Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1

Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men #1

by Len Wein (Writer), Dave Cockrum (Artist), Chris Claremont (Writer)

Collects Giant-Size X-Men #1, The X-Men #94-100

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, X Men, Fiction, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Len Wein was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men (including the co-creation of Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus). Additionally, he was the editor for writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons' influential DC miniseries Watchmen.

Wein was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2008.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

As hard as it is to believe to modern X-Men readers, who are used to having multiple X-Men books released every month (more than anybody with a limited comicbook budget could afford to keep up with, to be honest), there was a time when the X-Men book sold so badly it was cancelled. This probably doesn't sound like such a big deal these days, when book cancellations are as common as cynical comicbook readers, but back in the day they hardly ever cancelled a book. Poor sales were seen as a sign that something needed to be done to shake the book up, such as changes of creative teams, changes in tone or direction, etc. Cancellation, back then, was very much a last, last resort.

The X-Men wouldn't stay dead forever, though, and this book collects the first eight issues of Marvel's eventual relaunch of the X-Men. It was very much a new broom, with the team largely being replaced; with the exception of Professor X and Cyclops, we were given seven brand new X-Men. These new X-Men included characters who would go on to become beloved fan-favourites, such as Wolverine, Storm and Nightcrawler. Some of the original team would eventually return to the ranks, though; Jean Grey comes back after only a few issues away, with very little fanfare. It's almost like they brought her back just to kill her off...

Speaking of which, they had some big balls on them, these new creators. Right away they showed us they meant business. The stakes would be higher this time around. In fact, in these first eight issues alone two members of the team would be killed. This might be another case of 'So what?' to modern comicbook readers, who are used to characters being killed off left, right and centre, just to be resurrected after a few months (or, in the new Hickman X-books, almost immediately) but back in the '70s character deaths were a very big deal.

Anyway, this book is really where the modern concept of the X-Men began and every X-fan should read it, if only to see how the book returned from the ashes of the cancellation bonfire like a Phoenix (poor Jean). This was seriously groundbreaking stuff and your modern X-book would not exist without it.

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashback:

Now, to be honest, I have grew up with the 90s X-Men cartoon series, so I have not really read any X-Men comics prior to the 90s, so reading “Uncanny X-Men” from Marvel Masterworks was a great look back to the 70s X-Men comics where the second generation X-Men (Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, Cyclops, Banshee, Sunfire, and Nightcrawler) are first introduced in the X-Men franchise.

What is the story?

In this volume, Professor Xavier goes around the world to recruit new members for the X-Men team including Wolverine the tough Canadian fighter who has strong claws, Colossus the good natured Russian giant who can turn his skin to steel, Banshee, the Scottish hero who has a supersonic scream, Storm the African goddess who can manipulate weather, Nightcrawler the blue skinned demon, Thunderbird the Native American strong man and Sunfire, the Japanese warrior who can shoot fire out of his hands. When Professor Xavier recruited this team, he sends them on their first mission on an island where the original X-Men are being held hostage. Can the new generation of X-Men rescue the original X-Men?

What I loved about this comic:

Chris Claremont’s writing: Chris Claremont was known as the best writer of the X-Men franchise and this volume truly amazes me! When I first read this volume, I was surprised that the second generation X-Men did not like each other at first, but when they started working with each other especially after the first mission; Chris Claremont wrote their eventual interactions with each other in such an intense and relating way that X-Men fans will definitely enjoy seeing. I loved all the interactions between the characters, especially between Storm and Colossus as they seem to have a brother and sister like relationship with each other. It was also seeing the original X-Men argue a bit with the newer generation and I loved the fact that each new X-Men member are from different countries as I love exploring diversity within a story and this volume did a fantastic job at explaining each character’s different nationality. This volume also introduced several X-men characters that I was not familiar with during the 90s which included Thunderbird, Banshee and Sunfire and it was great seeing X-Men characters I have not seen before.

Dave Cockrum’s illustrations: Dave Cockrum’s illustrations are beautifully done as each detail is done to each character such as giving the characters shocked expressions whenever they are fighting foes throughout this volume. I loved the way that Dave Cockrum drew Storm and Colossus as Colossus’s head is somewhat squared shaped and his dark hair has a blue gleam that makes his appearance truly impressive and I loved his large and muscular appearance that we all know and love. Storm’s appearance is truly beautiful as she has vibrant and flowing white hair and blue eyes that make her a truly impressive character to look at. I also loved how Dave Cockrum illustrates the fight scenes as they were impressive, especially when the X-Men were fighting on the island of Krakoa.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

The only problem I had with this book is that there was not enough character development with the characters and it seems a bit too old-fashioned for my tastes. I guess because I grew up in the 90s, this volume did seem a bit old-fashioned to me with the illustrations. But, the story was extremely interesting and it was great seeing the X-Men in their original glory, so this was a small issue for me. Also, I wish that there was more to the characters then just introducing them to the cast as I like to know more about their background history.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “The Uncanny X-Men Volume One” was an interesting read for first time X-Men comic readers like me and I really enjoyed seeing the X-Men in their heyday and how they started out. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from the original X-Men comics!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read!

We see the genesis of the new Giant X-Men and I like how quickly their origin is done and their mission to defeat Krakoa and rescue the original X-Men and the dynamics of the new group led by Cyclops and how they defeat this monstrosity and how they work together to fight off these threats and a new era begins!

Then the team taking on Count Nefaria and his ani-men and I freaking love that volume and then the coming of Kierrok the demon and the threat that it represents and the sacrifice of one of them and right there the stakes are established and I love it plus the guilt of Scott and I like how the writer sues to show their mental state there and then the coming of Steven lang and his sentinels and the X-Men are separated and the big arc of how they gather together to rescue each other and its the new X-Men vs the 0G X-men (later revealed to be X-sentinels) and what they do now to stop it! And a massive moment for Jean!

There's also something with Erik the red and the X-Men fighting them and the fate of Havok and Polaris here and its setting up for a big future plot!

Its one of those early things that just makes you love the team and I appreciate how fast paced it is and has so much stuff and yeah its wordy but kinda worth it and the writing and art both click in some great ways! A definite recommend from me!

[Benji Glaab · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is actually quite a lot to enjoy here. You have the re-launch of the series that lays so many foundational X-men plot themes. You have the addition of some amazing signature characters. And of course the team dynamic and character building is fantastic.

It has been a good while since I've read a comic book pre 1980's and usually stick to the modern fare. The writing is feels very long winded at times and this took me way longer than I was anticipating to read. So while the story set-up is dece Claremonts writing doesnt flow very well for me.

I definitely find the X-history interesting and will carry on with Claremonts run, and I'm sure the writing will improve as things move along.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never been really on top of reading X-Men comics. I watched the 90s cartoon and I've watched the movie, but I never been too big on them and when I started reading comic books I never paid too much attention from them besides the X-Men books that were being written by Brian Michael Bendis at the time (All-New X-Men, Vol. 6: The Ultimate Adventure was a favorite of mine). As I learned more about the history of the Marvel Universe, I learned about the era of the X-Men under Chris Claremont which was responsible for laying the foundations for the modern X-Men. Claremont's 15-year tenure as writer for this franchise saw him build the team and write many of the greatest superhero stories of all time and actually write a superhero comic book title that progressed in almost-realtime and have actual character growth and development (something very rare these days where everything is connected to the status quo being God). But everything has to start from somewhere, so what about this first volume of the second generation of X-Men?

This era of X-Men was written as the The Bronze Age of Comic Books was underway. The idea of launching an up-to-date version of the X-Men was not originally Claremont's idea, but writer/editor Len Wein and he brought on the artist Dave Cockrum to design the new X-Men who are legends in their own right: Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus to name the ones introduced in this arc. I have to say that while I am grateful for the creation of Storm and co, I am not a big fan-of Cockrum's uncanny hyper-angular art. The story in these first issue served namely to transition the series from it's old status quo into the new one that Claremont was going to have for the next decade-and-a-half (which of course we know means laying the ground-work for the tragic arc of Jean Grey and the Phoenix/Dark Phoenix saga). Stories are decent for the time, though lord knows the 70 comics era of narrating everything is something I can't get use to and it is interesting to see the early installment weirdness of these characters.

[Jesús · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Comics Canon Review]

To kick off my attempt to visit (or revisit) some classic comics, I read the first full trade volume of Chris Claremont’s legendary run on the X-Men.

I’m always interested in seeing how classic runs got their start. I like trying to identify the seeds of greatness buried within the messiness of beginnings. But it doesn’t take long for Claremont to find his sea legs. Within just a few issues, The X-Men would be rebranded as The Uncanny X-Men, and at the same time, Claremont and his first art team (penciller Dave Cockrum and inker Sam Grainger) quickly find a balance between exaggerated romance, zany comedy, and action. It’s a recipe that Claremont and his subsequent creative teammates would continue to put to greater and greater use in the coming decades.

For me, issue #96 is where Claremont’s classic run properly begins. It’s a campy tale of a demon unleashed in the midst of a Scott Summers’ temper tantrum. And the in-world cameo in #98 of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby commenting on Claremont’s romance-forward take on the X-Men is simultaneously goofy and touching. It’s a bit of torch-passing that the comics world doesn’t see much of these days.

I won’t go on about what makes this reinvented X-Men so great. It’s already been done to death. But for my first time reading these early entries in Claremont’s run, I’m totally blown away.

[James Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can remember where and when I bought Giant-Size X-Men #1. I read it that very night and have read it many more times over the years. All these comics included in this collection are riveting. The new lineup of X-Men revitalized the title and has gone on to great success.

[Dang Ole' Dan Can Dangle · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1963 the original X-Men comic, by the now legendary Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, was released to mild success, not bringing in sales as big as some of Marvel's other titles, but nonetheless profiting and forming a considerable fanbase. That didn't last very long, however, and by 1969, despite numerous attempts at rejuvenation, sales plummeted drastically and X-Men was cancelled and continued only in reprints. It wasn't necessarily that the quality of the comics fell--indeed Roy Thomas wrote some very memorable issues--but it was, more than anything I think, that X-Men had failed to show readers anything new; it became stale.

In 1975 that all changed. Writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum released the first new X-Men story in years: Giant-Size X-Men #1, and with it a whole new team of mutants, bringing interest, and money, back into the series. Chris Claremont continued the new series as writer, with Dave Cockrum as artist, and made X-Men a bestseller for Marvel and saved what is now one of Marvel's most popular titles from near extinction. Many fans today consider the Claremont-Cockrum duo even more important than the Lee-Kirby duo which created the team, for it was Claremont and Cockrum that really made the series what it is today.

The premise of the "All New, All Different" X-Men is an interesting one. A new team of mutants is formed by Professor Xavier and Cyclops, the only returning members, in order to save the old X-Men, who have been captured. In the 60s, with Angel, Iceman, Jean Grey, and Beast, the X-Men were an ensemble of inexperienced teenagers, whereas the "All New, All Different" X-Men are older and much more experienced.

The backgrounds of the characters are also much more varied. Thunderbird is a Native American, Colossus is from the Soviet Union, Night Crawler from Germany, Storm from Kenya, Banshee from Ireland, Sunfire from Japan, and Wolverine from Canada. This not only gives the team a more worldly feel (rather than just being an American team), but it also allows for the inherent allegorical nature of the team, which is of course racism and prejudice, to be touched on in new ways. In some ways the team itself almost represents a microcosm of the world's prejudices, or at the very least the world's differences.

Jean Grey as a character was immensely improved as well. In the 60s she was a very flat, unimportant character, arguably the weakest of the team. Here she becomes a very powerful and developed character and, as any X-Men fan knows, one of the most important and critical characters in the comic's history. All the characters are, to say the least, incredibly memorable. This series created some classic characters of the Marvel Universe.

Claremont makes an obvious attempt at better, more serious writing here compared to the earlier X-Men issues (instead of every sentence ending in an exclamation mark there's actually a few periods being used here!), and for the most part he succeeds impressively. There's some excellent dialogue and some well-handled dramatic moments. All the characters more or less find their own voice and personality. There's more of a sense of arc in the story, as if each issue is serving a greater narrative. Perhaps the greatest fault of 60s comic books was that each issue was essentially a contained story (with the exception of the occassional two- or three-parters), existing separate from all the other issues. Claremont corrects this, and likely changed the way comic book stories were told from then on. In these early issues we can see glimpses of future events, mysteries to be solved, and the very first seeds of what would eventually, nearly 30 issues later, become the renowned Dark Phoenix Saga.

Cockrum's art deserves praise as well. Though I tend to prefer Jack Kirby over most anyone, some big improvements were made here. For one, Cyclops looks fantastic; I love the detail given to his visor and how rather than being all red, you can see the glow of each of his eyes: burning and screaming to be released. The action is handled well and the facial work interprets the emotion of the writing well. The scenes in outer space are also conveyed very well.

In the issues collected here the heroes tend to be far more memorable than the villains (there's an unfortunate lack of Magneto), and really the only foe of note here is the return of the Sentinels, whom star in a three-parter just as good as the Sentinel trilogy of the 60s. Subsequent issues fix this problem, and I look forward to reading the next volume, which features some very memorable baddies indeed.

These first issues of the new X-Men are classics to the series and a must read for any fan. Incredibly important to not only the history of the series but to the history of all comic books as well, and still plenty enjoyable to this day. It's not the greatest comic story ever told, but it's one of the first greats.

Favorite issues: The Sentinel Trilogy (#98, 99, 100)
Best Cover Art: Deathstar Rising (#99), Greater Love Hath No X-Man (#100)
Rating: 3.25 out of 5

My other X-Men reviews:
The X-Men, Vol. 1
The X-Men, Vol. 2
The Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1
X-Men: Proteus
The Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 2
X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga
X-Men: Days of Future Past
X-Men: From the Ashes

[B. Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although these comics have a hard time standing up by themselves, especially compared to the work they spawned, it nonetheless all started here. The history of the failed X-Men series, the creation of the New X-Men by Len Win and Cockrum and the beginning of the Claremont years all melded in this collection of comics to kick off one of the greatest comic book series ever.
The newbies are unfleshed, the old standbys just accept that their days our done and leave immediately (the way you wish that one annoying co-worker would), except for Jean Grey who makes a tearful farewell to Cyclops, unexplicably walking away from their relationship, and then inexplicably is back the next day, and the Claremont soap opera style is super rough, and yet... I can remember this stunt when it happened in the seventies and it was- exciting. No one had just replaced a team like that before and it shook up the comic world a little. And although this trade ends on the cliffhanger which leads to the X-Men finally getting really good, it serves as a nice retrospective on how the X-Men got to their glory days in the span of eight short issues.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is five stars for nostalgia's sake, only. The early Claremont/Cockrum books are so simplistic in retrospect, but at the time, they pushed the four color mutants into a whole new realm of relevance and popularity... long before they would become household, pop-culture icons. In this collection, we see the beginning of the New X-men, the team that would take a comic from being ready for cancellation, to the most popular superhero team, ever... a bridge between the old and new, where we meet Nightcrawler and Storm and Colossus and especially Wolverine, who wasn't nearly so annoyingly omni-present as he would later become. This was over-wrought, four color drama of the highest order, when I was eleven years old, and so many years later, it is still fun to revisit, without having to unbox my expensive original issues.

Plus, I want my wife to read these, since she enjoys the characters, but has never read the original stuff from, ugh, nearly forty years ago.

[Labyrinth Rossiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 1970s, Uncanny X-Men experienced their first "All New" rebirth. The famous Chris Claremont has taken over the writing, and much of the art here is by Dave Cockrum. It has a very 70s "psychedelic" feel to it. :) Banshee, Colossus, Nighcrawler, Wolverine, and Storm are added to the team. The original Thunderbird, John Proudstar, joined up for about 3 issues before going down in a blaze of stupidity. The primary enemy here is Steven Lang who resurrects Trask's Sentinels...with a twist. At the end of this arc, the way is being paved for the Phoenix to be born. Definitely a ride worth taking!

[Artur Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

O início da temporada de Chris Claremont como argumentista da série. Neste primeiro volume, há uma nítida transição entre o tipo de aventura dos comics clássicos, episódicas e resolvidas numa ou duas edições, e as estruturas narrativas onde as personagens se interrelacionam e aprofundam ao longo de diferentes arcos narrativos. A transição é visível. Com Len Wein, as histórias são directas, resumidas. É a época em que os X-Men enfrentam a ilha viva de Krakoa (dá um certo gozo escrever isto) e o Conde Nefaria. Quando Claremont começa a escrever, a continuidade acentua-se e prolonga-se ao longo de vários números da revista. Inicia aqui o clássico arco narrativo Dark Phoenix.

[Kathryn Kania · Rating 4 out of 5]

X-men is v horny jfc

[Tawfek]

4 stars

[Carlex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and half stars

There is no denying that it was a good start ;-)

[Ricardo Franco Marín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hasn't aged as well as I hoped, but the ending and characters are great!

[Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was browsing for comics to check out on Libby and came across this, which reminded me that I've been meaning to visit old X-Men series. While I felt like there wasn't quite enough development to most of the characters in this particular volume, I could see where there were strong foundations for others, and I'm intrigued enough to keep looking for more old comics.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

long time listener, first time caller.

I've been a fan of the X-men since I was a kid, watching the cartoon on tv but I never actually read the comics. The new '97 series this year has brought me screaming back. As an adult with a library card, nothing could stop me from finding these comics and now I'll happily plow through them. As a casual fan for years, I know the characters but not their actual history. I was ready to learn the ropes.

I was surprised and delighted that these 1970's characters were not flat, that the action was not over-dramatic, and by the end of issue #100 I was genuinely wrapped up in Jean's fate. I know my girl is good, but I'm so excited to experience this story for the first time and that it feels fresh.

beautifully engaging. I'm a kid again.

[Adam Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The X-men may have been created in the 1960s, but this series began the X-men as we know them today. This book collects Giant X-Men #1 and X-Men 94-100, the first new X-men comics in years.

In Giant X-Men #1, Professor Xavier recruits several mutants to help rescue the X-men and then in Issue 94, we get a line-up where the only original X-men on the team is Cyclops and he's supported by an international team including Storm, Colossus, and Wolverine.

The X-men fight Count Nefaria, fight a dragon monster, and then try to deal with two of their own (including Cyclops' brother) who have been taken over, and then the book wraps up with a three-issue arc involving the return of the Sentinels and a trip into space

There's so much to love about this team. They have big heavy hitters who deliver...and deliver with style. Dave Cockrum's art is a thing of beauty, it makes the action pop, but also has some key emotional moments. The writing is good throughout with some great twists, and some nice character work.

Over the years, the X-men have become a very dense mini-universe to get involved in with so many characters and storylines that it's hard to even figure out what's going on or how to get in, but this is the good stuff. This is pure.

[Henry Blackwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of one of the most famed comic runs in history. Chris Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men - introducing Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler and Banshee into the team full time. Which was really cool to see.

I have a lot of commentary about how different the style of writing and storytelling was back then especially when it comes to the narrative voice used in all of the issues. It felt like I was watching a cheesy Sunday cartoon from the 60’s with the hokey narrator telling quips. But is that really a bad thing? These issues are from 1975. Those 60/70/80’s cartoons like Spider-Man with the hokey narrators would’ve been based on the silly narration going throughout these issues.
So, is it a bad thing or is it just different?
I feel like it’s not something I’d like to see return to modern storytelling and as a writing community we’ve seemed to move away from using this. I do like the change of pace and it does make me laugh but I feel like it really spoonfeed’s you narrative that you can easily discern by looking at the visuals provided. For example in one of the last issues we see a rocket about to take off, in the text bubble It tells us what the rocket looks like taking off even though we’re already getting a pretty good idea of what it’s doing visually.
I felt like it was overly wordy at times when it didn’t need to be but these stories, nonetheless, are engaging. Especially the last three issues and the Giant Sized issue.

If only the last one didn’t end on a cliffhanger..


Edit: reread 2022,
So, I mostly agree with my last review, although since reading the Amazing Spider-Man series, I have changed my mind on what cheesy writing is. Claremont’s X-Men is incredible. It’s ahead of its time and it still holds up today narrative wise. No wonder why these set of characters and stories are so beloved. I will eventually read my whole way through this run when I can.

The other thing I must mention is the art. It is absolutely astounding, especially comparing it to the Amazing Spider-Man art that came before it. A lot of time Spider-Man would have almost a ‘stock’ colour for a background and just the character in the foreground. With Uncanny X-Men, the artwork is truly a thing of beauty. There is so much intricate detail. It still holds up to modern art. I can’t really say much more positive things about it.

[Nicholas Karpuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Through out the history of Marvel there's a proud tradition of Stan Lee creating characters that no one gave a crap about until a writer came along that actually brought something interesting to the idea. No one really cared about Daredevil until Frank Miller gave him a tune up (and oddly turned him into a testing ground for other writers), and I know I personally thought Spider-man was mostly junk until writers like Slott and Bendis got involved. There's a sense that Marvel is willing to let its writers take a character that never quite connected and give it another try with a different outlook. It's true even now, as Squirrel Girl is one of my favorite new comics.

But back in the day it seemed to start off more awkwardly. It seems like writers had to work out how to write in the comic book style without hating themselves. There are bits near the beginning where a character loudly announces their own name in the most awkward fashion possible for the mere reason that the audience needed to know. You can see Claremont trying to balance out his understanding how how comics were written at the time with what he actually wanted to say.

Despite the dated artwork and sometimes clunky stories, I can see why this run became the main well that writers keep pulling from to this day. For its time, it dealt with a lot of issues that mainstream comics avoided at the time, and it continued the company's fine tradition of hero teams that didn't actually get along consistently.

I'll probably pick up volume 2, but I may need to pace myself. There's a lot with mainstream comics prior to the 80's that needs to be forgiven in order to deal with. Casual racism, confusing artwork, cramped panel layouts, and clumsy dialogue all work against it, but the writing seemed to continually improve as it went. It's like I'm watching the formation of an artist's style. Compelling stuff for the comic book nerd who wants a little more context for present day books.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of this trade will actually be a brain dump about the X-Men in general - mostly.

I read the X-Men comics monthly for about ten years (let's say 1982 to 1992). I still fondly recall the first half of those stories (maybe up through Inferno, and along with New Mutants) but the older I got the less patience I had with Claremont's writing. People just didn't talk the way he made his characters talk. Not that other comic-book dialogue was BETTER, but it still grated on me. Then the art changed (Marc Silvestri, ugh), random characters like Longshot came in, Fall of the Mutants, and that was before the 90s really started rolling. Lucky, I suppose, that when I started college and ran out of disposable income, I missed out on the worst of 90's-era Marvel.

Recently I decided that since the X-Men are a sort of 'black hole' in my Marvel fandom, I ought to reconcile my dusty appreciation for these stories. I'm not interested in the Lee/Kirby era so I started with Wein, Claremont and Cockrum. Cockrum's art was really dynamic (especially every other face contorted in rage). Wolverine was distinctly NOT IMPORTANT. I would say that every other 'new' X-Man got more screen time. Scott Summers was still a jerk, and somehow built like Schwarzenegger. Most importantly to me, though, was the fact that Claremont's dialogue had not yet become so bad. You might chalk that up to his characters being "early" in the characterization process, but if that's the case, does that mean they were overwritten later?

Anyhow, the popularity and quality of these stories is not lost on me. It's great stuff. I plan on picking up the rest of these Masterworks in trade but once we hit Silvestri I make no guarantees.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t my favorite, but I think that has to do with the fact that I’m not as big a fan of older comics as I am of contemporary comics. I did really enjoy the addition of the “new X-Men”, such as Wolverine and Storm. And there were some pretty good fight scenes in this compilation. There are some confusing parts in it that I either missed because of issues not included in this compilation, or a failure on the writers to explain. In the beginning of the compilation, the “old X-Men” (Jean Gray, Alex Summers, etc) leave to make room for the new X-Men. But in the middle of the compilation, Jean Gray is just magically hanging out with the new X-Men and Scott Summers again and it’s never really explained how she got there. But that’s really my biggest complaint, and I’m sure someone better versed in the X-Men universe can explain it. Overall, a solid compilation.

[Nate Balcom · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic "masterwork" indeed! They don't make comics like this anymore. From the introduction of the new X-Men, resurgence of the sentinels, and the prelude to the Phoenix Saga, this one hits ALL the right beats for X-Men fans. I loved the classic style and witty commentary. The was clearly written back when writers thought their readers were intelligent. Always good to revisit my favorite comic series when I was a kid/teen... the X-Men.

[☠︎︎ A.K. ☠︎︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The debut of the new X-Men in Giant-Size X-Men #1 changed everything for the course of this comic book series back in 1975 - it brought life to a franchise that, previously, garnered limited interest, and it boasted an all-star lineup of mutants from around the globe. The popularity of the X-Men is all thanks to the impact Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum had on the revitalization of the team, and without their week it’s a guarantee that the X-Men wouldn’t be as massive as they are today.

So, how does the reboot of the series stand up in retrospect?

From the first few pages, I already noticed something special about this series. The art was drawn with care and appreciation, and the coloring is some of the most beautiful I’ve seen in any comic book.

And on top of the delightful art was Claremont’s poetic writing, which in itself is something worth admiring; take away the plot elements, and his prose still stands out as something very unique to comic books. There’s depth in Claremont’s writing and use of language - he isn’t simply trying to tell a story, he’s trying to engulf the reader entirely in the world of the comic. I think these were the first comics I read that had a creative voice that didn’t feel forced - Claremont’s style is believable and incredibly interesting.

In Giant-Size X-Men #1, the first issue in this collection, we’re introduced to a brand-new team that has become very iconic over the decades, and most of them are the mutants that people think of first when they hear the name X-Men. Most of these characters had enticing and promising introductions, making me excited to see the new team come together. It’s a strong start to a reemerging series and, once again, Claremont’s writing helps the work stand out. Once the team was assembled, it was a clash of various tempers and temperaments, and each X-Man, at one point or another, got the opportunity to show off their powers and abilities.

Once the X-Men encountered their first foe together, the stakes they faced were so creative and fun, but also very intense and well-written. It promised even more unique enemies, and the rest of the comics collected here didn’t disappoint - nearly every issue had unique foes to face, while also building towards the greater conflict that pops up at the very end in issue #100.

Despite the reputation that comics have of being goofy, Uncanny X-Men Vol. One shows that comic books can get serious too. When one character is mourning the loss of another, the writing acknowledges the difficulty of that loss, the art shows how much the character, Cyclops/Scott Summers, is struggling because of the blame he puts on himself. For a comic printed in 1975, the serious subject was handled quite well, and it helped me care for these characters even more.

Although this book certainly had its strengths, there are a few weaknesses that stood out to me, many of which stem from the era these stories were written in. When Marvel was bringing back the X-Men, whose series had been canceled for five years at that point, these new X-Men were hyped up as being a diverse team of people from around the globe. And even today, 45 years later, this run is still sometimes spoken of as if the cast is incredibly diverse.

But I think modern readers will see that that’s a bit of a cop-out. We’re introduced to seven new team members in Giant-Size X-Men #1 - 6 of the 7 are men, and 3 of the 7 are people of color. But before the end of the book, 2 of the 3 people of color are no longer a part of the team, leaving Storm/Ororo Monroe - the only woman and the last person of color - the job of representing minorities in a book designed to be a metaphor for real life minority groups. I understand that in the 1970s it was important to feature Russian or German characters in a positive way, hence the introduction of Colossus/Piotr Rasputin and Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner, but it still feels thoughtless to write two POC out of the team so quickly.

Aside from the obvious bias that modern readers will find regarding the POC in this story, the rest of this book is incredibly strong. The stories are fascinating, the writing is fantastic, and the artwork is absolutely beautiful. The characters are all unique, they grow on you, and they have varying relationships with each other that make the team dynamic interesting and believable. For anyone that grew up on the X-Men cartoons or movies, or for anyone that would like to start reading X-Men comics, Uncanny X-Men Vol. One is a great starting point - it’s the introduction to so many iconic characters, and it’s full of stories that are entertaining without becoming too complex to use you.

[Matty Dub · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read! The start by Wein is very rough, hardly out of the silver age with the dramatic forced dialogue but it serves a very important function as the genesis for the new team so its many flaws are easy to forgive. After 2 issues Wein leaves and Claremont takes over and it’s just incredible how fast he takes this mediocre franchise into good comics territory. His signature foreshadowing is immediately present a lot of stuff happens in these early issues that become staples that still endure today; the fastball special, Logan using his nose like a tracker… Ending mere pages before Jean encounters Phoenix just ramps up the excitement to keep going! Cockrum’s art is serviceable mostly although he’s excellent at the space stuff, he just draws a few characters so bad that it’s hard to not get excited at the thought of Byrne replacing him soon.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. It was interesting to go back and see what is apparently considered *the* classic X-Men comics after really enjoying the modern Joss Whedon X-Men. Being pretty new to reading comics, I'm surprised that the X-men universe is the first one to make me really enjoy the experience. This book is, in my opinion, not as good as the Joss Whedon version, but I do actually find a certain charm in the old style illustrations and overwritten, overly descriptive dialogue. I will probably read the next volume to get the conclusion of this story line, but don't feel the need to keep reading this era extensively.

[Dominic Sedillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The standout in this was when the X-men had to fight the Sentinels; it was awesome.

Len Wein doesn’t get enough credit for reviving the X-men with the monumental Giant Sized X-Men #1. I’m not taking anything away from Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s epic run following it, but people tend to forget Len Wein and Dave Cockrum reviving a failing book with an excellent new band of mutants.

Also, Warpath and Banshee are the standout favorites for me me in this arc. I love Banshee’s happy-go-lucky attitude and Warpath is kinda the proto-Wolverine; he’s a blunt object but he has heart and has major authority issues with Cyclops. RIP Warpath.

High recommend.

[Charlie Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeez, I think this might be one of the first runs I've read from the '70s. There's a big difference between that and comics from the '80s, '90s, '00s, and today's comics. It usually takes me about 10 issues to start really liking something, and it was cool to see how the X-Men are formed. I believe I'm about to see the Phoenix Saga in the next three volumes, so I am very excited for that. But to call this "essential X-Men content" is tough for new people getting into X-Men.