhada pelo Portaccio que tá desenhando pacas e funciona bem direitinho, mas falta um momento de reflexão ao fim. O cara mandou o piá pro futuro, sabe? E não tem um único quadrinho com o cara refletindo isso. Apesar dos heróis arregaçarem o Apocalipse, não dá pra dizer que é uma vitória, né?
Agora vamos para a Saga da Ilha Muir, o Rei das Sombras está controlando os X-Men que estão na ilha, então os outros X-Heróis devem se unir para baixar o cacete o Rei das Sombras. O maior problema dessa história é que é um plot requentado, eu já li uma história parecida e melhor, totalmente sem graça, uma bosta.
E, ao final, a história famosa, X-Men #1 do Lee e do Claremont.
Essa todo mundo leu, né?
Vendeu 23 gazilhões de cópias.
É o gibi mais vendido da história.
Algumas histórias a cada leitura apresentam uma ou outra coisa nova, algo que tu não tinha percebido antes. Esse não é o caso.
Essa história é exagerada, chocante, todo mundo tem um chavão ou uma frase de efeito.
Não acho que seja uma grande história, mas tem seus momentos.
August 10, 2025
Serious highs and lows. Utterly disappointing that the Shadow King storyline ended with such a bland thud. Claremont and Simonson's tenures on the X-Men had to wind down in the 90s to adapt to the newer, more modern storytelling devices that newer writers and artists were employing... But to put artists like Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio, and Rob Liefeld at the HELM was a disastrous mistake. Even if you argue that these guys had storytelling chops, they had no feel for characterization or long-term plotting. And while other people would write the characterizations into the dialogue, if the action were out of character, there wasn't much that people like Fabien Nicieza or Chris Claremont could do.
Thus, the early 90s were just a time when the X-Men may have looked good, may have introduced new costumes and concepts and characters that ruled (and some that sucked so so bad), but the core personalities of the characters suffered deeply.
The long-term sagas of all the X-Books took a nose-dive that made less and less sense as they went on. And this was the beginning of that. While it's only apparent in certain moments of the first 3 issues of X-Men, if you read it critically, there are dozens of "wtf?" moments that just pass by unremarked. And more importantly, the Muir Island saga turned from something truly and deeply interesting and could have had major, deeply resonant effects in each of the characters' lives... it instead just turned into a boring run-of-the-mill superhero battle that was solved by some bizarre plot contrivance and then faded away as if it was nothing. Several years of build-up to just smack into a wall and flop, dead, onto the floor.
Again, serious ups and downs here and it makes me worried that my beginning-to-end X-Books read will basically be torture from here til AoA.
Thus, the early 90s were just a time when the X-Men may have looked good, may have introduced new costumes and concepts and characters that ruled (and some that sucked so so bad), but the core personalities of the characters suffered deeply.
The long-term sagas of all the X-Books took a nose-dive that made less and less sense as they went on. And this was the beginning of that. While it's only apparent in certain moments of the first 3 issues of X-Men, if you read it critically, there are dozens of "wtf?" moments that just pass by unremarked. And more importantly, the Muir Island saga turned from something truly and deeply interesting and could have had major, deeply resonant effects in each of the characters' lives... it instead just turned into a boring run-of-the-mill superhero battle that was solved by some bizarre plot contrivance and then faded away as if it was nothing. Several years of build-up to just smack into a wall and flop, dead, onto the floor.
Again, serious ups and downs here and it makes me worried that my beginning-to-end X-Books read will basically be torture from here til AoA.
April 17, 2019
A book that I find pretty hard to judge because it just has an amazingly nostalgic level for me. The issues here are some of the first "grown-up" comics I read as a young man of about 10 years of age as they started being published in Portugal in the aftermath of the X-Men animated series in 1992. I loved that crap. Actually many of the issues, particularly in the later part of the book mirror some of the episodes in the series.
On the other hand this is a book from the early 90s, and this was not really the golden age of comics, if anything it was the "shiny glass-bead" age of comics. Everything is taken up to 11, from the stupid pouches to unrealistic anatomy, to gimmicky covers, objectification of women, convoluted plots and a surfeit of characters. In fact this whole collection leads up to the retirement of Chris Claremont from X-Men comics, after writing them for 15 years in a row.
The whole book also leads from a confused multi-plotted division between X-Men in several books like X-Factor and Uncanny X-Men into a single unified book with the star writer and penciller of the time, Claremont and Jim Lee respectively. So in fact the only truly great issues in this collection are the last few leading up to and including X-Men #1-3. X-Men #1 is actually still the highest selling issue of all time, the team is restructured back to a more manageable roster, characters get new uniforms, Xavier gets back in his chair and so on. An interesting volume for either nostalgic or historical reasons, Jim Lee's art is pretty great albeit guilty of many of the excesses of the 90s as described above, but hey he's no Liefeld. However it is a book probably best enjoyed by 10-13 year old boys trying to get a glimpse of Rogue or Psylocke's side-boob.
On the other hand this is a book from the early 90s, and this was not really the golden age of comics, if anything it was the "shiny glass-bead" age of comics. Everything is taken up to 11, from the stupid pouches to unrealistic anatomy, to gimmicky covers, objectification of women, convoluted plots and a surfeit of characters. In fact this whole collection leads up to the retirement of Chris Claremont from X-Men comics, after writing them for 15 years in a row.
The whole book also leads from a confused multi-plotted division between X-Men in several books like X-Factor and Uncanny X-Men into a single unified book with the star writer and penciller of the time, Claremont and Jim Lee respectively. So in fact the only truly great issues in this collection are the last few leading up to and including X-Men #1-3. X-Men #1 is actually still the highest selling issue of all time, the team is restructured back to a more manageable roster, characters get new uniforms, Xavier gets back in his chair and so on. An interesting volume for either nostalgic or historical reasons, Jim Lee's art is pretty great albeit guilty of many of the excesses of the 90s as described above, but hey he's no Liefeld. However it is a book probably best enjoyed by 10-13 year old boys trying to get a glimpse of Rogue or Psylocke's side-boob.
April 13, 2019
This is basically 3 stories. It’s a jumbled mess.
The first one is some mildly interesting story about X-Force doing some shit that puts them at odds with Proteus. It ends up being not bad.
The second one is the Muir Island Saga, which ends up being pretty damn cool. If the collection was JUST this story, it would be a 4 or a 5.
The last story is a bumpy, occasionally cool, occasionally stupid story about the X Men battling magneto in space. It frustrated me. The art was awesome and some of the writing was good... but there were elements I just couldn’t swallow. For example... remember when Magneto was a good guy? Yeah... that’s because when he had been turned into a baby in the Defenders once upon a time, Moira Mctaggert did some weird gene manipulation to make him a good guy. Way to write out his most fascinating character transformation. It was a disappointing narrative choice, to say the least.
The art is consistently awesome throughout. To be honest, it’s the best X-Men art up until this point, with David Cockrum MAYBE being and exception from back in Dark Phoenix. We get to see Jim Lee here, who is phenomenal. The look of the X Men is so much more modern and sleek here, compared to earlier work.
Overall... it’s just a jumbled volume. There’s no flow. It feels like it starts too late in the story and ends too early. Even though I’ve read most of the lead up stuff, I still feel like I’m missing some critical issues. Who knows.
Worth reading... but not the best.
The first one is some mildly interesting story about X-Force doing some shit that puts them at odds with Proteus. It ends up being not bad.
The second one is the Muir Island Saga, which ends up being pretty damn cool. If the collection was JUST this story, it would be a 4 or a 5.
The last story is a bumpy, occasionally cool, occasionally stupid story about the X Men battling magneto in space. It frustrated me. The art was awesome and some of the writing was good... but there were elements I just couldn’t swallow. For example... remember when Magneto was a good guy? Yeah... that’s because when he had been turned into a baby in the Defenders once upon a time, Moira Mctaggert did some weird gene manipulation to make him a good guy. Way to write out his most fascinating character transformation. It was a disappointing narrative choice, to say the least.
The art is consistently awesome throughout. To be honest, it’s the best X-Men art up until this point, with David Cockrum MAYBE being and exception from back in Dark Phoenix. We get to see Jim Lee here, who is phenomenal. The look of the X Men is so much more modern and sleek here, compared to earlier work.
Overall... it’s just a jumbled volume. There’s no flow. It feels like it starts too late in the story and ends too early. Even though I’ve read most of the lead up stuff, I still feel like I’m missing some critical issues. Who knows.
Worth reading... but not the best.
June 16, 2022
Ne znam da li je do proklete nostalgije, ali ja ovoj velikoj kolekciji dajem svih pet zvezdica. Ovde se nalazi i Cable-ov origin, poslednji sukob XFactora i Apokalipse pre Age of Apocalypse crossovera, kao i prva tri broja legendarnog re-boota XMena koji su radili Klermont i Dzim Li (dobro, nije reboot u pravom smislu te reci, nego XMen od broja jedan bez prideva Uncanny. Taj XMen broj jedan je i dalje najprodavaniji americki strip svih vremena - prodali su, ako se ne varam, jedno 7 miliona primeraka), Li i Portacio (crtac i ko-ploter XFactora) ce nekoliko meseci kasnije osnovati Image comics (zajedno sa Lajfeldom, Silvestrijem, MekFerlejnom i Valentinom -ako se dobro secam) i sve ostalo je istorija. Ovo je i najava raskalasnih 90ih americkog stripa, u kojoj dolazi do uspona i padova, i to veeelikih uspona i jos vecih padova. Good times.
September 20, 2025
i got into x men through the 90s cartoon, and while I enjoyed every step of Claremonts x men, this was where they take on the look that I have been excited to see the whole time. Jim Lee's artwork is incredible, probably not news for anyone who knows him, but I also really loved the stories in here. magneto feels like such a well written character, and I had a hard time viewing him as the villain in this story. the Muir Island saga was also really good and served as a good meeting point of the teams to lead to the relaunch at a new issue 1. all in all some really incredible stuff in here.
May 15, 2019
Opening the past to the future
This collections has the final days of the original X-factor and most importantly jean grey regaining her telepathic power as well as cyclops son infected with the virus that makes them send him to the future. We also what will be the forming of the new x-factor we have professor X loosing his ability to walk and we have the start of the blue and the go.d teams. We have what will be pivotal points in the X-men history. Well worth the read.
This collections has the final days of the original X-factor and most importantly jean grey regaining her telepathic power as well as cyclops son infected with the virus that makes them send him to the future. We also what will be the forming of the new x-factor we have professor X loosing his ability to walk and we have the start of the blue and the go.d teams. We have what will be pivotal points in the X-men history. Well worth the read.
March 11, 2019
Some good stories, some bad. Picked this up to read about what happened to Baby Cable, really enjoyed it, great art, good story. Didn't care much for the Shadow King story, but wow, everyone was in it! The end of X-Factor was a little sad, but offered up a new beginning. All said, great artwork throughout (except for X-Factor #70), and good solid story telling.
December 3, 2019
Wow!! what is there to say. My youth tv viewing experience summed up in one collection, that may be going too far. But I will say, that these issues I've never read before, I go in kind of blind, but it never hindered my entertainment value. Jim Lee's work I've always admired along with Christ Claremont storytelling is magnificent. If you can't tel I'm gushing! I'm excited to read more!!
September 27, 2021
Nice collection of 80's-90's era X-Men. Jim Lees artwork is a testament to the characters of the Mutant Genesis re-imagining. Top notch action and over-exaggeration clearly exemplify the look, feel, and times. The end of Claremont's long X-run and handing over of the reigns to Lee and Nicieza was well executed new beginning for the characters. Solid compendium for any X-Fan.
June 5, 2025
“I save you X-Men, because that is my task in life: to safeguard my people from those who would do us harm. And those forces are legion. In that, and I suspect nothing else, Charles, we are much alike. I have survived one holocaust, I could not tolerate another. Nor any who, by accident, by intent, act to bring it out.” - Magneto
May 17, 2024
A great collection that is indeed epic. Here we can understand a few happenings that made X-Men what they are today. Cyclop’s sending Nathan to the future, the Muir Island Saga, classic confrontation Apocalypse, Magneto and others makes this collection cannon and a must read.
January 12, 2023
typical 90s comic. the last 3 issues were very good but, if your not into 90s comics, you might consider starting in a different spot with xmen, such as new xmen.
October 6, 2025
Honestly, kind of a mess of a collection, but required reading for fans of the original five and learning how they came back into the fold.
December 15, 2022
This is a nostalgia recommendation.
The Muir Island Saga, which shows up about a third of the way through the collection, was one of the first comics I ever read, and I've wished for it to be collected in a trade papeback for years. It isn't something I'd recommend for a first X-Men comic, particularly in this massive format, where it's combined with the beginning of the 1991 X-men relaunch, the final issues of X-Factor before they switched to a completely different cast, and some cool material from X-men related annuals.
If you're not familiar with the X-Men, Don't Start Here. There are about fifty important mutant characters inthis book, all with complex backstories that are important to know before reading the first half of the book.
I think most of the first half would be incomprehensible to people who haven't already read a ton of X-Men. Who is Freedom Force? Who are The Riders On The Storm? Who are The Desert Sword? Who's The Askani? Who are The Acolytes? What's Genosha? And who are The Magistrates? You're constantly flipping between three main casts of X-Factor, X-Force, and Freedom Force, and suddenly The Inhumans are involved, after a cameo from some of The Avengers. And then there's an X-Men story featuring over thirty X-Men. It's dizzying.
But if you read X-Men in the 90s, it's also great. This volume is Claremont, tying up most of his storylines, as he prepares to hand off all of his X-titles. Fabien Nicenza also plots some of these stories, and, if you already know the characters, it's not too convoluted to follow.
The art is....very 1990s. There's much grimacing. Imagine Cyclops at dinner, baring his teeth as he asks Jean to pass him the salt, or Beast's face looking as though he is taking a painful dump while he's merely asking if anyone has seen his glasses. It's...much.
But it's fun. And the final three issues are the Claremont/Lee relaunch of X-Men #1-3, which would be a great Jumping On Point for new readers. Iconic X-Men art that influenced the X-Men Animated series of the 1990s, and Claremont at the peak of his writing.
The Muir Island Saga, which shows up about a third of the way through the collection, was one of the first comics I ever read, and I've wished for it to be collected in a trade papeback for years. It isn't something I'd recommend for a first X-Men comic, particularly in this massive format, where it's combined with the beginning of the 1991 X-men relaunch, the final issues of X-Factor before they switched to a completely different cast, and some cool material from X-men related annuals.
If you're not familiar with the X-Men, Don't Start Here. There are about fifty important mutant characters inthis book, all with complex backstories that are important to know before reading the first half of the book.
I think most of the first half would be incomprehensible to people who haven't already read a ton of X-Men. Who is Freedom Force? Who are The Riders On The Storm? Who are The Desert Sword? Who's The Askani? Who are The Acolytes? What's Genosha? And who are The Magistrates? You're constantly flipping between three main casts of X-Factor, X-Force, and Freedom Force, and suddenly The Inhumans are involved, after a cameo from some of The Avengers. And then there's an X-Men story featuring over thirty X-Men. It's dizzying.
But if you read X-Men in the 90s, it's also great. This volume is Claremont, tying up most of his storylines, as he prepares to hand off all of his X-titles. Fabien Nicenza also plots some of these stories, and, if you already know the characters, it's not too convoluted to follow.
The art is....very 1990s. There's much grimacing. Imagine Cyclops at dinner, baring his teeth as he asks Jean to pass him the salt, or Beast's face looking as though he is taking a painful dump while he's merely asking if anyone has seen his glasses. It's...much.
But it's fun. And the final three issues are the Claremont/Lee relaunch of X-Men #1-3, which would be a great Jumping On Point for new readers. Iconic X-Men art that influenced the X-Men Animated series of the 1990s, and Claremont at the peak of his writing.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews