Essential X-Men, Vol. 4

Essential X-Men #4

by Chris Claremont (Text), Paul Smith, Dave Cockrum

Freaks. Nature's mistake. Mutants. They are born different, with characteristics and abilities that make them outcasts. Gathered together by telepath Professor Charles Xavier, the X-Men are sworn to protect a world that fears and hates them. Call them mutants, or Children of the Atom. Or call them the next genetic step for mankind. They are the X-Men. And this is their story.

COLLECTING:

Uncanny X-Men #162-179, Annual #7 & Marvel Graphic Novel #5

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, X Men, Marvel, Comic Book, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

568 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 1984

About the author

Chris 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.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 review: A whirlwind of superlative storytelling, that personally for me was one of the very high points of the comic book franchise with Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith coming up with so many momentous X-lore events as well as the Brood; the debut of Binary; the arrival of Lockheed; introducing Callisto, Sunder and the Morlocks; there was the super villain(!) Rogue joining the team, which is one of the best written stories in the entire mythos; and then there's the delicious suspense around Madeline Pryor and the mysteries that surround her.

There was also a superbly drawn and crafted huge personal shift for Storm; not to mention the formation of a new mutant team! How did they fit so much in and do it so well? For continuity lovers and people deep into the X-Men, this is their stories at their best, riding high and doing it very well! 9 out of 12, very firm Four Star read.

This trade paperback collects Uncanny X-Men #162-179 and Annual #6. This was peak Claremont X-Men! Peak X-Men! A reality with amazing woman characters like Storm, Kitty, Binary and Jean Grey, and then they bring on ROGUE!!!! I just can't get enough of this outstanding run.

2010, 2014, 2017 and 2023 read

[Malum · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're heading towards the middle of the '80s and the X-Men's popularity is blowing up. Dazzler, Magik, the New Mutants, and Wolverine all have their own spinoffs or limited series' by this point and Claremont continues to create characters and stories that will live forever. Much like he did with Dark Phoenix, he also continues to set up plot threads years in advance of them actually paying off. He is either a master at plotting or a master at retconning. Either way, it's really amazing.

Notable first appearances: Morlocks, Lockheed (officially, anyway. An imaginary Lockheed appeared in Kitty's fairy-tale last volume), Purifiers, William Stryker, Binary.

Notable events: "Brood Saga", "God loves, Man Kills", Rogue joins the X-Men (it's interesting how much everyone on the team absolutely despises her at first since she later goes on to be one of the greatest X-Men ever), Storm has a bit of a mid-life crises and gets a mohawk and a bad attitude.

[Μιχάλης · Rating 3 out of 5]

Θυμάμαι ότι ποτέ δε διάβαζα X-men γιατί έβρισκα δύσκολο το να παρακολουθήσω τόσους πολλούς χαρακτήρες με τόσους πολλούς παράλληλους τίτλους που ο ένας ενωνόταν με τον άλλον και υπήρχαν κάτι δεκαετίες ιστορίας.

Η ζημιά έγινε όταν διάβασα το Astonishing X-Men Omnibus που ήταν μία ιστορία με αρχή, μέση και τέλος (και μάλιστα καλή ιστορία) οπότε σκέφτηκα ότι το να πάω πίσω στην χρυσή εποχή του τίτλου και να δω τη δουλειά του Clairemont δε θα ήταν κακή φάση. Το Essential X-Men, Vol. 1 και κυρίως το Essential X-Men, Vol. 2 ήταν κλασσικοί τόμοι που είχαν ωριμάσει με έναν τρόπο που αναδείκνυε το πόσο φρέσκα ήταν στην εποχή τους και ακόμα παρέμεναν ευχάριστα αναγνώσματα.

Ε, ο συγκεκριμένος τόμος είναι η αρχή του τέλους, τουλάχιστον για εμένα. Οι ιστορίες δεν είναι άσχημες, φαίνεται όμως πλέον ότι έχουν περάσει πάνω από 30 χρόνια από τότε που εκδόθηκαν. Το πρόβλημα είναι ότι οι χαρακτήρες αρχίζουν να γίνονται πάρα πολλοί, άλλοι τίτλοι (πχ The New Mutants, Wolverine, Magik) να μπερδεύονται όλο και πιο συχνά στην αφήγηση και, το χειρότερο, ιστορίες που θα έπαιρναν 1 τεύχος να σπάνε σε 3 ή 4 επειδή υπάρχει ένας τόνος από υποπλοκές με τα σαπουνοπεροδράματα και τις εσωτερικές συγκρούσεις του εκάστοτε χαρακτήρα (δηλαδή μόνο τη Storm να πιάσουμε έχουμε να θάβουμε για μία πράγραφο).

Και πάλι όμως, έχουμε κι εδώ μία σειρά από εικονικές ιστορίες (το Brood, τους Morlocks, το ταξίδι του Wolverine στην Ιαπωνία και τη Madeline Prior) αλλά, για εμένα τουλάχιστον, η μαγεία έχει πάει περίπατο.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This set of X-Men issues has a little bit for everyone.

Space Adventure? Check! We have the Brood Saga.
Ultra-Super Powerful Hero? Check! We get the introduction of Binary.
Gritty brawling action? Got it! The Morlocks story begins in these pages.

What else is here? The New Mutants, Impossible Man, Lockheed the Dragon, the Hellfire Club, Silver Samurai, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and Rogue joins the X-Men. All of these are fantastic, but there is also the superb Graphic Novel 'God Loves, Man Kills' collected in this volume.

Last, but definitely not least, we are introduced to Madelyne Prior. She will become the focal point of lots of X-Men stories that follow.

This was good. Not the best X-Men stories, but still very entertaining, and it sets up so much down the road.

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I haven't read Essential X-men 1-3, so why did I start with 4? Well I am reading X-men for a pretty weird reason: Carol Danvers. You see like a lot of folks I've gotten into comics stuff with the rise of big blockbuster movies and the like. That being said, I started out focusing on smaller newer characters. There is just so much history to something like the X-men, where do I begin? It feels overwhelming! So I started reading Squirrel Girl, and Kamala Khan Ms. Marvel. This lead me to read the original Carol Danvers Ms. Marvel. And after that ended, it seems there there is a big sporadic lull in her catalogue for decades. In a perfect world there would be a volume that collects all her "here and there" appearances, but there aren't. So, I decided at least before I jump into the more modern Ms. Marvel titles, I could check out her next step after her original run. This contains the next steps of her adventures.

Of course, this book doesn't focus on Carol Danvers. It is an X-men book. She's neither a mutant nor an X-men, so the majority doesn't concern her. But as someone who is familiar with popular culture X-men stuff, the cartoons, video games, and movies, this book felt pretty familiar at times. It features some of the most classic and recognizable X-men, Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Colossus, and so on. It has some good moments of them too. Wolverine being tough guy typical Wolverine. Storm having inner turmoil and becoming punk rock mohawk Storm. Rogue leaving the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to Join the X-men. Cyclops falling in love again.... with a girl who mysterious looks exactly like the supposed to be dead Jean Grey.

And the Carol Danvers moments? Well they are not so plentiful, but they do feature her after losing her powers to Rogue, finding a new life with the powers of OUTER SPACE becoming Binary. It is an interesting direction they probably could have done more with over the years. That's ok, she eventually gets her due. Carol does feature in the very best moment in this whole collection: upon the very instant she sees Rogue, she literally punches her through the ceiling of the school for Gifted Mutants and into outer space. Brilliant.

There are plenty of high points. X-Men Graphic Novel #5 for example seems absolutely iconic. The art style in it does suffer due to the black and white print but it is still a shining example of the use of mutants in these comics as a stand in for racism and general prejudice.

There are also a lot of WTF moments. For example, I am pretty sure X-men writer Chris Claremont who got upset at the infamous "Rape of Ms. Marvel" writes every issue in here. So what does he include? The whole X-men gang getting forcibly impregnated by space bugs. A creepy relationship between 19 year old Colossus (who to be fair I thought was much older) and 14 year old Kitty Pryde. A way way way way creepier relationship between Caliban and Kitty Pryde. He basically tries to forcibly make her his child bride to live in filth and squalor, which she almost agrees to due to... a sense of guilt or honor or something? But since he calls it off at the very last second they part as friends. So messed up. Also for WTF moments, Cyclops sends Professor X a picture of himself and his new wife in bed on their honeymoon. I am not joking.

For low points there is a 4th wall breaking superhero treasure hunt that I'd just like to forget about. While it brought in a lot of cameos, it was pretty groan worthy. I guess it was probably fun for the writers though.

Other spoilers I'd like to mention because why not. This collection features, The Return of Dark Phoenix, except not really! The return of Galactus, except not really! The marriage of Wolverine, except not really! The Death of Kitty Pryde, except not really!

Overall this collection is a good example of comics as a whole. Sometimes it is trying its best to be serious, othertimes it is eye rollingly silly.

[***Dave Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Claremont's X-Men at their height, post-Byrne '82-'84, with the first big Brood story, plus Carol Danvers / Binary, the Starjammers, then Rogue, then Madeleine Pryor, then a wedding that doesn't happen, then a wedding that does happen, then Morlocks, then ...

You can begin to see the signs of decay in the quality of the book, though. The in-jokes and too-cute-for-words indulgences, the focus on Kitty Pryde as teenage reader proxy (said focus including, alas, Lockheed the Dragon -- played far too often for cutesy yocks). And if you think about it -- how many of the key elements of the period (space whales, Storm's death, Madeleine, the Morlocks, Lockheed, Amanda Sefton) still have impact on the present-day stories? (Granted, we're talking about going on thirty years ago, which is one of the problems with the comic world, but still ...)

On the other hand, there's some triffic stuff here. For one, sandwiched between Dave Cockrum and John Romita, Jr., we have Paul Smith's fantastic artwork, which covers some of the best stories in the volume, particularly the Wolverine/Mariko wedding adventure in Japan, and Madeleine Pryor as Dark Phoenix.

The book also contains a reprint of "God Loves, Man Kills," one of the first Marvel written-for-purpose graphic novels, and the (vague) inspiration for the second X-Men movie. It remains a an incredible work, hurt here only by the inexpensive black and white printing of Brent Anderson'spainted graphic novel.

This is an "essential" for fans of "early" X-Men, Chris Claremont, Paul Smith, and Wolverine.

[Mike McAdam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading the X-men comic books as a kid. I decided as an adult to go back and read them from the beginning. The first few dozen of this title were awful. Dumb stories told poorly. Over time, they got progressively better. I am now almost caught up to the where I started as a kid. This title finally found it's stride. The stories are fun and exciting. When it comes to science fiction, I always ask myself, "If this were to happen, could it happen like this?" At the beginning of the series, the answer would have been a resounding no but now, if this were to happen, I could see this being how it happened. Everything makes sense - nothing is ridiculous even in this realm of possibility... so I give this volume a huge thumbs up. I am ready for the next one!

[Jay Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madelyn Pryor and Lockheed debut, Scott and Maddy get married, the brood cause some shit, illyana rasputin is taken to limbo for seven years, rogue joins the team, wolverine gets ditched at the altar, professor x plays basketball, lilandra makes pancakes, Angel gets kidnapped and rescued with absolutely no real resolution for his character, storm gets a badass Mohawk and becomes leader of the morlocks, you know all your basic superhero shit.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collecting eighteen issues of 'Uncanny X-Men' from the early 80s, this book sees the mutant superheroes battling the Brood, Mastermind, the Morlocks, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and Dracula himself.

This volume brings back the longer story arcs which I had missed in the previous collection but sadly starts with the Brood Saga, which was this book's low point for me. There's simply nothing original or interesting about the Brood themselves, being half-hearted knockoffs of the Xenomorphs, and the artwork was particularly uninspiring.
Truth be told, the first quarter of this book felt like a real slog to get through and events within it, which should have been a massive deal, have little or no lasting consequences.

However, once the X-Men return to Earth the qualities of the stories (and art, for that matter) get much better. I particularly enjoyed the story arc set in Japan, where the X-Men are reunited with Wolverine, who has just come through the events of his first solo series a much-improved human being.
Whilst there's nothing here that holds up to the quality of the iconic X-Men run Claremont worked on with John Byrne, the rest of the book involves solid adventures that feel emotionally invested for the characters.

One last point I have to address is the romance subplots, which are pretty weird, although I have to say that Logan's relationship with Mariko is handled very well.
First off is Scott's relationship with Madeline Pryor. Whilst it's well-enough written, I can't help but feel weird about seeing these character go from meeting to marrying in the blink of an eye, more or less on the basis that Madeline looks identical to Scott's dead ex-girlfriend. That rings all kinds of alarm bells for me.
However, not so many alarm bells as the fact that Kitty Pryde is the subject of a fair amount of amorous attention. It's bad enough that she, at fourteen, is apparently in a relationship with the nineteen or twenty year old Colossus but then there's a whole storyline where she's kidnapped by the Morlocks to become Caliban's lover. At one point he strips her and puts her in a dress whilst she's unconscious and at another she's manipulated into marrying him so they're not 'living in sin'. She's fourteen!
(Perhaps I should just be glad that she's not depicted in her underwear as much as she was in the last volume).

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *

[Matt Sautman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Containing the X-Men’s first encounters with the Brood as well as the debut of Madelyn Prior and the return of Mastermind following his apparent demise in the Dark Phoenix Saga, this collection provides much to offer, but sadly the black and white printing does damage some of the visuals in the Brood saga story specifically. For issues with simpler visuals, especially in the latter sections of the book, the lose of color amplifies the skill of the line-work, especially in regard to the Kitty Pryde centered issue. Overall, this volume provides an inexpensive way to access core X-Men adventures in Claremont’s run that take place when Lilandra is heavily involved with the team but the stories take place mostly on earth.

[Buddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

[2.5 stars]

About 1/3 of the way through this volume (after the Brood stuff is out of the way), Claremon's X-Men characters at last begin to feel like something more than stick figures staggering through the melodrama-exposition-battle cycle. Sure, as color finally comes into their cheeks, some of the liveliness has too much soap opera about it--but it is much better than what came before. Previous to this, the only really satisfying Claremont storyline was the beginning of the Belasco/Illyana saga in issue #160.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there is a volume of Essential X-Men that gives Essential X-Men vol. 2 in bang for your buck, it is volume four. The back half of the Broodwar. The now controversial (but in my opinion brilliant) stories 'Professor Xavier is a Jerk!' and 'God Loves, Man Kills'. The introduction of the Morlocks. The wedding of Wolverine. Rogue joining the X-Men. And that annual... well... I've always had a soft spot for The Impossible Man. Really, when the issue where The X-Men have their first meeting with The New Mutants is considered a 'lesser issue' in your volume... you're done a good job.

[Jdetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the cosmic stories in this volume are just not that interesting (the X-Men in space are never as interesting as Claremont thinks they are) and while Paul Smith's run as artist helps (because his art is amazing), the stories don't make much sense. And then we begin to see the stylistic dialogue, where every character speaks in the same cadence, emerge from Claremont's pen and the series just begins to bog down.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only needed this volume for the few issues that weren't in the third omnibus. And since I am unable to get the fourth volume of the omnibus at this time, I narrowed down where to pick up with this Essential Volume.

That said, the issues I did read along side the issues that were in the omnibus were really good. God Loves, Man Kills was my favorite story arc in this Essential.

[Greg Callahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5) great volume! I mean, superb. Strong character development with all of the X-Men, some very high stakes story arcs, and some great pencilling towards the end by Romita Jr. That said, the artwork from Paul Smith was truly the only negative. His drawing of Storm is often just awful. Like, truly dreadful.

[Chaitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stars are for God Loves Man Kills and Rogue. Storm is going through her emo-goth phase and I do not like it. It's half hearted and has gone on too long. I do like the look, it's the sudden reversal to everything she ever stood for that I don't like. I understand that she had to go through a personal journey but one is coming up if I'm not mistaken, and that was enough.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great book and I recommend it to anyone who likes superhero's or the X-men.

[Mary Shyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

CALIBAAAAAAAN 😭😭😭😭

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun with some excellent stories; the Brood and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants being the two that stand out

[Shaun Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first xmen comics were the xmen classics contained in this volume. What a delightful ride through memories!

[Toad Soup · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claremont… when I get my hands on you for the underage Kitty x Peter ship…. You’re gonna regret it…

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The essential picks up off the last essential's cliffhanger and starts with what I suppose I would call the Brood saga proper. I am not sure why I like the Brood so much, but I think my initial read of this story actually set off some degree of actual dread and fear from the Brood. Which is not to say I have liked later uses of the Brood. But this initial story is one of my favorites. Though it does begin to mark the ascension of Wolverine into an -est character (meaning whatever adjective you want you can put the -est at the end of it). This is one of the more annoying things with the character that lives on to this day. The New Mutants also start playing into the picture. Starting out the two books (Uncanny and New Mutants) do a good job of complimenting each other without requiring you to read the other book. That will unfortunately start to break down in later volumes. You get Rogue becoming a member (which I like her character when no one else trusts her, as I seem to always like outcast characters), Madelyn Prior (it's amazing how long it takes for her mystery to reveal), a trip to Japan where Storm decides she needs less hair and less rules, the Morlocks introduction, three attempts at weddings (one of which succeeds), plus more.

I actually think that Claremont is finally starting to find his narrative voice. Which is funny considering he is well past his most famous comics. And I am not actually saying these issues are better than those famous ones I mentioned. I have been kinda ignoring Claremont in these reviews so I should probably give him a few more words finally. Claremont's pre-90s-hiatus work on the X-Men is impressive, but it has a lot more to do with his longevity (somewhere over 13+ years on Uncanny X-Men and related titles) then being some masterful storyteller. I really wonder how much of the success of the earlier stories had to do with John Byrne who obviously had story ideas of his own. But this essential marks the beginning of Claremont starting to work out the cracks that will finally begin to break up the new group of X-Men. Some people don't like the direction he starts to go, but it can be hard to leave the status quo everyone knows. That is probably why X-Men always returns and is often stuck in the one status quo.

To expand more on this particular essential, Claremont is starting to fill out some better characterizations for his characters. Some of this judgment is also based on reading the concurrent New Mutants issues, but he really seems to be getting a feel for comic storytelling in more forms than he had been operating on before. However, to further explain my above comments, this may be his artistic heyday, but that does not mean the heyday of a master storyteller. It is the heyday of a decent storyteller (or was a decent storyteller). I think it also more of him doing what he wants, so it is not for everyone.

As for art, this essential starts with a couple Cockrum issues, but then Paul Smith steps in and boy does that help matters. When I originally read this I wasn't sure what to think of Paul Smith's art. It looked great but it also felt a bit awkward. My problem, I believe now, was that Paul Smith doesn't exactly draw 'superhero' style characters. Which I now appreciate. My few complaints are that his character sometimes look like they are in dancer poses, which looks a tad silly, and two, I am not sure how good he is at creating interesting styled characters. I think the Morlocks could have potentially been a much more interesting bunch if it wasn't for Paul Smith being the artist at the time of their inception.

By the end of this essential John Romita Jr. returns (he did Annual #4) and has figured out his own style. It isn't quite how he draws now, but the connection is obvious. He's a funny fellow for me. I don't exactly prefer him, but I usually end up enjoying his art more than I expect. In this case, it is solid enough but I think still too early in his development. If I recall correctly, by the end of his run on Uncanny he has grown quite a bit. I guess I shall see. (Oh and John Romita Sr. comes into ink one of his son's issues. That was pretty cool.)

The included annual brings back Bill Sienkiewicz as an artist and follows up on the story that he drew back in the last essential. You know, the one I felt entirely out of place and hokey. So... can't say I liked this one either.

First appearances: Lockheed(!), Morlocks (Callisto, Leech(!), etc.), Madelyn Prior, and probably some others I am forgetting.

Collects The Uncanny X-Men #162-179 and Annual #6. (apparently new versions have God Loves Man Kills... I feel gypped! Oh wait I have an original copy. Never mind.)

[Kae-Leigh Patricia Tapscott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated Essential X-Men, Vol. 4 5 stars because it’s a fantastic continuation of the X-Men saga that dives deeper into the characters and their struggles. This volume features some of the most memorable moments in X-Men history, and I loved how it balanced epic action with meaningful character development. From the tension-filled battles to the emotional growth of the X-Men, this collection had it all.

The dynamic between characters like Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm really stood out to me, as well as the exploration of their personal challenges and teamwork. The storyline keeps you engaged with its complex villains, high stakes, and rich emotional depth. Plus, the art is incredible, capturing the raw intensity of the action while adding layers to the quieter, more emotional scenes.

Whether you're a long-time X-Men fan or just starting to explore the series, Essential X-Men, Vol. 4 is a must-read for its strong narrative, powerful themes, and unforgettable moments. It definitely earned its 5-star rating from me.

[Paul Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

by Chris Claremont, Paul Smith, Dave Cockrum, John Romita Jr. & Brent Anderson, published in 2006.

As I continue to read through the available Essential X-Men collections (all in black in white) I find myself enjoying then even more. And this, Essential X-Men Vol. 4 has exactly what I’ve been waiting for.

The addition of Rogue into the fold. Yes, Rogue is my favourite character from the X-Men Universe - but not the movie version, more an amalgamation of the TV show and the comics. But don’t expect Rogue to look like her TV version until much later in the comic run. Check out the cover of Vol. 4 to see how she started out.

And Ms. Marvel, who has lost her powers to Rogue permanently, gets her revenge when she becomes Binary - a version of Phoenix light I find - and confronts Rogue in the Xavier mansion. She, um, punches Rogue clear through the roof. Sweet stuff, and of course Rogue is unhurt.

But in this volume comprising Uncanny X-Men 162-179 and Annual # 7, the Marvel Graphic Novel “God Love, Man Kills), and Rogue’s invulnerability is tested as well as her loyalty to the X-Men - her new family. I think she passes admirably, but then again I’m bias towards her. So, enough of Rogue (who joins in # 171), let me talk a little more about the rest of the run.

For one Storm begins to transform, and not just into a punk rock star (well that’s how I see her new dew and leathers . . . um, yes you heard right) but inside she is beginning to question her “never kill” edict and actually does kill the leader of the Morlocks (Callisto) to become leader herself out of necessity.

We see the end of the Brood war (evil bug aliens - gotta like that), and the X-Men have some internal troubles because of it - can’t spoil your fun though by telling. As I mentioned before Ms. Marvel actually transforms into Binary a truly kick-ass intergalactic powerhouse who is essential in putting an end to the Brood for good.

The Marvel Graphic Novel “God Love, Man Kills” included in this collection is actually pretty close to the third feature film - so if you liked that film you will enjoy the book better but the black and white printing makes the novel very, very dark (no pun intended - okay, I intended it ) . . .

Another theme running through this run is weddings. Yup, you heard correctly. Weddings - and not one but three. Well okay one actual wedding and two almosts. Still, pretty altar heavy and not seen in the earlier Essential collections.

And once more we see the X-Men tangle with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants lead by Mystique. Does anyone like The Blob?

And lastly it is worth mentioning (a few things) that we get a Kitty costume page showing her transformation over time, as well as the new illustrator Paul Smith. I must admit I was thrown by a change in art, but you do get used to it. And what was with the Annual # 7? It was very odd and we even see the X-Men trash the offices of Marvel Comics which was odd by actually pretty funny.

A collection worth picking up for sure. Now, on to more Rogue in Essential X-Men 5.

[Monean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comic book is defintely amazing!

[Maurice Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was X-Men at their best. This collection starts off with the Brood saga, a thrilling space story where the X-Men thought they were going to die. The Brood queen implanted eggs in the X-Men, Lilandra and Professor X (who was left behind on Earth when the Brood captured the others). Wolverine's healing factor killed his egg, but the others faced a fate worse than death- transformation into Brood queens. Carol Danvers wasn't implanted with an egg, but the Brood did experiment on her. They accidentally unleashed cosmic power in her and she became Binary.

When the X-Men found a way to escape their fate, they had to race back to Earth and do the same for Professor X- before he could use the newly assembled New Mutants the same way the Brood queen tried to use the X-Men.

Next came Callisto and her Morlocks. Storm had to lead her team into the tunnels beneath New York to save the Angel from Callisto's clutches (she intended to make him her boy toy). From there Rogue joined the team so that Professor X could help her with her out-of-control power. She came along just in time to accompany them to Japan for Wolverine's marriage to Mariko Yashida. Unfortunately, Mastermind screwed that up, but the team got to meet Cyclops' new girlfriend Madeline Pryor (a dead ringer for Jean Grey).

Mastermind tried to use Madeline to trick the team into thinking Phoenix was back and to get them to kill her and Scott, but they turned the tables on him. After another set-to with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and the Morlocks, the team was swept away into the Secret Wars- by the Beyonder. The collection ended there, with the team kidnapped and Kitty Pryde in the clutches of the White Queen.

This portion of X-history to me is one of the best-period.

[Leila Anani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collection of Uncanny X-Men #162-179 and Annual #6 (1982/3) - Classic X-Men at its finest. This is my favourite X-Men collection to date -

The first third have the X-men's encounter with the brood who lay eggs inside them and only Wolverine is able to get free. As much as I generally dislike the alien/shi'ar arcs, this one is brilliant.

We also have a Wolverine in Japan arc - Mariko, Yukio and the Silver Samurai all feature. Anyone who loves recent movie: The Wolverine will love this.

There's a Callisto/Morlock arc which is rather fun. The referencing of Barbarella, H.G. Welles and the phantom of the opera is really well handled.

The annual has a one off Tomb of Dracula crossover where storm becomes a vampire and our heroes fight Dracula.

The other major story involves Rogue leaving the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and Mystique's attempts to get her back.

Classic villains Sebastian Shaw, Jason Wingarde and Arcade also make appearances. Nice development arcs for Kitty Pryde, Storm, Cyclops, Colossus, Wolverine and Nightcrawler.

Despite not featuring Magneto this is a particularly good collection. The stories are strong and exciting and its fairly complete in and of itself rather than some of the other collections which I've found to be a little disjointed.

Absolute must have for X-Men fans.

[Sam Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. The brood saga is Claremont finally
Overcoming his bad writing tics and becoming truly incentive with story structure. God loves man kills is possibly the best xmen I've read so far, maybe one of the best comics in general. There are dodgy moments and the Madeline Pryor/Scott stuff is so so fast it's kinda mind boggling. Rogue is amazing, wolverines fight scenes in the wedding issues are perfect, kitty grows up more and storm develops into the most complete and compelling character on the team. And we can have a break from the space stuff which is actually much needed (no offense). Around issue 170 things get to a level I have never read in comics before. These are sexy, powerful, subtle and deeply moving stories. Storm especially- she and yukio totally are doing it and her physical change afterwards leads to the best costume and character design in xmen history. I can't say enough about these; suffice to say they will be reread many, many times.

[Jeremiah Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, my friends, is a book! Oh MAN, it starts off with this sci-fi story involving aliens who eat you from the inside and take on your personality. Is it a knock-off of 'Alien?" WHO CARES, IT'S X-MEN DEPRESSED IN SPACE. Then there's an issue where the X-Men go on dates. There's a friendly dragon. Wolverine in Japan. There's an evil preacher. I loved this. I was sorry that I finished it. I give Essential X-Men, Vol. 4 two dead legs, because that's what I often had while reading this book as it made me sit on the toilet too long. Oh, and there's also mutants who live in the sewers. And Storm goes through some important life changes. Cyclops gives a killer speech too. This is comic book writing and art at its best.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this volume. This was the only essential volume that my library system had, so for years these were the only X-Men comics I had ever actually read. It has Rogue joining the X-Men, Carol Danvers being repowered, the Morlocks story which totally blew my mind when I first read it after having seen the pg cartoon version, Storm's first major story arc (yes she has more than one) and Wolverine in Japan. Also GLMK but I'm not into that.

For non-readers who only know the X-Men through adaptations, notice how all of the things I just mentioned except one are about female characters? Yeah the comics are way better about that than the movies. WAY BETTER. Collects Uncanny X-Men 162-179, Annual 7 and the graphic novel.