Essential X-men Vol. 1

Grade:

The X-men, the best selling comic today despite the huge cast with characters who's motives have changed so many times you need an encyclopedia to explain them, plotlines that dangle everywhere and inferior stories that are by the numbers, all started with these stories. Back when the book had been in reprints for several years, a new writer brought new life into the book, and a team of Chris Claremont and John Byrne would tell X-men stories yet to be matched.

The book starts with Giant Size X-men 1, which introduces all the new characters, including Storm and Wolverine, who had made his first appearance only a few months earlier in the Incredible Hulk. The story penned by Len Wein is good, showing how the rookie team pulled together to win their first mission. From there, the stories get better.

Chris Claremont kept the stories exciting, balancing adventure, characterization and the mutant hating setiment. The key is balance, in the X books today, we are reminded on every page that the mutants are hated despite the fact there are about 10 billion different mutants over 9 titles. In these old stories, the sentiment is much more subtle.

The art is incredible, Dave Cockrum had a very strong eye for backgrounds with panels that were detailed but never cluttered or confusing. John Byrne used the same level of details, plenty of money shots but the panels have a good sense of pace.

This collection is filled with excellent stories, from an era when Claremont and Byrne ran with the book doing what they pleased and most of it was excellent. Sure there are a few down stories, the story which pits Juggernaut against the X-men with some leprechans tossed in is fairly weak, but there are a large number of winners too. For $15.00 you get 26 issues of continuity, an incredible deal. Even though the art is black and white, the true detail of the art shines through.