Reviews (1)

An Excellent Compendum
This Masterworks edition features The original X-Men series (later titled 'The Uncanny X-Men' numbers 22-31. For $35, it is definately a great buy. Although Stan Lee ends his run as writer with issue 22 (taken over by Roy Thomas), the stories remain great and Jack Kirby's artwork is impressive, even for 30 years ago.

Unlike the Essential X-Men series, these Masterwork editions are in full color with glossy covers. If you're looking to elarn the histroy of the X-Men or are new to the series and can'ty afford spending the money to buy all the old issues, this is the place to start. I definately recommend getting the first three Masterwork editions and then following up with the Clarement "Essential" books later to learn all the important storylines. ... Read more

Book Description

During her time as part of the X-Men, the woman known as Rogue has been many things: fighter, friend, soldier, lover...and now, daughter. When an X-Men mission brings Rogue back to her childhood home in Mississippi, she comes face to face with the demons in her past...and a terrible secret that has haunted her family since her birth! Only available in North America. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

pretty good. beginning of chuck austen's run.
this collection includes UXM#410-415. the first three (and also the fourth) form a story arc involving juggernaut soliciting the help of the x-men and a nurse named annie caring for the catatonic havok and joining the staff at the institute to care for him. the fifth issue focuses on northstar, who joins the the institute also. the issue w/ northstar is extremely well-done and makes the whole book worth reading, in my opinion. the last issue focuses on iceman and northstar.

Pretty Good Book
This is the first x-men book I've ever read besides the comic adaptions of X-men the movie and the X2 adaption. I think its pretty entertaining. My favorite part is the first section where a young aquatic mutant gets a ride on the X-jet and then realizes his true potencial when rescuing Juggernaut from drowning. Jean-Paul's attempt to save a young boy reminds me of Captain America dealing with the death of his sidekick Bucky.

uncanny x-men #410-415
I liked this story. There's a good tension that runs through it as well as a thread of hope (which explains the title). It's got some interesting twists in it. And the art is good.

A great read
This is a great book, it sets up all the characters ready for Chucks arc to begin. we get a refreshing new look at young mutants from Sammy and just from a misunderstanding we see the X-Men end up in a very dangerous situation.

Starts off with promise then goes downhill.
Chuck Austen's run on the book starts off looking like a classic, fun superhero story. Sure there are a few kinks, but they can be ironed out as time goes on. Unfortunately, that's not what happens. These kinks grow to be major problems and start to overshadow any good that there is in the writing. The characters start to act less and less like themselves, the dialogue gets worse and worse, and sexula themes are just clumsily thrown on en masse in unnecessary and uncreative ways, in hopes that just their presence will be enough to entertain. ... Read more

Book Description

In a world where humans have made mutants the victims of horrible discrimination, Professor Xavier's School For The Gifted is a sanctuary, a safe haven for oppressed mutant youth. But the unimaginable happens when a student reinvents himself as Kid Omega and decides to take over the school.It's mutant vs. mutant...will the school ever be the same? ... Read more

Reviews (4)

great
While the art is still at the same level, the story is my favorite of all the volumes. There are more twists and surprises. It makes you think. It is a great story.

The best X-Men run in years continues...
The main point of Morrison's run on New X-Men has been to breathe fresh life into the old concepts as well as making room for new ones to emerge. This is very apparent in this collection, which stands out as one of the high points in his run. Combine an inventive, gripping story, snappy dialogue and beautiful art and you have the spectacular story shown here.

They just trash everything in sight....
It seems that the new generation of so-called comic book writers love to trash everything in sight. Case in point is Morrison. He takes everything that all X-fans hold dear and turns it into cheap/shock value entertainment only. What gives him the right to do this? Why is Marvel is destructive of their charecters and do stories that totally ruin 30 years worth of stories? Simple, they don;t care about the stories nor the fans anymore, and haven't for nearly a decade now.

A Master Piece!
I've known the surreal experience of reading, and atleast trying to comprehend, New X-men for almost four years now, and beneath Grant Morrison's very deft hand and imagination, my expectations and standards have done nothing but rise. From E Is For Extinction to Imperial to New Worlds, New X-men has constantly broadened its horizons as far as fresh new ideas and innovative storytelling go. Riot At Xavier's is my second favorite storyline so far, just beneath E Is For Extinction, in my humble opinion, and the fact is, that is probably do more to the fact that it was Morrison's first swing at writing this book than it is because the stories here are better. In this collection, which collects four small parts of a much larger whole, the students who attend Xavier's school get their time in the spotlight. A highly intelligent, very ambitious student named Quentin Quire, in the beginning of the story, has just found out that he was adopted, and after hearing this news, coupled with Magneto's killing alongside several million other members of the homo superior race, sets the young boy, who happens to be an Omega Level telepath, deep and subtle influence being his forte, on the path to what he sees as glory. Following him are several other rather powerfully dangerous students....Radian, a black kid who immits a blinding light, Tattoo, another African American student who's skin displays her emotions, coupled with her other mutation, a ghost form, which is very Kitty Pride-esque, only much more frightening, Glob Herman,a see-through giant of a mutant with bio-parriffin for skin and muscule, which happens to be highly flammable, and finally, Redneck, a young white kid whose handbones can generate immense heat. Alongside Quire, whose telepathic skills rival Xavier's, these kids coin themselves The Omega Gang, and with that, begin to set the Xavier Institute ablaze within the pyres of controversy, free thinking and a rash change of ideals. The Xavier teaching staff then springs into action, allowing us constant readers to see Quietly's flair for dramnatic action and grisly hold on reality. Cyclops really stands out during this arc, as does Phoenix, Beast,and The White Queen, who evolves beyond what some have seen up to this point as a cardboard cutout of a typical snotty character. Xorn and his Remedial Class also stand out here, and this expose' into how a lower, more special sect type of class at The Xavier Institute operates is welcome and rather brilliant, as we, the readers, are able to see what being a mutant, with a little extra misfortune added, feels and looks like. Xorn feels like a mystery in this arc, as he well should, and the true hints of his power, and the cruel, frightening depths of it are shown here, along with his Remedial Class excersizing teamwork for a change. There is Basilisk, a large, pinkish boy who's brain has a seizure at its core and sets off a ray of paralizing light through a single, strange eye, Ernst, a withered young girl with superstrength and a need to look after others, namely Martha, a disembodied brain in a glass bubble, a telepath whose specialty is blinding mutant and human minds with confusion and disarray, Dummey, who is a sentient gas inside of a special, airtight suit, The Beak, whose feelings of insecurity and ineptitude glow brightly and realistically, his talents being a feathered, birdlike form, limited flight and a face that only a pecking mother could love. Finally, there is Angel, a mixed race young heathan of a girl, whose talents include a beautiful set of fly like wings, the ability to vomit projectile acid, among other fly-like abilities. Alongside Xorn, these kids really get the chance to stand out and show their humanity and talents on rather unsuspecting U-men, who first appeared in Imperial. Back at the Mansion, all hell has broken lose, as Quentin and his hypnotized gang have taken Xavier hostage, through a rather brilliant technique. Wolverine is rendered useless and helpless by Quire, quite a feat, while Beast, Cyclops and The White Queen try to thwart the rampage set aflame by frustration and loose ethics. Before all is said and done, several students will die, a headmaster will drastically rethink his methods, an affair will be discovered, a secret will be created and kept,and a threat from within will be revealed. In this volumne, secondary mutation is a big theme, and Morrison's experience at the strange helms in writing even stranger fiction come in very handy in this tale. His drastically vast takes on telepathy alone will make your mind reel and your imagination grow. The Stepford Cuckoos also get their chance to really develop as deep characters and now, they show true drives and whims. Buy this book........if you are a fan of the X-men, past , present or possible future, you will not be disappointed. More than that, you will most likely be surprised, shocked, terrified and delighted.
All Things Serve The Beam ... Read more

Reviews (3)

"Schism" collects issues 19-23 & X-Pose 1+2
In June 2003 I returned to reading X-Men comics after a 23-year absence. I admired Mr. Claremont's work back then. However, I can't admire an aspect of his current work. So far as I can tell from the back issues I have of offshoot X-Men teams, "X-Treme X-Men" is the first that tries to make the main team seem morally lacking and the offshoot team the morally correct one.

The first issue gives us a party that includes some of the main X-Men and a funny joke about Storm and Khan from "Invasion". It has a few nods to then-future Morrison New X-Men plots ("Riot at Xavier's" and "Planet X"). However, it also contains a scene where Sage suggests (to Bishop) that Xavier, Jean, and Emma Frost working together could become too dangerous. Sage repeats her reservations later in the book. While the last issue of "Planet X" hasn't come out as I write this, the first four issues & "Riot at Xavier's" show Prof. X paying for his reluctance to rape minds for information. (Yes, Emma's attempted telepathic seduction of Cyclops was unethical, but Jean punishes her in "Assault on Weapon X Plus".) As far as I'm concerned, Sage should be renamed "Fool" because she apparently hasn't tried to find out HOW Cassandra Nova was able to fool those powerful telepaths in NXM "E is for Extinction" and "Imperial". Nor do we see her sit down with Xavier to discuss her concerns.

The two issues of "X-Pose" sandwiched between the pages reprinting issues 19 & 20 are about a planned TV documentary on the X-Men. Mr. Claremont stacks the book in his team's favor by having them meet the two ethical and polite reporters while other X-Men have to deal with the arrogant and rude ones. Warren (Angel/Archangel) appesrs in X-Pose #2. Mr. Claremont has Warren use a less ethical solution to the documentary problem than he could have, which makes the X-Corp look bad. What he has Warren tell Storm about the X-Men is not supported by "New X-Men" (NXM) or "Uncanny X-Men" (UXM). It's not even supported by THIS book's end. It bothers me that Storm doesn't wonder why Warren is being so cold and arrogant to her. It bothers me that she doesn't point out to Warren that he doesn't have the authority to make the ultimatum he gives her. Further, the X-Men are supposed to be family. Storm could have called "Daddy" Xavier to tell him what "brother" Warren did and said and then handed the phone over to Warren. Xavier's behavior when Storm finally calls him (about Emma) does not suggest that he would have blown her off. Xavier's greeting, when they meet again in the flesh, should leave no reader in doubt of his affection for his "daughter". Storm tells her team that Warren's right, the stakes are too high -- so why didn't she call?

"X-Pose" brings up the problem of young mutants who have never met Professor Xavier, let alone been trained by him, and who are perfectly happy to abuse regular humans with their powers. We also meet a theme that will become important in "Schism": mutants can get away with crimes because regular humans can't stop them. According to "Schism", only Storm's splinter group cares about this problem. The main X-Men are too concerned with mutant rights. You need only read Morrison's NXM "Riot at Xavier's" and "Assault on Weapon X Plus" books to know that's ridiculous. Reading NXM "New Worlds" shows that the other X-Men care about helping humans. In Austen's UXM book, "Hope", Xavier hires a regular human as school nurse.

Our problem for "Schism" is a young mutant named Jeffrey who may or may not be a murderer. Mr. Bogan, a very evil man, was apparently controlling Jeffrey before and may or may not have been able to control him while he was at Xavier's. The climactic battle in the Danger Room may or may not have actually happened. Xavier takes Storm's, Bishop's, and Sage's report seriously anyway.

Given what Sage told Storm about Bogan, Ororo acts like an idiot at the end. If you read this book, you might ask yourself why Mr. Claremont didn't have: Prof. X suggest that Jeffrey be tried within Xavier's for his own and the court's safety, OR Storm bother to consider that Jeffrey's horrific personal tragedy probably left him unable to recognize innocents from foes during the fatal incident, OR Storm think that Jeffrey could atone by learning to use his power for rescue operations, OR Prof. X answer Storm more effectively.

On the lighter side, in the reprint of XTX #23, Ororo makes a remark that should amuse readers of NXM "New Worlds" [see the reprint of #132] and there's a mutant female lawyer who had better not have her power triggered by her own blood.

I'd have given the book a higher rating if it didn't denigrate the main X-Men, particularly Warren, X, Jean, and Emma. I think Mr. Claremont should have just had Storm's group remain separate because they're worried that the school and regional X-Corporations are too openly targets.

Great story, gorgeous art
Schism is definitely one of the best X-Men TPB's and story arc's around. Great continuation from the Invasion storyline. With fast-paced action and intricate mystery, Chris Claremont shines in this beautiful collection, binding together X-Treme X-Men #19-23 and X-Treme X-Pose #1-2. Salvador Larroca's art is second to few. The pencils breathtaking, the color vibrant, this TPB is as pleasing to read as it is to look at. From the interesting detective work of Bishop and Sage, to the exciting fight between Emma Frost and X-Treme X-Men leader Storm, the characters are easy to relate to and definitely draw you into their world. Guest-starring many New and Uncanny X-Men: Phoenix, Nightcrawler, Beast, Archangel, and more. Even fill-in stories, X-Treme X-Pose are well-written from a whole different perspective. Ranson's work on this is spectactular and the quality of the inks and colors are pleasing to the eye. This TPB is definitely something you should pick up if you're a fan of X-Men, or just a fan of great comics in general. If Claremont's writing doesn't do it for you, Larroca's stunning art definitely will. Pick this up ASAP and you won't be sorry!

Vintage Claremont
If you've ever enjoyed any of Chris Claremont's X-men stories, then Schism will not disappoint. It deals with the X-Treme X-Men turning away from their friends to become a sort of mutant police force, to deal with crimes that involve mutants, the sort of crimes normal police forces may not be equipped to handle. The title story is set up as an intriguing mystery, but the most enjoyable part of the story is the tension between the X-men and Emma Frost, former White Queen of the Hellfire club and a current staff member of Charles Xavier's school. ... Read more

Book Description

New alliances are forged as old friendships are rekindled, but one thing is certain: The X-Men will never be the same! With the team split in two, the Uncanny X-Men must face the unbridled force of the Fury on two sides of the globe! Will the villain's "divide-and-conquer" plan prove to be the X-Men's ultimate undoing? Collecting Uncanny X-Men #444-449. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1963, a revolutionary new breed of hero emerged in the pages of X-MEN #1. These strange men and women each possessed a special "mutant" gene, granting them incredible powers and abilities. Since those early years, Marvel's mutants have exploded into a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. From a single comic book, the X-Men went on to star in a diverse line of titles featuring mutants of every type imaginable, as well as a pair of top-rated animated series and two hit movies.

Featuring more than 350 fully illustrated biographies, the X-MEN ENCYCLOPEDIA is a comprehensive guide to these world-famous Marvel Comics characters their mysterious origins, their incredible powers, their titanic struggles and their hidden tragedies. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A MUST HAVE FOR FANS
I REALLY do feel that this a book for any xmen fan simply because it lets you know just about everything anybody would want to know about the xmen. there are full character bios that tell about the way they came into the x-universe. there are also extensive information about all the different teams and also all the enemies that the xmen and their team branches fight. there are nifty little guides that tell where each person lies with the regards to energy projection and intelligence etc. it also lists many obscure characters that have graced the pages and any reader will also be reminded of characters they may have forgotten about. i highly recommend this encyclopedia for anyone wishing to have a better knowledge about what makes up one of the greatest comic book universes ever conceived.

Mildly recommended.
The Facts: On 240 interior pages, Marvel Encyclopedia Vol. 2: X-Men gives you the skinny on approximately 400 X-Men, villains and allies. The characters are not listed alphabetically throughout the book, but are grouped in several categories, beginning with "X-Men," then running alphabetically from "Acolytes" to "X-Statix," and culminating in the "Cerebra Files," which deal with non-affiliated characters. While one or two pages each are dedicated to the major characters, less relevant players have to share their page with up to three of their fellow second- or third-stringers. Accordingly, the length of the profiles ranges from two pages to zilch, depending on whether you're reading up on Wolverine or No-Girl. Further included in each character listing are boxes indicating the characters' "power ratings" on a scale from one to seven (whose significance is explained in detail on a page in the back of the volume), as well as the characters' "Real Name," "First Appearance," "Height" and "Weight," and a short description of their "Powers/ Weapons." Additionally, the Encyclopedia contains tech specs of the X-Mansion and the Blackbird, an introduction by Joe Quesada, an "Essential Reading" list, and an "Index" that lists all characters in alphabetical order, and tells you what pages you can find them on.

Through all this, the layout looks fairly professional, clear and inviting, which is a definite plus.

Turning to quality, the book is a bit of a mixed bag. There aren't too many typos or punctuation errors, and the occasionally somewhat clumsy and overly contrived prose can probably be excused by the particular complexity of some characters' histories. (From the Apocalypse biography: "After centuries of plotting, planning, and waiting, Apocalypse put his master plan into action when he gathered together twelve mutants who had long been destined to usher in a new golden era for mutantkind. Apocalypse intended to use them to boost his powers and alter reality to his liking. But his plans went awry when the Twelve broke free, and Apocalypse attempted to use X-Man as a new host body to replace his own, which he had nearly burnt out.")

What's more distracting, however, is the lack of a consistent writing style in some places. While the biographies read rather well as long as things stay matter-of-factly and focus on getting information to the reader, there are several instances when they suddenly switch to sledgehammer melodrama, which, unfortunately, doesn't work quite as well. According to the Marauders section, "Where there is killing, where there is chaos, where there is mayhem, there is always something else: Marauders." Further, it tells us, "They embody the deadly combination of sycophant and killer," and that, "In the absence of goodness and mercy there are Marauders." This smacks of bad fan-fiction, frankly. In the Hellions profile, we learn that "The dead survive only as memories now -- terrible ghosts of an idea too awful to come to fruition. And the living are left to bear the legacy of all the young who died too soon." Yeuch. Too awful to come to fruition, indeed.

With regard to accuracy, the Encyclopedia does a respectable job. There are a number of minor mistakes, but nothing too significant. An exception to this is the Acolytes profile, whose account of the group's history, as well as the histories and capabilities of some of its members, barely resembles the actual stories. Since the Acolytes haven't appeared for a while now, though, and are rather unlikely to pop up anytime soon, this is hardly earth-shaking, either.

The profiles, generally, are limited to the essential parts of the characters' histories, which certainly makes sense. In some places, one might argue that the priorities are a bit out of order; there are biographies for the Marauders and the Hellions, groups that haven't appeared in ages, while on the other hand there is no feature on Genosha, which would have been relevant to the current Morrison run. The Rachel Summers biography refers to Rachel's stint as Mother Askani, which was effectively "removed" from continuity, but neglects to mention that she has since returned to the present-day Marvel Universe; the Hellfire Club section ignores the Inner Circle's most recent "Kings," Blackheart and Daimon Hellstrom; and -- for better or worse -- the Dark Beast retcon is ignored, with regard to the Morlocks. Apart from these, there are no major omissions, though.

In order to streamline things and prevent confusion, the terms "X-Factor," "Cable" and "X-Force" are widely avoided and substituted by "government-sponsored team of mutants," "Nathan Summers" and "mutant strike force founded by Nathan Summers," respectively. Fair enough. What's weird is that the characters from Geoff Johns' "Elseworlds" Morlocks series are lumped in with the Marvel Universe Morlocks.

My overall impression of the book, all told, is fairly favorable, in spite of the bugs. The choice of characters is as ambitious as one could hope, allowing an unbiased look at all the major players in the comic's rich history. Whether they're representatives of the "classic" sixties and seventies, the "mysterious" and "edgy" eighties and nineties, or the current, colorful potpourri of retro and deconstructionist stories, if they played a major part somewhere, chances are you'll find them here. While the writing may not always be top-notch in terms of style and grace, the creators and editors are to be complimented for the rather well-balanced biographies, which most of the time pull it off to introduce the characters in a transparent and accessible way, without ignoring the organic complexity and interwoven structure that has become a hallmark of the X-Men and their world in the past forty years.

If you're looking for a competent, comprehensive, up-to-date guide to what's relevant and essential in the X-Men universe in 2003, you won't find anything better than this book.

(Copyright 2003: Marc-Oliver Frisch)

Better than I thought it would be.
This book is superior to the Ultimate X-Men Guide, but has problems which make it incomplete. I appreciate the fact Marvel went out of their way to include most of the obscure characters in the X-Men universe (even though they left out Deadpool, which is ridiculous). There isn't a lot of information for most of them, but at least they're there. It's too bad they weren't able to produce better artwork for these characters, however. Most of it's below average. All the characters from the early '90s deserved Jim Lee depictions of them, perhaps his work from the first series X-Men cards. Others have mentioned the omissions of X-Force, X-Factor, and Cable, which are definite negatives. I could have forgiven that, but the real problem is the lavish attention X-Statix got. Several members of this dopey group got full page profiles, and their section goes on and on. Something like twelve pages all together. They deserved no more than two. So I would have given X-Men Encyclopedia four stars, but the X-Statix section and the omission of Deadpool bothers me. Three stars.

By the way, how can this be volume 2 in Marvel's "Encyclopedia" series when it features identical artwork, as well as rehashes of the same stories for the majority of characters as volume 1! That is a rip-off.

This book's recommended, but you should probably also pick up Ultimate X-Men Guide to fill in some of the missing parts.

Confused about all the X-men characters, get this book.
I followed the X-men back in the early 90s, but got lost with all these new characters and series like X-Men Revolution and X-Corporation, so I got this book. Now I have a firm knowledge of the X-Men. The book is not very long, about a little over 200 pages. With all the characters in the X-Men franchise it should be bigger and more in depth. The popular characters from the cartoon in the early 90s are pretty covered with about 3 pages each for like Magneto, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, etc. A few other supporting casts like Mr. Sinister, Callisto, Apocalypse, etc. have a page dedicated to them. 75% of the characters have ¼, 1/3, ½ of a page description.

Each character has a chart of the intelligence, strength, speed, durability, energy projection, and fighting skill. They also have a description of their real name, first comic appearance, Height, weight, eye and hair color. There is no order where they are place in any chorological order, but more of the hierarchy in popularity and different division they are associated with. The author(s) does a good job of summarizing the characters and cross referencing them to each other.

What is lacking is the art work. Each character has one picture per character, except for the 3-pages characters. Every photo is a snap shot from the comic and some of the lesser characters aren't very detail. The qualities from page to page are different with mixture of good and mostly bad artwork, unlike some of the nicer drawn Marvel's comic book. Not too much extra except for an axon drawing of the Prof X's school and small four pagers on Ultimate X-Men.

Since, I am not a die-hard I do not know who is missing from the X-Men's List, but could list who are: X-Men, Acolytes, Alpha Flight, Brotherhood of Evil Mutant, Exiles, Hellfire, Hellions, Marauders, Morlock, New Mutants, Reaver, Savage Land Mutants, Shi'ar and Imperial Guard, Starjammers, Weapon X, X-corp, X-Static, and Cerebra Files (mention Apocalypse, Arcade, BT Cassidy, etc.)

This could be a five star is it was longer and had better artworks.

Marvel Encyclopedia: X-Men; Good for beginners, but...
I went through the book and discovered that it was a great source for those who are new to the X-Men world. The book briefly goes over most of the related X-Men characters, giving the newly initiated a great starting point/introduction. Unfortunately, for those who're long time fans, some of the descriptions are too brief and almost misleading...ie. The bio on Colossus list his powers as being able to turn his skin into organic metal, but no mention that he has other abilities like extreme super strength. If you read through his bio, there is a brief mention of his super strength, but you'd think if they went to the trouble of listing the various abilities of other characters, you'd think the publishers would be willing to make a second listing (yes, they only listed just one ability for him) to mention his most obvious ability, his super strength, if not his limited invulnerability. Maybe I'm being too picky since I've been following the X-Men since the 1970s, but considering some of the characters who were the major players during the height of the X-Men popularity during the 1980s, one would think they'd be given a bit more coverage, if not more accurate information on them. ... Read more

Book Description

It's once again time for the X-Men to mutate. First, will Juggernaut -- one of the X-Men's toughest foes -- actually join their ranks? Then, as the high-flying Archangel goes through a major physical transformation that affects his powers, he encounters a threat to his family corporation. Finally, the entire roster gets a facelift as international artist Kia Asamiya redesigns their costumes. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Worse than Draco
Popular opinion says that Draco is Chuck Austens worst Uncanny XMen arc, which is saying alot since his whole run has been terrible. But the truth of the matter, according to me at least, is Dominant Species is his worst. Vaguely defined villains (are they werewolves, are they mutants, both?) take over some office building that Warren Worthington owns. Its really as exciting as the premise makes it out to be. Its terrible. Bad characterization, nonexistant motivation, and poor artwork to further obscure any sense of whats going on (for some reason fog takes the place of backgrounds through most of the arc, which makes even less sense because as i said it takes place in an office building).

If you want to read good X-Men stories go read some of Grant Morrison's New X-men books, or go read Essential X-Men 1 and 2. This crap by Chuck Austen gives the X-Men brand a bad name.

Not Worth Reading
These issues contain some very poor characterization, plotting, dialogue and art. The story involves extremely uninteresting mutant werewolves, who, defying logic, are involved in Warren Worthington's corporation. The characters do not act like themselves. They are completely changed to fit the plot and to add unneeded melodrama to the story. The dialogue is embarassing to read and the art does not flow with the story.

uncanny x-men #416-420
First of all, the artwork is pretty weak. That being said, I liked the story. We've got werewolves here that give the X-Men a good run. There are some great little twists and turns in here. And it is interesting to watch the Juggernaught fight on the side of the X-Men. Other than the art, it's pretty great.

Great X-men Book
Chuck austin continues his great storytelling during the dominant species stroy arc. Also Kia Asamiya provides amazing artwork. The x-men have hever looked so good. Great characterization only adds to this book. A must have for x-men fans.

Great X-men Book
Chuck Ausitn continues his great storytelling in the dominant species story arc. Also Kia Asamiya matches the great story with amazing artwork. The X-men Have never before loked so good. This book is a must have for x-men fans. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Inferno Ignites Excitement: Best X-Over Yet
Inferno is by far my favorite x-men x-over. It is so intriguing and exciting, and the art is superb, as is the writing. I found no cheesy dialogue whatsoever which is nice.

There are a couple plot threads that intertwine, and the nice thing is that there is an introduction that explains the background. Anyways, the layout it this: Madelyne Pryor (The Goblyn Queen) strikes a deal with the Limbo demon Nastrith that through the sacrifice of her own son, a bridge will form between Limbo and Earth, and the Earth with be destroyed. Throw in the Mister Sinister factor, as well as problems with Jean Grey and Cyclops along the way.

Meanwhile, the other major storyline focues on Illyana Rasputin transforming more and more into the Darkchylde as the New Mutants try to save her from damnation. Oh, and while all this is going on, demons from Limbo have already invaded via a teleportation disc and a pentagram, transforming all of Manhattan into Limbo itself.

Its a lot to take in, but its very interesting and I was always left wanting more after each issue. There is tons of action and the villains include Nastrith, S'ym, Mister Sinister, The Marauders, and limbo demons. Our heroes include the X-Men, X-Factor, the New Mutants, and the X-Terminators.

This is one huge x-over, consisting of 12 issues, 3 of which are double-sized. My only complaint was that the 2 Excalibur issues were left out and so were the 4 X-Terminator issues. The Excalibur issues were stand alone I guess, but the X-Terminator ones would have explained better some of the background. Nevertheless, I was completely satisfied with the 12 issues anyways. I guess the other ones would have interefered with the focus probably.

Anyways, I definately reccomend this x-over if you are a X-Men fan. Espciailly if you like reading issues from the past, this is a good read. Alot of what happened in Inferno still echoes storylines recently.

I know Amazon doesn't have this one in its own warehouse, but you can get it directly from www.bn.com (Barnes and Noble).

Inferno contains: X-Men 239-243, X-Factor 36-39, and New Mutants 71-73.

Intriguing new direction...but not quite the best X-outing.
The X-Men are mainly known as mutant crusaders, heroes defending mutantkind, both from humanity and from itself. When the arena changes, it's usually to a sci-fi space adventure (Shi'Ar Empire, etc.) or an alternate reality (Days of Future Past) rather than a more fantasy-based setting. So, being a fantasy buff, I was naturally excited to read Inferno and find out how the X-Men (and their spinoff teams) dealt with supernatural threats and adventures.

The story is complex, as is par for the course in a Claremont book. Cyclops's ex-wife Madelyne Pryor makes a bargain with a demon to find their son, who apparently vanished some time ago. The New Mutants are stuck in Limbo, the dimension that had up till now been ruled by their teammate, Colossus's little sister Illyana. She ends up making a bargain with the same demon (a lovely fellow named N'astirh) to win back the mystic artifact that marks her as Limbo's ruler. As expected when one deals with demons, both Maddie and Illyana are betrayed, Maddie to Mr. Sinister (whose connection to her is both surprising and not altogether unexpected), and Illyana to S'ym, her former subordinate and rival for Limbo's throne.

The result? Hell on Earth. Limbo's demons end up taking over Manhattan, turning the place into a devil's-funhouse parody of itself, and it takes the combined efforts of the X-Men (comprised at this time of Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, Havok, Longshot, Dazzler, Colossus, and Wolverine), X-Factor (the original X-Men, including a Jean Grey who is somehow stripped of her telepathy by her resurrection), and the New Mutants (Cannonball, Wolfsbane, Sunspot, Warlock, Mirage, and Illyana herself), as well as a few minor mutants (including the future Rictor and Meltdown of X-Force fame) to break the spell over the city. The mutants go through a game of "tag, who's it?" with the bad guys, defeating S'ym, N'astirh, and finally Madelyne herself before finally realizing that Inferno's true mastermind is, though inadvertently, none other than Mr. Sinister.

Claremont, as always, does a wonderful job of storytelling with both the X-Men and New Mutants titles, but Walt Simonson (X-Factor's writer) doesn't quite live up. His dialogue is disjointed and at times hard to follow, while at the same time having a kind of childish simplicity to it. As for Inferno's art...well, Silvestri ranks among the greats, like Jim Lee and John Byrne, but Louise Simonson's pencils seem simplistic and blocky, and the New Mutants artist (whose name escapes me) has a tendency to be more cartoony than anything else.

Flaws notwithstanding, Inferno makes for a good read, and its supernatural premise is a breath of fresh air from the human vs. mutant and space-alien invasions the X-Men usually put up with. It did have the potential to be much, much better, though.

Awesome!!
When I think of X-Men these are the stories I think of.

a Claremont classic
I remember when Inferno happened. It was one of my favorite comic storylines of all time. So I was real happy when I found this TPB that collected it all in one (rather thick) volume. It's one of those classic X-Men stories. Inferno also bled over into several other comics and I wish they had been included here (or maybe Marvel will release a companion volume that contains them)--those like Spider Man, Daredevil, and the X-Terminators. Still, even with just the X-Men and The New Mutants, it is a must have volume.

Dante would've been proud...
Upon rereading "Inferno", I was surprised by the maturity and sensitivity in the crafting of this X-Men story. Lots of comic books that came out from the late 1980s until today try to portray "maturity" by resorting to post-modern themes or shock-value. Check out a number of D.C. Vertigo books to know what I mean. Not that they are bad. In fact, most of them (e.g. Sandman) are pretty good. Just that the bulk of them (even the best of them), at times comes off as merely artsy pretensions.

"X-Men: Inferno" is a straight-forward superhero story. It is the capstone of the whole "Phoenix" saga (incl. "Dark Phoenix Saga", "From the Ashes" and "Phoenix Rising"). Madelyne Pryor goes on a rampage as a woman scorned and she literally brings hell to earth. In the middle, we also get the final resolution to the whole Illyana Rasputin/Magick saga.

Why do I like this volume so much? Firstly, the craft and design of the work is akin to the three circles of Dante's Inferno. We have the first circle here dealing with each of the X-Men's weaknesses (sins), then the second circle of the Magick saga and the final circle of Madelyne's epic battle - and finally the revelation of the devil at the bottom of the pit, Mr. Sinister. Wonderful planning and design throughout. Secondly, I found the work dealt with issues of adultery, vanity, vengence, sibling rivalry, repentance, etc. all presented in a mature and sensitive manner - without the pretensions of today's comics. Read it again to see Dazzler's vanity, the Marauders' violence, Madelyne's pain, Jean's tenderness, Havok's insecurity and Cyclops' regret. Thirdly, we have the introduction to one of the most interesting, Faustian villain ever - Mister Sinister - and a resolution to the events set in motion during the "Morlock Massacre" prior to this story. In many ways, this story is a closure - many of the dangling plotlines are resolved. In other ways, this story, like the best X-Men stories, marks a new beginning - the X-Men finally comes face-to-face with the X-Factor and this marks the beginning of the "extended family" concept in the X-books, laying the ground for future storylines. ... Read more

Book Description

Mystique the sultry mutant shapeshifter, who has stood against the X-Men in battle after battle, is offered the chance at a new life when Professor X recruits her to complete a dangerous mission in Cuba. Can this former mutant-rights terrorist who can disguise herself as anyone on the planet be trusted? In this story of international intrigue and redemption, the sexy Mystique may surprise everyone, including herself. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

a Claremont classic
Here we have another of Chris Claremont's classic X-Men stories. Here you have the X-Men we are all familiar with, including Wolverine, Beast, Rogue, Gambit, Psylock, and Cyclcops. This is the first few volumes of the Claremont created X-Men series that happened in the 90s. Very good work in here. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys anything X-Men related.

Awesome. It's just awesome.
This volume is great. You have to get it if you love the X-men. This volume contains the first seven or so issues of the X-men series that came out twelve years ago. I loved these stories as a kid and I love them now. They are still just as good as I remember. Issues 1-4 have a really good Magento/X-men battle while Issues 4-7 have a great Wolverine story that carries over into the now classic "Wolverine#50." I hope the issues that follow this one (Jim Lee's "Ghost Rider/X-men/Brood story" and Jim Lee's "Longshot" story) get published in a volume that Accompanies this one.

Best of the best, remineds me of better times for the X-Men
P>This is the last and probably bet X-Men stories every. It combines the talents of Chris Claremont (before he was fired and X-Men fell apart) and Jim Lee when he was still letting his art flow naturaly. Hands down Lees bet are work ever! And if you know Lee that's saying a lot.

The story focuses on the X-Men Blue Team. Cyclops, Wolverine, Rouge, Gambit, Phylock, Beast, and Jubilee. The battle their old foe Magneteo who is back with a vengence to take over the world.

The second part of the story introduces us to a trio of Wolverine's arch villians, The Hand, Sabertooth, and Omega Red. The conspire together with one of Wolverine's evil creators to unlock Wolverine's seceret past and get more than they bargined for.

This is the X-Men at their absolute best just before they sank to their absolute worst.

Lee's artwork is breath taking.

X-Men:Mutant Genisis is Claremont/Lee's finest work!
X-Men: Mutant Genisis is Chris Claremont and Jim Lee's finest work for Marvel Comics! This X-Men tradepaperback the famous story arc of X-Men#1-7 originally published in 1991! This is the famous story Arc where you see the X-Men split into two teams. One is calles the X-Men gold team and the other is called X-Men Blue team. The focus of these issues is the the X-Men Blue team consisting of Cyclops, Wolverine, Psylock,Rogue, Gambit, and Beast! Magneto and his Accolytes are out for Revenge against Mankind! The X-Men must stop Magneto before he destroys the Earth and all Human life.This is also Chris Claremont's last 3 issues of X-Men! He left the book after a 17 year run on Unccany X-Men. Jim Lee draws all the issues and co-plots the rest. These issues has the first apperances of X-Men characters Omega Red and Maverick!It also tells more about Wolverine's origin as Weapon X! This is the famous X-Men story arc that made Jim Lee famous! Buy it! A Great X-Men Tradepaperback!

Excellent Stories and Art
...

"Mutant Genesis" reprints (in color, not b&w) the first seven issues of the second series X-Men (now renamed New X-Men) from 1991. Claremont writes the first three issues, and John Byrne and Jim Lee write the remaining four. Lee provides pencils for all.

The the 3-issue story "Rubicon" represents Claremont's finale as he left the series he'd written for 14 years and made the highest selling comic EVER. It ranks among his best writing (which is saying a lot). The story revolves around Magneto's quest for vengence against Charles Xavier and Moira MacTaggert, involving nearly thirty years of X-Men history, including the effects of the Holocaust, prejudice, nuclear proliferation, and the effects of anger on the human soul. Highly recommended.

If you enjoy this trade, I would recommend Claremont's work in:
"X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills"; "X-Men: Vignettes"; and the four volumes of Essential X-Men b&w reprints. ... Read more

Book Description

Explore the younger days of the X-Men's most controversial member, collected in a convenient digest size! Finally free from her overbearing father, Emma Frost is on her own for the very first time. She's found love - but she's also found trouble, as her new boyfriend is in deep with the Boston mob! As Emma learns more "creative" ways of using her newfound telepathic abilities, will it be enough to help her escape the grasp of the criminal underworld? ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Phoenix's First Resurrection
To many, this is the story that ruined the X-Men. That is understandable. To many, the classic death of Jean Grey/Phoenix on the moon at the end of the "Dark Phoenix Saga" is not something to be tampered with. Therefore, when Marvel decided to resurrect Jean for the formation of X-Factor in the mid-1980s, many felt cheated. They felt that this story cheapened the original "death". For me, I'm glad that Jean is alive again (although she's dead again in the recent Grant Morrison X-Men run, I was told!). I felt that this story opened up so many story possibilities - especially the emotional tug-of-war that Cyclops, then married to Jean-lookalike, Madelyne Pryor, had to face.

The problem with many comic fans is that they can't seem to see beyond the "scandal" or "controversy". For example, the Batman story, "A Death in the Family". Everytime you hear fans discussing that storyline, they have to bring in the controversial decision that D.C. made at that time to set up a 1-800 number for people to call in voting whether to let Robin live or die. Seeing beyond that little piece of marketing ploy, the story by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo is pretty tight and solid. Same thing here. Jean Grey lives. The Phoenix entity that died on the moon was a different person altogether (therefore, Jean is not guilty of the crimes committed by Dark Phoenix). If the fans would just take time to examine the story carefully, they would find this a solid book to begin with.

Firstly, we have the issue from Avengers wherein the cocoon holding Jean underwater is found. The fans also screamed when they discovered this - Jean's resurrection taking place in "Avengers" rather than "Uncanny X-Men". But then that was the time when Jim Shooter was head at Marvel and continuity BETWEEN the books was very tight (unlike the current no-continuity nu-Marvel). I, for one, do not see a problem with that. And I'm thankful to see again the work of Roger Stern, John Buscema and Tom Palmer, whom I consider the best Avengers creators ever (check out their work on "Avengers: Under Siege" to see what I mean). The second part of the storyline takes place in "Fantastic Four" and it's largely written and drawn by John Byrne. Great flashback scenes here explain in detail what really happened to Jean and Phoenix in "X-Men #101". I was told that Chris Claremont tampered a little with this story and some panels were redrawn by Jackson Guice. This, of course, contributed to Byrne's finally leaving the FF soon after. The best part of the book, and also the part that packs the most emotional punch is the last chapter - a reprint of X-Factor #1. Bob Layton writes and Jackson Guice pencils this tale of how Jean's closest pals/lovers, namely, the original X-Men, react to her being alive again.

Reading this carefully, one can see the seeds being planted for future storylines in the X-books like "Inferno" and "X-cutioner's Song". Scott is pushed to the limit emotionally and ends up a wreck, abandoning his wife Madelyne and son, Nathan. The original five X-Men, including Jean, forms X-Factor. The last panel with Madelyne discovering Scott's "unfaithfulness" on TV (in an X-Factor ad) is priceless.

Lastly, this book comes with an Introduction by Kurt Busiek, who had the guts to claim credit for coming up with the idea of Jean's resurrection in the first place. Overall solid writing and art throughout. Long live Jean...

Essential
The entire Phoenix Saga is by far the most compelling story line in Marvel's history. This graphic novel is unfortunately missing several issues that follow the supposed death of Jean Grey (which would leave some newbie readers a little lost). It also does not end with any sense of closure as "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and "Inferno" graphic novels did.

There isn't a lot of action here as you would find with most other X-Men graphic novels. However, this is an important link in the chain of Phoenix-related events. The development of the characters and the twisting of the plot is unmatched. No true fan can deny that this paricular era of Marvel's history was the finest in comic story-telling. The art is superb and the depth of the characters is what REALLY makes this worth reading.

Discover the complexity of Jean's revival. Watch the unravelling of Scott and Madelyn's marriage. See the forming of a new superhero team. Witness a woman's descent into madness... "Phoenix Rising" is an essential part of any worth-while collection.

A few things missing, but still good.
Short and to the point, this novel depicts the return of Jean Grey and the creation of X-Factor by the original X-Men. It is a very well done story, but it was definitely missing a few cogs. It should have included X-Men #201, which depicts why Cyclops left the X-men. A few segments from Defenders #152, which show why Angel, Beast, and Iceman were ready to retire would have been a huge plus. (Not the entire issue, however, as most of the comic was not that good.) Still, a nice job.

I felt cheated!
Jean should have stayed dead. If you read the original stories after she became Phoenix there were many things that she still did as Jean Grey that meant a great deal. Her and Wolverine had an odd relationship together as he grew to love her and she grew closer to Scott (Cyclops). She formed a psionic rapport with Scott where they could keep in constant touch and share their love for one another. They had adventures and the newer team members (at the time) became closer to Jean and fought side by side with her. She sacrificed herself in issue #137 of the Uncanny X-Men and the readers really felt an emotional loss. She had been someone we and the new X-Men came to know and care about. The whole Phoenix Rising storyline and Jean coming back just cheated everyone of that investment in her character. It wasn't really her that we were caring for and blah blah blah. That's a bunch of crap because some of those stories from issue #101 (1st Phoenix) to issue #137 (death of Phoenix) were the best in Marvel history. Jean, the person, was a big part of those stories and saying that it was not really her is just the biggest farce that a comic series has ever pulled. I know that a lot of characters die and then come back but her death was so well done and played out and led to many other things (Scott leaving, team remorse, etc...) that bringing her back just really left me feeling cheated. Basically it means Wolverine didn't really love Jean, but some clone or piece of her or whatever. That's just dumb. This all leads up to the Inferno storyline that was dismal. A very weak conclusion to Mr. Sinister/Jean Grey/Madelyne Pryor storyline. It was a poor poor poor (have i mentioned poor?) decision to raise Jean from the dead. We had all moved on and had our memories of her and the glory days of the X-Men title. The decline of the X-Men as a title is a whole other story. The book stayed good for a few more years after (prob up to the early #200s), and had splashes of brillance here and there (Jim Lee art), but after Claremont and Byrne parted ways there was definitely a decline in the title culminating in the horrible Inferno storyline and the eventual splitting into 2 teams (another bad idea). So are Captain America's original sidekick Bucky and Spidey's old flame Gwen Stacy coming back too? Jean Grey coming back to life was/is a BAD IDEA!! A bunch of baloney! I still call myself an X-Men fan, but I am a fan of the large box full of back-issues I have. All you younger fans out there (I'm 27) need to read up on the old school and see how great this series used to be.

A Milestone in the Lives of the X-Men
You know, Jean Grey was never MEANT to die. The X-Men's editor at the time insisted Phoenix die for her actions as Dark Phoenix. This story, in a way, sets things right by bringing her back in a way much less contrived than many superhero resurrections. Far-fetched, yes, for the real world; but let's face it, these are comic book superheroes we're dealing with.

This collection features the (almost too) dramatic reunion of the original X-Men from X-Factor #1, as well as guest appearances by the Fantastic Four and Avengers. It sets up many more great moments later down the road (in X-Men: Inferno for instance), not to mention all the year of stories featuring Jean Grey since then. That alone makes me excited about it. A great follow-up to the Dark Phoenix Saga and From the Ashes. ... Read more

Book Description

The origin of Professor X! The birth of the Juggernaut! The end of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! The coming of the Sentinels! And the mystery of the Mimic! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby finish their original X-Men run
It is really interesting to see how much the X-Men have changed over the years. True, the Avengers quickly replaced all of their major members, but nobody ever really leaves the Avengers (except the Hulk), so Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America make it back for the parties and such. But Angel, Beast and Iceman really have been long gone, and the Uncanny X-Men gave way to the All-New All-Different X-Men with Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus and the rest giving the group of merry mutants an international flare. This second volume in the Marvel Masterworks series devoted to the X-Men collects issues 11-21. This means the end of Stan Lee's run as the writer of the comic book, with Roy Thomas taking over in issue #22. Jack Kirby does the layouts and/or pencils through issue #17 at which point Werner Roth moved from pencils Kirby's layouts to doing is own pencils. It was Roth who was the artist when I first started reading "The X-Men," so to me he is sort of the "original" artist for the book.

There are a trio of classic multi-part stories in this collection. The first is the two-part story #12-13, "The Origin of Professor X!" and "Where Walks the Juggernaut!" After Magneto (#10), the Juggernaut was probably the second most important supervillain in the X-Man mythology, although compared to the master of magnetism everybody is a poor second. We also have the first appearance of the Sentinels in a trilogy (#14-16), characters that would end up in some of the best X-Men stories of all time, and another encounter with Magneto (#17-18). Then you can throw into the mix the Mimic (#19), who combines all of the powers of the original X-Men (think the Super Skrull), and the flashback story of how Professor X lost his legs (#20).

Actually, I was surprised how many good stories ended up in this collection. I would have said there was a big mix of hits and misses until Jim Steranko and Neal Adams showed up to draw "The X-Men," but you cannot dismiss the major characters who are introduced during this period. The sophomore year for the students at Charles Xavier's school was pretty good. Lee left this book on the upswing. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

One word of CAUTION for the casual fan.
First of all, this is good stuff by one of the all-time greats of comic storytelling. It falls squarely into the category of Marvel Comics' must-reading. Highly recommended.

Any long-time reader knows what I'm about to say next, but since there are often casual readers buying TPB's when the same people would likely not buy an actual comic BOOKS, here goes:

This Captain Marvel is not THE ORIGINAL Captain Marvel who was as big as Superman in the forties in comics and serials, and who appeared on TV on saturday mornings a few decades back and appeared on Drew Carey a few years ago. The original character fell out of publication for a few decades and the trademark on his name expired. Marvel Comics opportunistically snatched up the name and created an all-new character of the same name (with a few similarities that were strictly for homage purposes, like the adult/kid Mar-Vell/Rick Jones thing). When the original character returned under the banner of DC Comics, he still used the name Captain Marvel, but he can't appear in a comic TITLED "Captain Marvel". So the adventures of the original Captain Marvel are reprinted in "The Shazam Archives", "JSA" collections and the "Power of Shazam" graphic novel.

The first great space opera
Don't believe the review that complained this book is an uncomfortable mix. The first half of the story is actually the highlight, teeming with energy, while Captain Marvel's death is, as you might imagine, quite depressing. This storyline is the one that started Jim Starlin's long career doing cosmic epics, and it is almost impossible to underestimate how important it was at the time. It starts out simply, in a couple of issues of Iron Man,where he stumbles upon creatures from space called the Blood Brothers, building nice suspense until it reveals Thanos, the Mad Titan. What follows is an imaginative space opera that was one of the great highlights of comic in the 70's, featuring characters like the the Controller, Drax the Destroyer and Eon, who grants Mar-vell cosmic awareness, a character that has to be seen to be believed. The passions and motives of the characters here almost leap off the page. First, there is Thanos, who wants to deliver all the universe to death, his mistress (who's identity, familiar to everyone now, is kept a secret to the end here). Then, there is Drax, the Destroyer, who hates Thanos and wants him dead at any cost, consumed by an insane passion. And then, there is Mar-vell, trying to make sense of it all, and not only trying to figure out what Thanos is up to, but trying to help the Titans, stop Thanos and save the universe. The final battle, where Mar-vell tries to destroy the cosmic cube, is some of the greatest graphic storytelling ever seen in comics.

The second part of this story is seen in Starlin's next work, Adam Warlock (hopefully that gets a decent treatment, too, someday). The stories in Captain Marvel and Warlock are still the best representations of Thanos by far and, unless one reads them, one really can't understand what he's really all about and how he has evolved - he seems to be used far more liberally these days. Those who don't get how great these two stories are don't really get comics either, and are probably better off sticking to the mainstream comics. These are comics done by adults, for adults, and not for everyone, certainly not for people who don't appreciate epic storylines. Personally, I get tired of reading reviews of comics by people who have no sense of the history of the genre, only picking up what happens to be the fad for the day, then try to comment on what has gone before. Starlin both writes and draws each of these books, by the way, and, while most comic artists are influenced by other comic artists, the main influence in Starlin's work is an artist by the name of Michelangelo (the cover to this book, by the way, is even Michelangelos' Pieta, in case it looks familiar).

The last part of this story is Captain Marvell's death, drawn years after the other one. It is true that it is poignant, but it's also depressing, too. Starlin's interest in death in the early days was actually pretty morbid, and Mar-vell is one of the few Marvel characters to actually stay dead (one of the others being Gwen Stacy). The current Captain Marvell, is an updated, hot-headed, mod version meant to appeal to a younger generation. The one here is noble, courageous and will risk all in order to triumph over evil - qualities that seem all too lacking everywhere these days. On the other hand, the death does bring about some closure in the book.

One last note - the original books have gone up quite a lot in price and are considered collector's items, it's lucky to have them all together here. Created three years before Star Wars, they more than match that trilogy in both sweep and sense of the epic. Just to look at the storytelling here, one can almost see the first Thanos epic made into a great movie, especially how special effects have evolved these days.

Quirky, Outrageous 70's Cosmic Stuff
I love Marvel Comics for their quirky, outrageous, cosmic stories. Most of the time, they are so overblown and crazy that you just have to wonder what the writers were smoking at the time he wrote them. And they don't come quirkier or more outrageous than Jim Starlin and his 70's "cosmic-co-horts", Al Milgrom and Steve Englehart.

This TPB reprints the best of Starlin's run on Captain Marvel in the 70's (originally reprinted in "The Life of Captain Marvel") and the Graphic Novel (also by Starlin) "The Death of Captain Marvel". Oh yes, the first appearance of Thanos (Iron Man #55) is also included here - for those who love the rocky-faced Titan from all those "Infinity" crossovers! The high-points of this collection include the tale of Captain Marvel's acquiring "cosmic-awareness/consciousness", the Thanos War (involving the Cosmic Cube, the Titans and the Avengers) and finally the poignant story of Cap's death by cancer.

Read this and savour the delight of cosmic Marvel comics. They just don't make them like this anymore! And if you want more of the same, check out "Avengers:Kree-Skrull War", "Avengers:Celestial Madonna", "Avengers Forever" and "Infinity Gauntlet".

An uncomfortable mix
This trade paperback brings together two books: the collected LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL and the original graphic novel THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARVEL. I was more familiar with the late Captain from the graphic novel, as well as scattered appearances in other characters' titles. TDOCM is a very powerful story, due to its study of the mortality of a hero. I had never read the stories from his actual series: those that defined his powers and supporting cast, as well as set the stage for his death. It seems only natural that Marvel should combine these two books, but they certainly don't belong together.

The early Captain Marvel stories in this book are a prime example of great ideas carried out with little style. They may have been exciting reading for the time, but they don't mesh well with the final graphic novel. Quite a lot happens in these stories, actually: CM meets the Titans, joins forces with Iron Man & Drax the Destroyer, faces Thanos, and gains cosmic awareness, but holy cow - this is some bad writing! It's pretty obvious that Jim Starlin was trying to spin a tale on the level of Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga (with some embarrasing similarities), but at this point in his career, he had not attained his flair for engaging plots or intelligent dialogue (for that, see his Cosmic Odyssey from DC). The basics are: Drax pursues Thanos, Thanos tries to drive him mad, CM gets into the mix, Thanos has our heroes under his thumb but doesn't kill them, and it starts all over again. This goes on for over 200 pages! It's helpful to get the high points, but boy is it a painful process.

The payoff is the final chapter, which is one of the more moving tales ever to come out of the Marvel House of Ideas. Jim Starlin did some excellent work on TDOCM, and it is a true masterpiece.

One more little problem I have with this book: Marvel has adopted the practice of putting advertisements in their trade paperbacks lately. Having the last moment of Captain Marvel's life facing a page with an ad for cookies seems undignified.

New paperback print loses some of original ink details
Why are the black ink finishes so bad in this book? It's like reading a bad photocopy version of the stories (i.e. Destroyer's eyes are missing on the cover of Iron Man). I maybe a nitpicker about this, but I think Marvel should've done a better job with this classic series. If possible try to get the first printing of this collection or the 'special editions' prints, which still retains some of that nice ink work. ... Read more

Book Description

The Ragin' Cajun is back with a vengeance in his very own ongoing series! Ever wonder what Gambit gets up to when he's not out saving the world with the X-Men? Welcome to the exciting but treacherous terrain of the New Orleans underworld, where Gambit's skills and mastery are unquestioned...but this time, his confidence might be his downfall! Join writer John Layman and artist Georges Jeanty for the breakneck adventures of the smoothest, most charming devil ever to wear the X! ... Read more

Book Description

Professor Charles Xavier knew he needed a way to combat the growing prejudice against mutants.As more and more mutants were identified, so too did the fear of the unknown heighten.Unlike his colleague Magneto, Xavier thought mankind could be taught to embrace the future and he opened a school to train them.

This story recounts that first year as Xavier cajoles and befriends the shy Scott Summers, beautiful Jean Grey, angry Warren Worthington III, confused Bobby Drake and feared Hank McCoy.Before he could make them comfortable enough to begin training them to harness their gifts, Xavier first has to become a part of their lives which puts him and them in danger.The threats come from the schoolyard and from the home and highlight how dangerous it has become to be born with any differences whatsoever.

Along the way, the five students have to find common ground to bond and become first classmates, then friends, and finally, teammates as the X-Men.In this emotionally gripping story, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's creations are seen through a modern-day point of view courtesy of writer Joe Casey (Uncanny X-Men, Superman) and artists Steve Rude (Spider-Man: Lifelines, Nexus), Paul Smith (Uncanny X-Men), and Essad Ribic (Brotherhood). ... Read more

Reviews (7)

the beginning
This is a must for X-fans. This is the story of the beginning of the X-Men. Not X-Men #1, but what came before. How the professor got the original team. It's really well-done.

Good retro origins for the original X-Team
Joe Casey's run on the Uncanny X-Men titled left a lot to be desired. Somehow, he was hampered by the fact that he was trying too hard to match up to Grant Morrison's New X-Men (something not humanly possible). IMHO, Casey's best writing was on Cable, Wildcats and here in this tiny little piece of gem - a retelling of who the X-Men are and how they came to be.

The original X-Men comic started around 1963 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The story begins with Prof. X mentally summoning his students to gather before him in their gaudy, '60s uniforms (not costumes). "Children of the Atom" serves as a prequel to the story in X-Men #1. Who were these people before they became students of Charles Xavier.

There is a "work-in-progress" kind of feel to the whole story. The mutant fear is only beginning, with its flames stoked by a very "American-History-X" cult leader. Both Xavier and Magneto appears to be