Support NeoGAF

[Zushin]

Okay, so I'm completely new to comic book reading which I'd say is exacerbating the confusion I'm having at trying to figure out where to jump into the cluster fuck of Xmen comics. Is there a solid "start here and read in order" point for the series?

From my google searches the best I can put together is to read this followed by Volumes 1-4 of this

Is this a good place to start? Because I'm fairly lost to be honest.

 

[sphagnum]

Is Jesus canon on X-Men?

 

[Duress]

Modern X-Men those are good books, but if you really want to start at the beginning when it got real popular, you might try Chris Claremont's run.

 

[Sub_Level]

Astonishing Xmen and Uncanny X-Force are both good reads and have stories that actually end. You don't have to know prior Xmen stuff to start them either.

As for the overarching story, your guess is as good as mine. Last I read a couple years back there were like 5 teams lol and lots of big events that wanted you to buy issue #1 from series x, issue #2 from series y, and issue #3 from series z just to know what was going on. (although thats not exclusive to xmen comics)

 

[Slayven]

Generation X

 

[Fancyarcher]

Astonishing x-men 1-25 is definitely recommended. It's an easy comic to get into. There's also Morrison's New X-Men, and of course you could also start with Claremont's X-Men, and specifically Giant Size X-Men 1, since that's where the common X-Men team / tropes started.

 

[Weiss]

There is no place to start with comics. They're ongoing serials. That's the point.

 

[Man God]

Giant X-Men.

 

[VAD]

Read New X-Men by Grant Morrison and Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender.

 

[Some Nobody]

Okay, so I'm completely new to comic book reading which I'd say is exacerbating the confusion I'm having at trying to figure out where to jump into the cluster fuck of Xmen comics. Is there a solid "start here and read in order" point for the series?

From my google searches the best I can put together is to read this followed by Volumes 1-4 of this

Is this a good place to start? Because I'm fairly lost to be honest.

Where do you want to start, is the question? Arguably X-Men atm isn't really worth following so you could just jump around in the past and read what you want.

Indeed, Grant Morrison's New X-Men is a great place to start. And while I don't give af about Joss Whedon, Astonishing X-Men is the natural following point.

Or you could go back to the very beginning with Giant Size X-Men #1, and start with Chris Claremont's run in the 70's. That eventually expands outward into New Mutants, Excalibur, and X-Factor. X-Men from the 70's to the start of the 90's is pretty decent.

Then you can blank out until Grant Morrison's New X-Men and Whedon's Astonishing. After that I personally stopped reading until here. From there it's Messiah CompleX and then into Messiah War and the Utopia stuff.

But honestly I couldn't tell you where to just "get started". Just look up well-received X-Men runs and jump around, is what I do.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Probably not the best place, but a fun start nonetheless with an actual conclusion to the run.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

You don’t want to read X-men. That’s a series for masochists.

Read New X-Men by Grant Morrison and Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender.

These are good though.

 

[Currygan]

Claremont-Nicieza-Whedon-Morrison run

 

[Begbie]

Giant X-Men.

Yup.

 

[commish]

IMO you don't read the series, you just read the best arcs.

 

[Zushin]

snip

Something that has some backstory on characters and has a read order that is easy to follow. The less jumping between different runs or series the better.

 

[Raife]

The X-Men can be intimidating when trying to figure out where to start. This guide from Reddit has a bunch of really good jumping on points and a description of the sorts of stories you can expect.

https://www.reddit.com/r/xmen/comme...uide_to_reading_xmen/?st=J903FE6K&sh=265c7ba2

 

[LordRaptor]

I'd find it awkward to recommend Claremont to someone new to X-Men.
I'm not particularly anti-Claremont, and he earned his stripes with a shit ton of mutant specific world building, he just has a writing style thats fairly... unique. And expository.

 

[Some Nobody]

There is no place to start with comics. They're ongoing serials. That's the point.

Yes and no. With X-Men if you're interested in everything there's a clear start point in Giant Size X-Men #1. The first time X-Men really got an inspired story.

 

[RangerX]

Read New X-Men by Grant Morrison and Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender.

Please do not go near Morrison's X-men run with a ten foot barge pool OP. Its an absolute travesty.

 

[Some Nobody]

Please do not go near Morrison's X-men run with a ten foot barge pool OP. Its an absolute travesty.

I'm permajunior'd and you're allowed to just go around, speaking comics blasphemy. This world ain't right.

 

[Wag]

Is Jesus canon on X-Men?

Jesus probably was a mutant. Turning water into wine is a pretty nifty ability....

 

[CGwizz]

Please do not go near Morrison's X-men run with a ten foot barge pool OP. Its an absolute travesty.

i just googled it and wtf is that Beast ?

 

[Mistouze]

Please do not go near Morrison's X-men run with a ten foot barge pool OP. Its an absolute travesty.

Whatever your personal taste is, it's one of the most recommended runs for a reason.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Giant X-Men #1 and read until Claremont leaves.

Also read New Mutants, Excalibur and X-Factor from that era

And then Whedon's Astonishing X-Men

 

[Zushin]

Modern X-Men those are good books, but if you really want to start at the beginning when it got real popular, you might try Chris Claremont's run.

So if I follow these volumes along they will all make sense? Looking at volume 2 of that it has a ton of different, seemly random issues and series that I assume fit together since they are in the same collection.

 

[Some Nobody]

i just googled it and wtf is that Beast ?

The idea was introduced that it doesn't just stop at a single mutation, that you'd continue mutating. Beast mutates into a more feline-like form, while Emma Frost gains the ability to turn diamond.

Nevermind that. Morrison's run was jam-packed with cool shit. For one, as far as I've seen Morrison presented the first time mutants were allowed to be presented as a culture, rather than superheroes, heroes-in-training, or soon-to-be-heroes-in-training.

 

[OnPoint]

Uh, the Morrison run got me back into comics after like 10 years out.

 

[Some Nobody]

So if I follow these volumes along they will all make sense? Looking at volume 2 of that it has a ton of different, seemly random issues and series that I assume fit together since they are in the same collection.

The thing about comics is that the more you read the more you're able to understand. Reading the Claremont run until it ends will give you a base to understand most of the Mutant world, especially if you add in New Mutants, Excalibur, and X-Factor. Eventually you'll be able to just piece together what's truly important and what's just minutae that you don't need to know to enjoy a story.

It's off-putting to most people and I respect that, but honestly it's why I love hero comics.

 

[Currygan]

wtf the new Beast was awesome

 

[Sgt. Kabukiman]

Chuck Austen, obviously.

Ahem.
More seriously, although I love Morrison's run. I wouldn't start there. It's weird as fuck.

If you're new to comics, pick up Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon (the Avengers director). Easy to get into, a relatively short read, and it'll introduce you to all the big X-Men players and the main themes of the comics. I'm really not a Whedon fan but he did a great job on that series, it's the perfect entry point.

 

[rbenchley]

Start from the beginning. Or realize that Marvel has completely screwed up their entire line of comics and give up.

If you're going to dive in, the Claremont New X-Men run is probably the best place to start. It starts with Giant Size X-Men 1 and runs from (Uncanny) X-Men 94 - 279. Excalibur was awesome when Claremont and Alan Davis were working on it together. The first half of Generation X was fun. I don't care for the original X-Factor, but I did enjoy the Peter David runs, first with the team as a government sponsored program and later with Madrox as head of a private detective agency.

 

[ferr]

Watch the fox animated series from the 90s, then read the corresponding comics for each of the main arcs on the show, then read Weapon X with old man logan.

 

[Bleepey]

I'd find it awkward to recommend Claremont to someone new to X-Men.
I'm not particularly anti-Claremont, and he earned his stripes with a shit ton of mutant specific world building, he just has a writing style thats fairly... unique. And expository.

Claremont-speak was my youth.

Psylocke:" The psyonic blades emanating from my fist are a product of the fact i am a mutant and these psyonic blades allow me to..."

 

[Man God]

Chuck Austen, obviously.

Ahem.
More seriously, although I love Morrison's run. I wouldn't start there. It's weird as fuck.

Yep. It's great but also not the place to start.

 

[Brandon F]

How timely, I was literally looking up this SAME question online yesterday!

Stumbled on this massive article on the subject myself, which gives some major recommendations and a few talking points regarding each generation/era to help smooth the process and find a course(though it is kind of written in a way that seemingly expects you to start from the beginning).

I sort of ended up coming to the same conclusion though as OP. Seems the Morrison run followed by Whedon seems to be a good starting point for getting into the last decade with ease.

 

[Some Nobody]

Claremont-speak was my youth.

Psylocke:" The psyonic blades emanating from my fist are a product of the fact i am a mutant and these psyonic blades allow me to..."

If you're not going to use the phrase "focused totality of my psychic powers" then you're doing Claremont-speak wrong lol.

 

[LordRaptor]

Claremont-speak was my youth.

I call shenanigans because your example didn't use Kitty Pryde

 

[Vic_Viper]

I would highly recomend starting with either Morrison's New X-Men or Whedon's Astonishing X-Men. Which then leads directly into House of M which was a pretty big "reset" of sorts for the X-Men. After House of M, I would pretty much skip directly into Messiah Complex-Messiah War-Second Coming. Theres some great stuff happening inbetween those 3 like X-Force,and X-Men Legacy, but mroe importantly this is by far the best time to jump in for some very high quality books.

Recommended Reading thats pretty recent (last 5 years):

Uncanny X-Force - Rick Remender
Wolverine and the X-Men - Jason Aaron
All New X-Men & Uncanny X-Men - Brian Michael Bendis

These 3 are by far my favorites, and very easy to hop right in without much previous knowledge.

 

[PSqueak]

Is Jesus canon on X-Men?

Yes, there was an arc about a group of people trying to make Nightcrawler the pope.

 

[Brandon F]

I would highly recomend starting with either Morrison's New X-Men or Whedon's Astonishing X-Men. Which then leads directly into House of M which was a pretty big "reset" of sorts for the X-Men. After House of M, I would pretty much skip directly into Messiah Complex-Messiah War-Second Coming. Theres some great stuff happening inbetween those 3 like X-Force,and X-Men Legacy, but mroe importantly this is by far the best time to jump in for some very high quality books.

Recommended Reading thats pretty recent (last 5 years):

Uncanny X-Force - Rick Remender
Wolverine and the X-Men - Jason Aaron
All New X-Men & Uncanny X-Men - Brian Michael Bendis

These 3 are by far my favorites, and very easy to hop right in without much previous knowledge.

This is great for me!

I bought Whedon and Remender's books last month on the Amazon 90% sale due to everyone pretty much shouting them as top recommendations in the thread. I'm currently knee deep in the Hickman FF/Secret Wars saga which I also got on that sale, but will certainly follow this post as I really want to dig into X-Men once that concludes. (Also it seems Avengers v. X-Men is related to that saga somewhat but not well recieved?)

Also, where does Millar's Civil War fit in to read? I'd like to follow some chronology and I know at least tangentially the X-Men are involved(I think they have their own tie-in book?)

 

[PixelatedBookake]

I'll be honest I went from reading Astonishing X-Men as I first comic ever and read a lot of X-Men from that era. People might shit on me for this but I feel that House of M is a fun "what-if" story that follows Astonishing. Once you finish the events in that story, it'll be easier to jump into 2005-2012 X-Men comics.

 

[Some Nobody]

This is great for me!

I bought Whedon and Remender's books last month on the Amazon 90% sale due to everyone pretty much shouting them as top recommendations in the thread. I'm currently knee deep in the Hickman FF/Secret Wars saga which I also got on that sale, but will certainly follow this post as I really want to dig into X-Men once that concludes. (Also it seems Avengers v. X-Men is related to that saga somewhat but not well recieved?)

Also, where does Millar's Civil War fit in to read? I'd like to follow some chronology and I know at least tangentially the X-Men are involved(I think they have their own tie-in book?)

Civil War happens right after House of M, so what you'd do is read that before everything. Though if I recall correctly the mutants largely stayed out of Civil War aside from that brief little mini-series. They didn't take sides because being labeled and forced to register with the government due to having powers is what they'd been fighting against all that time lol.


Avengers vs. X-Men is kind of another soft reset on all the X-Books. Everything that House of M caused comes to a definitive end between AvX and Avengers: Children's Crusade, and so from there you'd be reading Brian Bendis' Uncanny X-Men and All-New X-Men books.

 

[SArcher]

This guide from Reddit has a bunch of really good jumping on points and a description of the sorts of stories you can expect.

https://www.reddit.com/r/xmen/comme...uide_to_reading_xmen/?st=J903FE6K&sh=265c7ba2

'

Stumbled on this massive article on the subject myself, which gives some major recommendations and a few talking points regarding each generation/era to help smooth the process and find a course(though it is kind of written in a way that seemingly expects you to start from the beginning).

Wow, this is great. I've been reading X-Men since 2012 but haven't dared to really venture backwards.

 

[Brandon F]

'
Wow, this is great. I've been reading X-Men since 2012 but haven't dared to really venture backwards.

Just an FYI, I changed the link in my post too as it now directs to the author's blog(which is continually updating the guide as of even this week, and just better organized compared to the comicvine post he abandoned awhile ago that I linked before)

 

[Sesha]

You don't.

Personal suggestion, read X-Men Academy/New X-Men and the three Vic_Viper mentioned.

 

[Vic_Viper]

All New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men by Bendis is probably the best bet for anyone looking for the best place to start for the current X-Men books. Both books run together after the first arc in All New and a great starting point for new readers. After those 2, you can pretty much skip right to where we are at now with X-Men Gold and X-Men Blue and the most recent Astonishing X-Men.

Aside from those books. I HIGHLY recomend going back and reading the big events (in order) House of M, Messiah Complex, Messiah War, and Second Coming. Afterwards, you can read Schisim and Avengers Vs. X-Men if you are looking for more, but I wouldnt read either of those last 2 until you know whats going on at the time.

 

[Soapbox Killer]

Just read a collection of trades starting from:

Age of Apocalypse (maybe)
HOUSE OF M
Messiah Complex

After that maybe AvX.

 

[Vic_Viper]

Just read a collection of trades starting from:

Age of Apocalypse (maybe)
HOUSE OF M
Messiah Complex

After that maybe AvX.

Woah, you cant read Messiah Complex and then skip Second Coming lol. Complex is the start of the trilogy. Its like watching Star Wars and then skipping Empire and RotJ lol.

 

[Staccat0]

Claremont-speak was my youth.

Psylocke:" The psyonic blades emanating from my fist are a product of the fact i am a mutant and these psyonic blades allow me to..."

This makes for an interesting subject.

Who had the best prose? Who had the best plots/stories?