Customer Reviews

Essential Classic X-Men - Volume 1

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Marvel gets lots of flak for the format of their Essential editions: I can agree with the mid-stream format change - just like the Masterworks, you have to start over if you want a uniform set. I can also agree with the flimsy paper, to a degree, as it tears easily during the binding process. The ink bleed results in ghost images on facing pages. And the lack of color leaves out some of the visual appeal. Yet, with all of this, I still LOVE this line, as it is hands-down the cheapest way to educate yourself on the Silver Age of Marvel Comics. I will gladly pay the low price for these 500-page books!

Anyway, on to the meat of this volume: Uncanny X-Men #1 - 24, by Lee, Kirby, Thomas, Gavin, et al. I guess most folks today prefer post-Giant-Size-X-Men, but whatever your preference, check out this book, as this is where it all began! These stories are from the early '60s, so of course the dialogue is cheesy; of course the characterizations are stereotyped; but by gum, you just can't get innovative stories like this anymore. Here we have the original X-Men, as kids no less, setting the stage for the uneasy coexistence of humanity and mutants. It's super-hero action combined with teen angst, and some little oddities that, to my knowledge, were not carried into later issues (Professor X loves teen-age Jean Grey? Eeeugh!). Featured villains include, in their first appearances, Magneto, the Blob, the Vanisher, Unus, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Juggernaut, the Sentinels, Lucifer, Mimic, and the Stranger, plus a few others I won't mention. Plus, you get a great Kirbyesque cover by Bruce Timm (this guy should do all of the covers for Kirby's reprints).

The Marvel Essentials line is one of the best bargains in comics. Why not fill your shelves with them?

If you are a fan of the X-men at all, or if you like comics, consider this book. The 25 issues covered here add up to pennies per comic, and the storyline is great. In fact, it started out a little slowly for me, but by the time John Byrne began his run in the middle of this volume, I couldn't wait to read each issue.

There are two catches however, one pleasant and one liveable. The pleasant catch is that as Phoenix keeps growing in power, you find yourself reading one of the classic stories in Marvel history and...it is continued in Essential X-men, Volume 2. Since that book is also a bargain, and the art and writing are sensational, it is a pleasant problem to deal with. Gee, I have to read another 25 classic issues of X-men, hmmm!

The other catch is, if you aren't already aware, for this bargain price, the book is printed on low grade paper in black and white. Of course, collecting all these stories in color is either impossible or costs hundreds of dollars (Masterworks) or literally a fortune if you are acccumulating the original comics. I didn't even notice the lack of color after I got absorbed into the stories.

One more detail: the other "Essential" titles, such as Spiderman and the Fantastic Four, are reprints from the 60's. The X-men run starts in the late 70's and is into the 80's by Volume 2. The evolved art and writing style is a nice bonus.

Summary: Incredible value, legendary and masterful work.

I am a newcomer to the X-Men mythology, having discovered these unforgettable mutants through the Hugh Jackson films. The films incorporate (and take many liberties with) the 25+ years of the X-Men which has made reading the comics a vastly different (but enjoyable) experience. Here follows a summary of what to expect in volume 1 of THE UNCANNY X-MEN. (Possible spoilers.)

Our superheroes and their lives and powers are varied:

~Robert (Bobby) Drake, Iceman. The youngest member of the group with a sense of humor that compliments that of Hank McCoy's.

~Hank McCoy, Beast. The most intellectual, humorous, and athletic.

~Warren Worthington III, Angel. Wealthy, charismatic, and in love with Jean Grey. He is the one with wings.

~Scott Summers, Cyclops. The most tragic (because of the intense power of his eyes) and the most respected (the deputy leader of the X-Men) and in love with Jean.

~Jean Grey, Marvel Girl. Telekinetic (also telepathic, but that is not revealed in this volume), the only female member, and forced to choose between Scott and Warren.

~Charles Xavier, Professor X. A wheelchair-bound mutant whose telepathic powers make him one of the most formidable and most powerful of all mutants. He not only founded the X-Men and leads them, but created the school Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (where mutants go to learn to control and refine their powers and abilities).

Volume 1 contains issues 1-24. The X-Men fight several of their memorable villians:

~Magneto (The X-Men's archenemy, enough said.)

~Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (Mastermind, Toad, and siblings Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver) who work for Magneto.

~Juggernaut

~the Sentinels

~Lucifer

~Mimic (who will later become an X-Man)

Other lesser villians include the Stranger, the Vanisher, the Blob, Unus, the Locust and the Submariner.

The X-MEN comics are excellent and thrilling reads, however, the series isn't without its faults (written in the 1960s, the sexism is quite obvious, even if it isn't offensive). However, after reading this, you'll be wanting more---much more.

The Essential series is published only in black and white. There is another series, Marvel Masterworks, which reprints the series in color.

Marvel has yet to publish a follow-up to volume 1 of the Essentials, which is sorely needed as one is left with many unresolved issues that begged to be answered (How do Jean-Scott-Warrren resolve the love triangle? What is Magneto planning next? Will the Locust be back? What happened to Unus and the Blob?)

Whether one is a newcomer to comics or a longtime reader, the X-MEN should not be missed out by anyone!

I bought all of these to back track and read the previous things that had happened within the comic. This serves the purpose but was disapointed that they were not in color.

The Sept 1, 1963 X-Men #1 starts this book off and goes through issue #24. Featuring Angel, Iceman, Marvel Girl, Cyclops, and a very human looking Beast.

I bought this books because I had heard that this was the one that started it all. I had never really read the X-Men comics, but I was the cartoon's junkie for 5 years of my life. When they quit making new episodes, I watched the reruns and had 7 6-hour tapes filled with the cartoons to prove I was addicted.
But I just recently started reading the comics and collecting the various graphic novels, which are numerous. I have searched through nearly every review I could find here on Amazon.com and I still can't find the answer to one question: in which graphic novel or comic does Morph die? In the cartoons, he died in the pilot.

"The Uncanny X-Men" were always my favorite Marvel Superhero group and it was not just because they were younger than the Fantastic Four and the Avengers the way Spider-Man was younger than Captain America and Daredevil. I mean, the FF were driven by the walking tragedy of Ben Grimm as the Thing and the great villains, why the Avengers started out as the Marvel version of the Justice League of America with the best of the best and then deteriorated into those superheroes who did not have their own comics. But the X-Men were victims of persecution and prejudice because they were mutants. The metaphor for teenage angst and the joys of puberty was just too obvious not to work. Plus they had a bald headed guy in charge.

"The Essential Uncanny X-Men" presents the first twenty-four issues of the comic book, which starts with the creative team of writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby but ends with Roy Thomas and Werner Roth. Issue #1 provides one of the better foundations for a Marvel comic. We begin with Professor Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Children in Westchester County, where Jean Grey breaks the boy's only barrier as Marvel Girl (the all time worst name for a superhero Stan Lee ever came up with). The original roster of the group, for those who cannot remember back any farther than the rebirth under Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, consisted of not only Professor X's power to read minds and project thoughts and Marvel Girl's telekinesis, but the agility and strength of the brilliant Hank McCoy, the Beast; the fully functional wings of rich boy Warren Worthington III, Angel; the walking snow cone Bobby Drake, the Iceman (who originally looked like a snowman); and the power means that shot out of the eyes of the group's field leader Scott Summer, Cyclops. All gained their mutant powers when they became adolescents (although we would not learn their backstories for several years), and were rescued from fearful humans by Professor X and given a power of sanctuary. Having trained them in the use of their powers, Xavier has their working as a team. Thus we have alienation and the need to belong all wrapped up with a mixed bag of superpowers.

The other key part of the foundation is that Lee and Kirby came up with THE ultimate villain for the Uncanny X-Men in the first issue. The FF had the Mole Man, which smacked of all the monster comics Lee and Kirby did during the Fifties, but the X-Men had Magneto, the Master of Mutant Magnetism. Now, granted if his power works the way they say it does this is an invincible super villain (he can easily kill everybody in sight by either taking making a metal object a weapon or manipulate the iron in your blood if he wants to be overly creative), but the important thing here is that in the face of human prejudice over mutants ("homo superior"), Magneto agrees he is part of a superior race and is out to confirm humanity's worse fears. In Issue #4 Magneto leads the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in a sort of mutant Civil War. Ultimately, the strongest similarity between the X-Men and Spider-Man are not that they are teenagers, but that they are heroes who are treated by the world at large mostly as villains.

The main complaint against these first two-dozen episodes is that despite this great foundation the comics are mostly standard superhero stories. The bit where Charles Xavier and Scott Summers both love Jean Grey but will not tell her their feelings is awkward at best, so the interpersonal relationships are nothing special at this point. Beyond Magneto really good villains are hard to come by; the Juggernaut is above average, but many of the others are laughable (e.g., the Locust), and even the Mimic is just an X-Men version of the Super Skrull. Even the mutant paranoia element is relatively low given where it would be in the future.

They are up to Volume 4 of "The Essential X-Men," but are still stuck on just this first collection of the original comics. This is too bad because in the next collection we would see Roy Thomas hitting his stride as the book's writer and then we get to the books drawn by Jim Steranko and then Neal Adams. Those were the early glory days of the X-Men and those volumes need to be published by Marvel as well. 'Nuff said. Final Note: Check out the great cover Kirby drew for "X-Men" #17: "...And None Shall Survive!" Nothing actually in the issue is that good, until the final pattern (which was nicely homaged by John Bryne at the end of "X-Men" #111), but I think it is one of Kirby's top 10 covers ever (not that I have really gone back and counted mind you).

This book rocks! It's better than the essential x-men in my opinion. The whole point of the essential line is to start from the beginning isn't it? The characterization is excellent for such old comics. The love triangle between Cyclops, Angel, and Marvel Girl is quite interesting and realistic. And the scenes showing Iceman and Beast's growing friendship are nice. I've always disliked Professor X and this book didn't change a thing. I hate how he acts like he's above everybody else. What gives him the right to read other peoples minds and erase them? All in all he's a pretty 2-dimensional character. And if he cares about people knowing he's the X-men's teacher so much why doesn't he just wear a costume?
As for the villains they're pretty good as a whole. They range from the ultimate bad(Magneto)to the ultimate corny(The Vanisher). I was extremely impressed with Magneto. He wasn't the amazing character he is today but fantastic for the 60s. He takes over a missile base in his first appearance. Yes, "takes" as in he actually does it! That's the great thing about Magneto, he actually goes through with his plans. He also adds themes like bigotry and racism. Very lightly of course, but better then the stories of fake one-sided communist countries that were popular with marvel back then.
The Vanisher is just pathetic. I mean he vanishes! The Blob. Don't even get me started on him. I mean, even his name! So whose idea was it to have him in 3 issues! The Brotherhood is pure genius! It was a great idea to have reluctant members. The Stranger is by far the most creative one-shot character ever! There are plenty of other villains too.
The art. This is probably the most controversial thing about the essential line. Yeah it's in black and white. I say get over it! Jack Kirby does most of the art. Friggin' Jack Kirby!
The book has its funny moments also. The scenes at Greenwich village are hilarious. Beast becomes pretty funny also.
BUY THIS BOOK!

Describes the first genesis of the X-Men, with the original cast (Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl and Professor X)- written in Stan Lee's flowing(and at times flowery?) prose. The story picks up well after the first 3 issues which were, like all initial Marvel issues , rather simplistic. After the halfway point, the comics are absolutely amazing, with one great issue following another, from the Stranger's appearance on earth to Lucifer's threatening Antarctica. The X-Men are great and very human and likeable, specially Iceman. The stories themselves do not have the complexity and darkness of later issues and are much more good-humoured and complete in themselves.
This collection loses nothing by being in black-and-white - and is a must for any X-Men(or actually any comics) fan.

First of all, I must say that the Essentials series is fantastic. I hear people saying that they hate the idea of no color and hate the pulpy paper. Well, if your a true comic lover, then that doesnt matter. Its all about the story, and its easy to forget that the comics are not in color because the stories are so amazing. Also, where else can you get 20 plus stoires of your favorite super hero in just one book. Ok, now back to The Essnetial Uncanny X-Men. I found this book spectacular, and I highly advise that any X-men fan buy it. I found almsot all of the stories extremely exciting and I found it very interesting how the X-Men evolved throught out the book. Its also fascinating to see the beginnings of many of your favorite X-Men villians, such as Magneto, Toad, The Blob, Vannisher, and others. So, once again, if you like X-men, or if your just looking for some exciting comic book stiories, then get The Essential Uncanny X-Men.