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Essential X-Men #5
Essential X-Men, Vol. 5
The X-Men face off with some of their greatest foes in this all-new edition - including the Juggernaut, Doctor Doom and the Hellfire Club's newest recruits, the Hellions - and team up with the Avengers, Spider-Man, Power Pack and more! Featuring the first appearances of Forge and Nimrod, and a chapter from the legendary SECRET WARS II crossover! Plus: Parts I and II of Claremont and Windsor-Smith's "Lifedeath." Collecting: Uncanny X-Men #180-198; Annual #7-8
632 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 1985
12 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Chris Claremont
3,268 books884 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 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 20, 2023
Featuring the ramifications of the Mutant Control Act that was predominate in the United States at the time. The debuts of Nimrod, Naze, Amiko, Forge and the X-Men timeline debut of Rachel Summers. The Rachel Summers mess begins this far back, where Claremont never really nails down her character. The supreme piece of work is the Chris Claremont/Barry Windsor Smith 2-parter X-Men: Lifedeath - Storm coming to terms with her very personal tragedy, an absolute masterpiece.
Such a small X-Men team, allowed such deep character fleshing out for Storm, Rogue, Ariel/Sprite, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Colossus. The integration of the New Mutants in their lives was done so deftly and light touch. And artist John Romita Jnr's tidy art really cleaned up the look of this best selling comic at the time. Onwards and upwards with this 8 out of 12, Four Star read. More spellbinding peak Claremont, collecting Uncanny X-Men #180-198 & Annual #8 & X-Men/Alpha Flight.
2023, 2017, 2014 and 2010 read
Such a small X-Men team, allowed such deep character fleshing out for Storm, Rogue, Ariel/Sprite, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Colossus. The integration of the New Mutants in their lives was done so deftly and light touch. And artist John Romita Jnr's tidy art really cleaned up the look of this best selling comic at the time. Onwards and upwards with this 8 out of 12, Four Star read. More spellbinding peak Claremont, collecting Uncanny X-Men #180-198 & Annual #8 & X-Men/Alpha Flight.
2023, 2017, 2014 and 2010 read
August 6, 2019
In this volume, The X-Men stories continue to evolve and mature, with interpersonal relationships becoming just as important as the fist fights. This is also where "humanity hates mutants" starts to really become a main issue. The last handful of issues were kind of meh for me (how many times are the X-Men going to get stuck in Arcade's Murderworld???), but overall this is a very solid volume.
Notable first appearances: Forge, Nimrod, Firestar, Fenris
Notable stories: "Lifedeath", "Lifedeath II", "An Age Undreamed of" (a bizarre yet fun story about the Marvel universe becoming Hyperborean warriors in an alternate dimension and facing off against a Conan villain)
Notable first appearances: Forge, Nimrod, Firestar, Fenris
Notable stories: "Lifedeath", "Lifedeath II", "An Age Undreamed of" (a bizarre yet fun story about the Marvel universe becoming Hyperborean warriors in an alternate dimension and facing off against a Conan villain)
April 11, 2016
This volume reprints Uncanny X-Men #180 - 198, X-Men Annual #8, and X-Men/Alpha Flight #1-2.
I call this period on the series a major turning point. The title shifted from super-hero adventure to personal drama, social commentary, and deep inspection of relationships and trust.
The first issue (#180) leads right in to Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars. Events in that crossover led to changes in the team dynamics and internal relationships. The relationship between Kitty Pryde and Colossus hits a very rough time. There are some conflicts over who should lead the X-Men...especially into battle. Then, their long-time enemy, Magneto, is brought into the fold by Professor X. The team will never be the same after this volume.
As the book goes on, so much happens that impacted Marvel Comics for years. The biggest may be the introduction of the Mutant Control Act. Anti-mutant racism begins to spread and take its toll on many members of the team. Storm undergoes a major change, Xavier is attacked, and no-one is safe. There is even a tie in to the Secret Wars II crossover later in the collection.
This volume also introduces some major characters to the X-Men story. Forge, Nimrod and Rachel Summers debut. Selene (from early New Mutants issues) returns from "death" to join the Hellfire Club.
The highlight of this entire book is the Lifedeath and Lifedeath II storylines that take a closer look at Storm and her journey to find herself.
So much good is packed in here for X-Men and Marvel fans. I recommend!
I call this period on the series a major turning point. The title shifted from super-hero adventure to personal drama, social commentary, and deep inspection of relationships and trust.
The first issue (#180) leads right in to Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars. Events in that crossover led to changes in the team dynamics and internal relationships. The relationship between Kitty Pryde and Colossus hits a very rough time. There are some conflicts over who should lead the X-Men...especially into battle. Then, their long-time enemy, Magneto, is brought into the fold by Professor X. The team will never be the same after this volume.
As the book goes on, so much happens that impacted Marvel Comics for years. The biggest may be the introduction of the Mutant Control Act. Anti-mutant racism begins to spread and take its toll on many members of the team. Storm undergoes a major change, Xavier is attacked, and no-one is safe. There is even a tie in to the Secret Wars II crossover later in the collection.
This volume also introduces some major characters to the X-Men story. Forge, Nimrod and Rachel Summers debut. Selene (from early New Mutants issues) returns from "death" to join the Hellfire Club.
The highlight of this entire book is the Lifedeath and Lifedeath II storylines that take a closer look at Storm and her journey to find herself.
So much good is packed in here for X-Men and Marvel fans. I recommend!
February 6, 2016
Τα δύο τεύχη με την ιστορία της Storm (Lifedeath 1&2) είναι διαμάντια. Ο υπόλοιπος τόμος είναι filler και μάλιστα κακό filler: γίνονται διάφορα που χάνονται σε άλλους τίτλους (Secret Wars 2, New Mutants κλπ) ο ρυθμός πάει σέρνοντας και πλοκές χτίζονται στην ταχύτητα του γεφυριού της Άρτας...
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November 5, 2015
This is a good, solid collection of some enjoyable issues of the Uncanny X-Men. Some are great, others not so much. Included are the spectacularly and beautifully executed Lifedeath issues by Chris Claremont & Barry Windsor-Smith and the arrival of lesser efforts in the X-Men corner of the Marvel Universe, Nimrod and Rachel Summers in a weak attempt to recreate and perpetuate the classic Days of Future Past arc and the tragic character of the Phoenix. More and more Clsremont would rely less on his strengths and fall back on past successes by refusing to move beyond old story elements. While the stories here are good, they also mark the beginning of this trend away from the era of renaissance in the title that Claremont helped ignite. His work on this title helped keep Marvel afloat through some tumultuous times for the company and his contribution should never be understanded, but after the issues confined here the future of the X-Men became one of increase reliance of gimmicks and crossovers instead of on original and provocative ideas.
October 4, 2015
3/5.
This volume gets a little more episodic, and a little more sprawling simultaneously. Thus, I will proceed to give an episodic and sprawling review, to capture the feel of the book.
New Mutants is in full swing, so Claremont is playing with way too many characters, and he seems determined to follow real world rules--if someone is busy in another comic this month, you won't see them here.
Also, crossovers start with Secret Wars, which happens in between two issues in this volume. A Secret Wars II crossover sticks its nose in near the end. Lots of crossovers with Rom happen early on, as well. Good luck getting your hands on collected editions of Rom for the rest of the story, though.
Let's get down to specifics: Claremont still insists on spending way too much time with his favorite characters, and it's pretty much the girls. We spend waaay too many issues with Storm, including a lot of time after she's lost her powers and left the X-Men. We spend time with Rogue lamenting her personality disorders, which is actually a pretty solid plot idea. We spend a lot of time on the drama between Kitty and Colossus, now that he's fallen in love with some minor character who died during Secret Wars. We spend pretty much zero time with my favorite, Nightcrawler.
Leadership of the team gets passed around like a stinking fish. Storm, Xavier, Kitty, Nightcrawler...pretty much everyone "leads" the team temporarily. Although, since they mostly spend their time careening between events (this is the least pro-active super-team ever), I don't know how much leading needs to be done.
Rachel Summers comes back from the future, but that plotline isn't really explored at all. Everyone's just like, "meh, ok, time travel, alternature future, Jean's daughter, whatever. You're on the team." Actually, this is a bit jarring--stuff's happening fast, so I guess we're busy, but the first time we spend with Rachel isn't her telling us all about her time period, or the stuff she's here to change, it's her at the mall with Kitty. (!) (?)
This volume starts teasing the Mutant Control Act, but that plotline doesn't really manifest. It's just left to simmer for 20 or so issues.
Selene shows up and, like in the case of Rachel, she just sort of lingers with no real purpose or forward motion. It's not really clear what exactly she wants, except to cause trouble. Similarly, the Morlocks keep showing up for random little adventures, with no overarching purporse. Also, Nimrod appears. I know he becomes a major villain. But mostly, he just spends his time here getting in fistfights with people and surfing the internet. Again, it seems like Claremont introduced this character, but had no idea exactly what to do with him.
In fact, a lack of big, overarching plotlines is the real weakness of the series. Claremont spends plenty of time on the Rom / hunt for Rogue / Storm losing her power /Storm and Forge piece, but everything else is sort of meandering one-shots. There are separate good ideas, but nothing is really going anywhere.
This volume also includes LifeDeath, which is alright. I am unable to see the real appeal for this, though.
For the record, I actually really like the strange, creepy Rom villains used here. They're sort of pod people / Man-Thing derivatives, and I don't know why they're magic, but I did like them.
Kulan Gath! Surely this is part of a larger crossover? It seems fairly parenthetical to be the whole story, but it also has all the main events, so I'm not sure what to make of it.
Xavier gets attacked by some street thugs and nearly killed. Other than putting him off the "battle team" temporarily, this isn't really explored. You would think this would have larger ramifications than it does. It does at least tie in to a murder plot later in the series, but it still lacks the punch you would think "nearly beaten to death" would have. In possibly-related news, Magneto joins the team for reasons that never become clear. Perhaps the vital scene happened in another issue? I actually never could figure it out.
Also included: two annuals which I'm pretty sure are the worst annuals I've ever read.
So there you have it: all the pomp and grandeur of something like the Dark Phonix Saga, but with no punch. There's still tons of great stuff here, and Claremont's characters are as terribly stereotypical, melodramatic, and human as ever. But, yeah, where are we going?
This volume gets a little more episodic, and a little more sprawling simultaneously. Thus, I will proceed to give an episodic and sprawling review, to capture the feel of the book.
New Mutants is in full swing, so Claremont is playing with way too many characters, and he seems determined to follow real world rules--if someone is busy in another comic this month, you won't see them here.
Also, crossovers start with Secret Wars, which happens in between two issues in this volume. A Secret Wars II crossover sticks its nose in near the end. Lots of crossovers with Rom happen early on, as well. Good luck getting your hands on collected editions of Rom for the rest of the story, though.
Let's get down to specifics: Claremont still insists on spending way too much time with his favorite characters, and it's pretty much the girls. We spend waaay too many issues with Storm, including a lot of time after she's lost her powers and left the X-Men. We spend time with Rogue lamenting her personality disorders, which is actually a pretty solid plot idea. We spend a lot of time on the drama between Kitty and Colossus, now that he's fallen in love with some minor character who died during Secret Wars. We spend pretty much zero time with my favorite, Nightcrawler.
Leadership of the team gets passed around like a stinking fish. Storm, Xavier, Kitty, Nightcrawler...pretty much everyone "leads" the team temporarily. Although, since they mostly spend their time careening between events (this is the least pro-active super-team ever), I don't know how much leading needs to be done.
Rachel Summers comes back from the future, but that plotline isn't really explored at all. Everyone's just like, "meh, ok, time travel, alternature future, Jean's daughter, whatever. You're on the team." Actually, this is a bit jarring--stuff's happening fast, so I guess we're busy, but the first time we spend with Rachel isn't her telling us all about her time period, or the stuff she's here to change, it's her at the mall with Kitty. (!) (?)
This volume starts teasing the Mutant Control Act, but that plotline doesn't really manifest. It's just left to simmer for 20 or so issues.
Selene shows up and, like in the case of Rachel, she just sort of lingers with no real purpose or forward motion. It's not really clear what exactly she wants, except to cause trouble. Similarly, the Morlocks keep showing up for random little adventures, with no overarching purporse. Also, Nimrod appears. I know he becomes a major villain. But mostly, he just spends his time here getting in fistfights with people and surfing the internet. Again, it seems like Claremont introduced this character, but had no idea exactly what to do with him.
In fact, a lack of big, overarching plotlines is the real weakness of the series. Claremont spends plenty of time on the Rom / hunt for Rogue / Storm losing her power /Storm and Forge piece, but everything else is sort of meandering one-shots. There are separate good ideas, but nothing is really going anywhere.
This volume also includes LifeDeath, which is alright. I am unable to see the real appeal for this, though.
For the record, I actually really like the strange, creepy Rom villains used here. They're sort of pod people / Man-Thing derivatives, and I don't know why they're magic, but I did like them.
Kulan Gath! Surely this is part of a larger crossover? It seems fairly parenthetical to be the whole story, but it also has all the main events, so I'm not sure what to make of it.
Xavier gets attacked by some street thugs and nearly killed. Other than putting him off the "battle team" temporarily, this isn't really explored. You would think this would have larger ramifications than it does. It does at least tie in to a murder plot later in the series, but it still lacks the punch you would think "nearly beaten to death" would have. In possibly-related news, Magneto joins the team for reasons that never become clear. Perhaps the vital scene happened in another issue? I actually never could figure it out.
Also included: two annuals which I'm pretty sure are the worst annuals I've ever read.
So there you have it: all the pomp and grandeur of something like the Dark Phonix Saga, but with no punch. There's still tons of great stuff here, and Claremont's characters are as terribly stereotypical, melodramatic, and human as ever. But, yeah, where are we going?
February 8, 2011
First half of the book: This is a painful downfall from the previous awesomeness. The stories are ridiculous, creatures popping out of nowhere, so my favourite characters (Wolverine and Kiity Pride) - rather left the scene into their own mini-series. Yes, the days of a pleasant feel of continuity are long gone, with new series like New Mutants and others yet to come, there are many new unfimiliar characters appearing and it's quite a mess. What's more - the art started to deteriorate. Although Romita, Jr. is one of my favourite artists, this book presents the worst and the most hasty art I've seen in X-Men so far. The second half of the book, however, was considerably better. Bit still the weakest Essential X-Men book so far.
September 3, 2010
This is the X-men that I grew up with. Reading it now? Soap opera for boys (or at least this boy). Long before Smallville, Claremont had figured out teen-angst mixed with kicking butt. Surprised just how talky this stuff is today. And dude, I don't think Claremont can go a page without a thought-bubble.
In this Volume the spectre of the 80's rears it's ugly head - just check out Kitty's head-band and mullet on the cover. Ow. On the plus side Storm continues her new-wave punk look, waaaaay better than the goddess stuff.
In this Volume the spectre of the 80's rears it's ugly head - just check out Kitty's head-band and mullet on the cover. Ow. On the plus side Storm continues her new-wave punk look, waaaaay better than the goddess stuff.
June 29, 2024
Pros: X-Men history. A lot of the X-Men '97 speed run is spelled out in this volume, Magneto joins the club (sometimes), Storm loses her mojo, Prior Jean Grey is prior Goblin Queen, Forge's story is better explained.
Colossus gets a lot of screentime and character development, and Nightcrawler became leader of the X-Men. I did not know this.
And of all the out of left field stuff, Rachel Summers. Look, clearly she needs meds, maybe don't put the walking atomic bomb in a bunch of anxiety inducing situations, Xavier?
Cons: See New Mutants #4 for the resolution. Explained in Secret Wars II. See Power Pack #9 for details. So many plot lines unresolved because they are not included in this volume. Kinda annoying.
And Arcade. oof. Not all the ideas pan out.
Colossus gets a lot of screentime and character development, and Nightcrawler became leader of the X-Men. I did not know this.
And of all the out of left field stuff, Rachel Summers. Look, clearly she needs meds, maybe don't put the walking atomic bomb in a bunch of anxiety inducing situations, Xavier?
Cons: See New Mutants #4 for the resolution. Explained in Secret Wars II. See Power Pack #9 for details. So many plot lines unresolved because they are not included in this volume. Kinda annoying.
And Arcade. oof. Not all the ideas pan out.
March 11, 2024
The volume started off great, u was loving every storyarc and having a grand old time....Until the events of Secret Wars 2 interrupted everything. Stars above, I hate it when outside events effect the course of a story. If they can't include the event in the publication, they can, at the very least, include a brief synopsis so that I'm not wondering who the hell this or that person is or what the hell happened between two characters like Colossus and Kitty. My overall enjoyment wasn't greatly effected, but it did keep me from blasting through this volume.
April 20, 2018
The long Claremont run takes a leap forward with the art of John Romita, Jr. And the issues illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith are, of course, gorgeous. However, all the Selene stuff is pretty uninspired, the melodrama is thicker than needed, there's a lot of choppiness in the stories (partly due to cross-overs with other titles), all the harping on the bigotry chord gets very old, and the two Annuals at the end of the volume are forgettable.
April 18, 2022
As I've gotten older, I've learned to appreciate--honestly, even love--John Romita Jr's art in these issues. It pales in comparison to Paul Smith's impeccable brilliance, but the storytelling is absolutley there, and way better than I remembered.
July 16, 2017
Ugh. We are deep into the Claremont years and it's starting to become a slog. This man needs an editor with a firmer hand.
April 26, 2025
I rated Essential X-Men, Vol. 5 5 stars because it’s an absolute must-read for any X-Men fan. This volume is packed with iconic moments, thrilling storylines, and intense character development. The action is non-stop, and I loved revisiting classic stories like the "Dark Phoenix Saga" and "Days of Future Past," which are as engaging as ever.
What I really appreciated was how well this volume balanced epic superhero battles with deeper, more personal moments for the characters. The relationships between the X-Men, their struggles with identity, and the themes of acceptance are as relevant now as when these comics were originally released.
The artwork in this collection is fantastic, capturing both the emotion and the action of the story perfectly. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to the X-Men universe, Essential X-Men, Vol. 5 is a thrilling, powerful read that had me hooked from start to finish.
What I really appreciated was how well this volume balanced epic superhero battles with deeper, more personal moments for the characters. The relationships between the X-Men, their struggles with identity, and the themes of acceptance are as relevant now as when these comics were originally released.
The artwork in this collection is fantastic, capturing both the emotion and the action of the story perfectly. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to the X-Men universe, Essential X-Men, Vol. 5 is a thrilling, powerful read that had me hooked from start to finish.
February 20, 2009
This is where you start to feel that you don't get the full story in the pages of the Essential. And it is a tad frustrating. These big ol' collections are great for a continuity nut, but New Mutants starts playing so strongly into book and mini-series are starting to pop up, and there's that whole Secret Wars deal. What is more, Claremont wanders a bit through this essential. He's really starting to shake up the team but he doesn't seem to quite have a definite plan.
It isn't all bad though. Rachel Summers swings into the spotlight a bit, which annoys many others, but I find her story interesting at least in potential if not execution. Actually, she may be the true downfall of this period of books. But my hope in her potential carries me through. Rogue has a good psychotic episode.
The two Barry Windsor-Smith illustrated stories are intended to be the highlights of the book. When they put the title on the front like that someone is banking on it being a classic story everyone will remember. Mostly I just see cheap copies of Life-Death I everywhere. I enjoyed Life-Death II better. Neither is a bad story, and Windsor-Smith's art is appreciable if not especially interesting to me.
Most of the book is John Romita Jr. art. I was getting frustrated with him at the start, it kinda cooled down towards the end. I seem to always be swinging between liking and disliking his art at this point. It is kinda frustrating. I almost want someone I can stand on one side of the fence or the other on. You can also tell he's drawing in the 80s. Mullets and big hair and Rachel's bizarre (it seriously looks like an exercise) costume and her rat tail. It all just looks really bad and dated. But good for a laugh.
Anyways, Claremont is still ripping up the foundation and he is going to keep it up for some time. A lot of people don't like this because they want to read a familiar X-Men comic, but it is nice to be free from the status quo. Claremont doesn't excel in his freedom at this point. I wonder if he was afraid to move too far from the status quo. In the end he will move much further and then restore everything back to the way it was just in time to leave the ship.
It isn't all bad though. Rachel Summers swings into the spotlight a bit, which annoys many others, but I find her story interesting at least in potential if not execution. Actually, she may be the true downfall of this period of books. But my hope in her potential carries me through. Rogue has a good psychotic episode.
The two Barry Windsor-Smith illustrated stories are intended to be the highlights of the book. When they put the title on the front like that someone is banking on it being a classic story everyone will remember. Mostly I just see cheap copies of Life-Death I everywhere. I enjoyed Life-Death II better. Neither is a bad story, and Windsor-Smith's art is appreciable if not especially interesting to me.
Most of the book is John Romita Jr. art. I was getting frustrated with him at the start, it kinda cooled down towards the end. I seem to always be swinging between liking and disliking his art at this point. It is kinda frustrating. I almost want someone I can stand on one side of the fence or the other on. You can also tell he's drawing in the 80s. Mullets and big hair and Rachel's bizarre (it seriously looks like an exercise) costume and her rat tail. It all just looks really bad and dated. But good for a laugh.
Anyways, Claremont is still ripping up the foundation and he is going to keep it up for some time. A lot of people don't like this because they want to read a familiar X-Men comic, but it is nice to be free from the status quo. Claremont doesn't excel in his freedom at this point. I wonder if he was afraid to move too far from the status quo. In the end he will move much further and then restore everything back to the way it was just in time to leave the ship.
July 1, 2015
This is my second read through of the Essential X-Men collections. Volume #4 is outstanding, and the first half of this one is really good too. The second half though, starts to branch out all over the place.
One of the things that I like about this volume, and Clairmont's run in general, is that every issue doesn't just focus on one character the whole time. Clairmont's focus shifts from character to character, giving each of them time to shine. While the last volume focuses on the love lifes of Wolverine and Cyclops, in this volume we get a really focused look at Storm, Rogue, and Rachel Summers, fantastic characters who until recently have been brushed over quite a bit.
The second half of the book drags, mainly because it takes forever to accomplish anything. Clairmont had a lot of balls up in the air. What his happening with Storm and her lost powers? How is Rogue adjusting to being a member of the team? How is Rachel coping with the fact she's now living in a past that isn't her own? Each of these are interesting stories, but they start to choke when they also have to compete with the stupid BEYONDER, and Alpha Flight cross-overs and all that nonsense.
But, really the "Essential" Marvel collections really aren't books for everybody. These are books for people who are into older books and classic story lines, who don't have the desire or effort to hunt down costly single issues. They're for die hard fans of the X-men who want to read it all on a budget. I also think it is really interesting to see how much of X-Men's continuity absolutely relies on Clairmont's contributions.
I look forward to rereading number six, and working my way up to the recently release Volume #10. I'm also anxious to start my re-read of X-Factor, which is a fantastic book in its own right!
One of the things that I like about this volume, and Clairmont's run in general, is that every issue doesn't just focus on one character the whole time. Clairmont's focus shifts from character to character, giving each of them time to shine. While the last volume focuses on the love lifes of Wolverine and Cyclops, in this volume we get a really focused look at Storm, Rogue, and Rachel Summers, fantastic characters who until recently have been brushed over quite a bit.
The second half of the book drags, mainly because it takes forever to accomplish anything. Clairmont had a lot of balls up in the air. What his happening with Storm and her lost powers? How is Rogue adjusting to being a member of the team? How is Rachel coping with the fact she's now living in a past that isn't her own? Each of these are interesting stories, but they start to choke when they also have to compete with the stupid BEYONDER, and Alpha Flight cross-overs and all that nonsense.
But, really the "Essential" Marvel collections really aren't books for everybody. These are books for people who are into older books and classic story lines, who don't have the desire or effort to hunt down costly single issues. They're for die hard fans of the X-men who want to read it all on a budget. I also think it is really interesting to see how much of X-Men's continuity absolutely relies on Clairmont's contributions.
I look forward to rereading number six, and working my way up to the recently release Volume #10. I'm also anxious to start my re-read of X-Factor, which is a fantastic book in its own right!
February 1, 2016
Graphic novel collecting together Uncanny X-Men #180-98, Annual #8 & X-Men/Alpha Flight #1-2
This isn't a bad collection, but doesn't have the edge on the last volume which was outstanding and hard to beat.
Storm fans will really like this as overall, she's the main focus - we get her affair with Forge, her friendship with Kitty and tonnes of angst as she has to live with the loss of her powers - the last issue 'Lefedeath' takes her back to Africa where she will either die or find the will to live.
Rachel, Scott and Jean's telepathic daughter from another time line also has quite a bit of angst.
Not being a huge Storm or Rachel fan, My personal highlight is the two issue Alpha Flight crossover which the two teams face off against Thor's Loki.
This is Marvel at its most 80's which you can see in the costumes and hair especially. Its less epic and more light-hearted with a parade of villains de jour. Arcade, Jugganaut, Jason Wingarde, Selene and Kulan Gath are amongst the parade of villains.
This is a good volume for Storm and Kitty fans, with a reasonable amount of Wolverine, Colossus and Nightcrawler. The professor barely gets a look in and Scott, being all lovey with Madeline Pryor is particularly dull.
I enjoyed this one, but its not my favourite X-Men graphic, still there's plenty to enjoy.
This isn't a bad collection, but doesn't have the edge on the last volume which was outstanding and hard to beat.
Storm fans will really like this as overall, she's the main focus - we get her affair with Forge, her friendship with Kitty and tonnes of angst as she has to live with the loss of her powers - the last issue 'Lefedeath' takes her back to Africa where she will either die or find the will to live.
Rachel, Scott and Jean's telepathic daughter from another time line also has quite a bit of angst.
Not being a huge Storm or Rachel fan, My personal highlight is the two issue Alpha Flight crossover which the two teams face off against Thor's Loki.
This is Marvel at its most 80's which you can see in the costumes and hair especially. Its less epic and more light-hearted with a parade of villains de jour. Arcade, Jugganaut, Jason Wingarde, Selene and Kulan Gath are amongst the parade of villains.
This is a good volume for Storm and Kitty fans, with a reasonable amount of Wolverine, Colossus and Nightcrawler. The professor barely gets a look in and Scott, being all lovey with Madeline Pryor is particularly dull.
I enjoyed this one, but its not my favourite X-Men graphic, still there's plenty to enjoy.
October 5, 2014
I'm glad I read the other reviews before I started this one.
So a lot of spinoffs started around this time but overall the stories here are still pretty good. Some really powerful ones to start off and bunch of shit ones in second half, but what volume doesn't have those? Rachel Grey is an awesome addition and I like Illyana growing up, I could take or leave the rest of the New Mutants but you can't win em all I guess. A lot of storylines I'm mostly familiar with via the cartoon in my childhood really kickoff here. What I appreciate most about this era is that the longer it goes on and the longer Cyclops is out of the picture (did you know I don't like him) the more time we get with Storm and some of the other non love triangle involved characters. Nightcrawler and Colossus, who in earlier times just seemed to always be there to be the first guys to get beat up in the fight, get used better and get their own perspectives shown a lot more which I really like. I can't lie though the art could be better even though it's not terrible either. So we'll see how long this lasts till I feel like we've truly jumped the shark.
So a lot of spinoffs started around this time but overall the stories here are still pretty good. Some really powerful ones to start off and bunch of shit ones in second half, but what volume doesn't have those? Rachel Grey is an awesome addition and I like Illyana growing up, I could take or leave the rest of the New Mutants but you can't win em all I guess. A lot of storylines I'm mostly familiar with via the cartoon in my childhood really kickoff here. What I appreciate most about this era is that the longer it goes on and the longer Cyclops is out of the picture (did you know I don't like him) the more time we get with Storm and some of the other non love triangle involved characters. Nightcrawler and Colossus, who in earlier times just seemed to always be there to be the first guys to get beat up in the fight, get used better and get their own perspectives shown a lot more which I really like. I can't lie though the art could be better even though it's not terrible either. So we'll see how long this lasts till I feel like we've truly jumped the shark.
June 11, 2017
As a long time comic reader, I enjoyed this look at the X-Men as they were when I was younger and still collecting comics. The X-Men were less complicated at this point in time, but no less interesting.
This collection encompassed issues 180-198, covering encounters with the Morlocks, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Selene, the Juggernaut, Kulan Gath, Arcade and the first ever look at Firestar (along with Thunderbird, Empath and Roulette from the White Queen's Hellions). They also encountered Nimrod, the ultimate Sentinel. Storm lost her powers during this time while protecting Rogue from the federal government, and Rogue fought a pitched battle with the memories she accidentally stole from Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel.
Professor X also came under attack from a mutant hating mob and was beaten to within an inch of his life. Rachel Summers came backwards in time from the Days Of Future Past timeline and joined the team as Phoenix, and, after being transported by the Beyonder to the Secret Wars, the team had a return encounter with him leading into Secret Wars 2.
This collection encompassed issues 180-198, covering encounters with the Morlocks, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Selene, the Juggernaut, Kulan Gath, Arcade and the first ever look at Firestar (along with Thunderbird, Empath and Roulette from the White Queen's Hellions). They also encountered Nimrod, the ultimate Sentinel. Storm lost her powers during this time while protecting Rogue from the federal government, and Rogue fought a pitched battle with the memories she accidentally stole from Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel.
Professor X also came under attack from a mutant hating mob and was beaten to within an inch of his life. Rachel Summers came backwards in time from the Days Of Future Past timeline and joined the team as Phoenix, and, after being transported by the Beyonder to the Secret Wars, the team had a return encounter with him leading into Secret Wars 2.
December 14, 2007
Still a fun mix of superheroics and soap opera elements, but at this point, the X-book inertia is starting to settle in. This is around the point when the X-Men started being insanely popular, have already garnered one spin-off (New Mutants), there's another not too far down the pike (X-Factor), the various spin-off mini-series are really starting to pile up, and everything's starting to passively crossover into one another. But we don't get all of those crossovers in this book (no New Mutants issues, nor the Kitty Pryde & Wolverine mini), so references are made to things happening in the other books, but as far as this one is concerned, that's all off-camera. It's a bit disjointed at times as a result.
If you're a fan, there's lots of fun reading here, but to be completely honest, this is the point where the Essential X-Men series pretty much stops being truly essential.
If you're a fan, there's lots of fun reading here, but to be completely honest, this is the point where the Essential X-Men series pretty much stops being truly essential.
September 22, 2011
The series seems to be losing it gold here. The art kind of takes a dive, I didn't much care for most of the art throughout almost the whole volume. It's also apparent that this is when other x-comics and spin offs started to proliferate. Loving X-characters that's a good thing, but it makes following the stories very hard. It felt like at least every third story was part of another series, and main characters started wandering of to do things in their own series (wolverine and Kitty). This was the first Essential X-Men (not classic X-men) volume that I felt so-so about.
How ever, Rouge and Storm really got a chance to shine and grow as characters which was very nice. One of things that's always drawn me to X-comics so much is that there are more female characters than the norm in comics, and they get much more character development than normal.
How ever, Rouge and Storm really got a chance to shine and grow as characters which was very nice. One of things that's always drawn me to X-comics so much is that there are more female characters than the norm in comics, and they get much more character development than normal.
November 17, 2015
The consensus highlight in this is Claremont's collaboration with Barry Windor-Smith Lifedeath. And I agree with that consensus. This is a very episodic set of issues that has considerable overlap with New Mutants. That doesn't always make for consistent reading, but this is still a really fun set of issues. The Dire Wraiths arc that comes out of Lifedeath is stylish and fun. And the Kulan Gath arc is the kind of utter madness you only get in comics. I also thoroughly enjoyed the two Juggernaut-centric issues. None of the issues are bad, as Claremont was working at a very high level here, but, excepting Lifedeath and Kulan Gath, this just isn't as innovative as the work he did previously. I think his attention being split between X-Men and New Mutants is probably part of it, as he was doing some wild innovative stuff with Bill Sienkiewicz on that book.
December 10, 2015
Great arcade story, awful renfair story line, and the best character development by improving on rogue, Rachel, kitty and (of course) ororo. Kitty and Piotr break up and ilyanas story is cute but serves a strong purpose. Ravhel is amazing and she is written incredibly, as is rogue during the issues that are more solo stories for her.
Lifedeath I & II is, with the dark Phoenix saga, God loves man kills and the X factor fall of the mutants, one of the greatest stories I have ever read, comic or not. Unfortunately this volume did have some things that aren't great and a few confusing continuity things that aren't explained (namely why is Lee with Magneto) thanks to the BAD secret wars and secret wars II. I'm conflicted but life death doesn't completely redeem the low points of the collection, which are probably my least favorite parts of Claremonts run.
Lifedeath I & II is, with the dark Phoenix saga, God loves man kills and the X factor fall of the mutants, one of the greatest stories I have ever read, comic or not. Unfortunately this volume did have some things that aren't great and a few confusing continuity things that aren't explained (namely why is Lee with Magneto) thanks to the BAD secret wars and secret wars II. I'm conflicted but life death doesn't completely redeem the low points of the collection, which are probably my least favorite parts of Claremonts run.
November 23, 2014
I'm giving it three stars, but it is a notably weaker than previous volumes—both in storytelling and in art. Overall, there is a disjointed feel to this volume. While this isn't the first volume to refer to other marvel titles and special events, this is the first volume that has made me feel as if I was missing an important part of the story. There are still a number of interesting developments, and the alpha flight crossover was surprisingly fun, but there were also some plots that don't work for me.
April 3, 2007
John Romita Jr. takes over pencils, which I don't love, but Claremont is still in top form - Storm looses her powers, Phoenix II (Rachel Summers) comes from the dark Days of Future Past, Professor X is beaten up and Magneto's pessimism begins to sound more sensible than Xavier's dream. Barry Windsor-Smith guest pencisl the two part "LifeDeath" story, which is one of the best moments from the X-Men, ever. Oh, and a few crapy annuals, which I don't think I even finished.
June 4, 2013
Smack dab in the middle of Claremont's best run.
I'd recommend intrepid readers finding and reading the complete Secret Wars and Kitty and Wolverine mini-series. Events in this book really rely on what happens in those series. They are long out of print through Marvel, but you can likely find them online somewhere.
Also, anyone notice that John Romita Jr. drew better then than he does now? (CoughAvXcough) I call it the Greg Land effect.....
I'd recommend intrepid readers finding and reading the complete Secret Wars and Kitty and Wolverine mini-series. Events in this book really rely on what happens in those series. They are long out of print through Marvel, but you can likely find them online somewhere.
Also, anyone notice that John Romita Jr. drew better then than he does now? (CoughAvXcough) I call it the Greg Land effect.....
November 7, 2013
I always loved JRJ's work -- all of it -- Iron Man, Punisher, Ghost Rider, Avengers, Kickass, FF, and Spiderman. (I know some people wonder why his Venom looked like a skinny dish rag, but I'm happy to give the guy some artistic license.)
The stories in this book were pretty good, and they took place just before or just as there was a generic mutant on every street corner with generic energy bolts shooting out of their hands. (Thank you, Scarlet Witch, for fixing that mess).
The stories in this book were pretty good, and they took place just before or just as there was a generic mutant on every street corner with generic energy bolts shooting out of their hands. (Thank you, Scarlet Witch, for fixing that mess).
June 26, 2015
I liked it. I didn't think the stories were as strong as volume 4 but I still enjoyed this book nonetheless. I have almost caught up to where I started reading it as a kid. I am not sure what else to say - I have a certain loyalty to this title and even I can acknowledge that some of it just isn't very good. There are some good issues as well in here and some of the ongoing plots keep my interest but overall, it was just ok.
September 25, 2009
Yeah, I almost missed a couple buses with this one. Chris Claremont is repetitively cheesy, but the characters are really awesome. All of them uniquely scarred and tortured just makes it a compelling read.
The guest appearances by lame Power Pack and Alpha Flight made me realize how sympathetic a team of weirdos is.
The guest appearances by lame Power Pack and Alpha Flight made me realize how sympathetic a team of weirdos is.
June 22, 2015
I used to have these comics, they had the X-Men line-up that I preferred. Reading this graphic novel was a delightful walk down memory lane. I liked the artwork generally speaking, there are always some that are better than others. This volume 5 is worth getting just for the annual and Alpha Flight.
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