Rating: 
Summary: In the begining
Review: I have always loved the X-men. My cousin and I grew up reading these comics. These "Essential" series comics are great. they are a cheap way to catch up on all the ones I missed as well as reading those issues I fondly remember. I really like the fact that I can read them from the begining, and with out gaps (I hate getting a comic book that keeps refering to an issue I don't have.)
For many the fact that they are black and white, has been a problem, but I still have many of my old issues, and I found that in general the black and white "essential" was clearer.
I got over the lack of color quickly (However my ten year old nephew keeps telling me to get them in color, so maybe its just me.)
I plan on buying all of the Marvel Essentials books; I think they are great.
Rating:
Summary: Essential X-Men review by:Kenny Benton AN AWESOME BOOK!!!!
Review: I have never been interested in X-Men but after I read this thrilling X-Men novel I have been collecting the book.This book has a great storyline and the ending is fantastic.If your an X-Men fan this is a definate reader!
Rating: 
Summary: Good find!
Review: I never knew all of what happened in the first of the comics, never knew who came from where and who started out with who. Things like this were cleared up after reading these. I was disapointed however to find that none of them were in color.
Rating:
Summary: Good find!
Review: I never knew all of what happened in the first of the comics, never knew who came from where and who started out with who. Things like this were cleared up after reading these. I was disapointed however to find that none of them were in color.
Rating:
Summary: Essential X-Men I
Review: I purchased this for a x-mas gift and it is all in color.
every page is full color.
I keep reading that it's black and white well mine aint.
I had the original X-men comic way back when and sadly did not retain it.
anyine else get a colored one?
Rating:
Summary: It is a good comic at a good price, but...
Review: I think Amazon should warn when a comic is in black and white!That is the only reason I din't give it the 5 stars. It is also deceptive when you are expecting a full color normal comic and you receive a plain black and white book. None theless, the book confirm the reason why the x-man are the best of the super heros. It is a good compilation.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best way to obtain these classic issues affordably
Review: I think it's excellent that Marvel has made these important issues readily available for a very reasonable price, but the fact that the issues are reprinted in black and white on paper that's so cheap it hurts your fingers are cost-cutting sacrifices that may have gone too far. If you really want to read these issues but don't want to shell out the money to buy the originals, let me recommend purchasing the Classic X-Men series from a local comic shop or online retailer. These issues reprint the original comics in full color and usually sell for $1 a piece or less. Some content is added by Claremont in the early issues, but you can choose to ignore the added pages or simply enjoy the enhanced version (no original content is removed other than the original cover art). It's only a little more pricey than the Essential X-Men compilations and I think the difference is important. As you get to the less collectible issues covered in vol. 4 of this series, it may make sense just to obtain the originals. Essential X-Men was a great attempt by Marvel, but it just wasn't good enough for some of us.
Rating:
Summary: "Essential" is right
Review: I think these Essential collections are awesome. The important thing is that you get a lot of comic for a pretty cheap price. Everyone keeps complaining that they aren't color - but think of how much it would cost if they were. With a series as long as the X-Men and all it's sub-series, I know I, and probably quite a few other fans, wouldn't be able to afford a higher price. Here you get all the back issues and back story you wouldn't be able to read otherwise (unless you have the time/money to go hunting for all the back issues) for a good price. I have no complaints.
Rating:
Summary: An x-cellent introduction to the X-Men
Review: If you're not too familiar with the X-Men, you will be after reading this. Writer Chris Claremont takes a guy that can turn to steel, a blue furry demon guy, a 6 foot tall, white haired african woman, a guy with a red visor over his eyes, a guy with metal bones, and a screaming irish guy and makes you care about them as if they were real people. Some of the best ever characterization in comics, bar none.
Rating:
Summary: The Birth of Greatness
Review: In the 70's, Marvel had Spider-Man, the Avengers & FF, 2 prime time tv shows and better toys; DC had Superman, the JLA & Legion, the Superman movies and better cartoons. You can say the two were pretty much neck and neck for better part of the decade. Then came the new X-men. Recasting one of Marvel's longer running yet least successful teams would have made a fraction of the splash it did as a short-lived novelty had it not turned out to be the perfect vehicle for Chris Claremont's writing talents, whom Marvel wisely turned things over to. Soon teamed with John Byrne, the two made arguably the single greatest run in comic book history which led to the story arc to end all story arcs with the 'Dark Phonix Saga' (reprinted in Vol. 2). In this volume, issues #94-119 show the birth of greatness. The new team of ethnically diverse heroes breathed life into a good concept that was all but dead. The stories take a few issues to find their voice and for Claremont to get a handle on the new characters. Then in issue #101, everything starts to fall in place. It begins a whirlwind run -a soap opera of mythical and interstellar proportions- where one story arc flows brilliantly into the next, drawing the "strangest heroes of all" into increasingly greater challanges and danger for over 5 years and 50+ issues. The X-men became the high-water mark for all superhero groups to be measuerd against. Dave Cochrum's art is solid enough early on, but with John Byrne taking it to a whole new level beginning in issue #108, things are visually perfect (even in black and white). His rendering of the Phoenix is spectacular and his X-men in the Savage Land (particularly Ororo) is flawless. It doesn't get much better than this (to see better, you have to look into "Essential X-men Vol. 2", "Dark Phonix Saga", and "Days of Future Passed" graphic novels).
Highly recommended!
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