Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Stories and Art
Review: ..."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.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as #1 and #2
Review: After reading Essential X-Men #1 and #2, I went with #3 and remembered why I had stopped reading the X-Men when I was younger. Although the stories are good, I got so used to John Byrne's artwork that everything afterwards just didn't feel like the X-Men I knew.
Rating: 
Summary: For all X-Philes!!
Review: As the title suggests, this book is essential for any lover of the X-Men, specifically what is now known as "Uncanny X-Men". This book picks up where Vol. 2 left off, further developing the different characters, and telling several good stories in the process. All for a price that just makes sense considering how much it would cost to pick up all of these back-issues these days.
Rating:
Summary: For all X-Philes!!
Review: As the title suggests, this book is essential for any lover of the X-Men, specifically what is now known as "Uncanny X-Men". This book picks up where Vol. 2 left off, further developing the different characters, and telling several good stories in the process. All for a price that just makes sense considering how much it would cost to pick up all of these back-issues these days.
Rating:
Summary: Ah...for the Old Days
Review: At the risk of sounding like a complete fuddy-duddy (at the ripe age of 23), I hold this book and Essential #2 and sing to myself of the good ol days, when charicters were drawn in relative proportion, and eye-jarring color, atrocious pencils, and mediocre writing did not have a place in the world of the X-Men. I still browse the comics section at the local bookstore to keep abreast with the merry mutants, but it is often a painful journey, trying to make sense of the over-complicated, unoriginal art and the dumbing-down style of writing. Actually, I have come to enjoy Uncanny these days, but make it a basic policy to ignore the other ten or so X titles. This volume displays all the elements missing these days in the X-Men. Good stories, good art (if in black and white here), and a general sense that you could pick up the book at any place, understand, and enjoy the story unfolding. These days that is a patent impossiility, with such discordant threads as Onslaught et all to forever linger a sickening taint on this once grand series. Actually, I stopped reading around the Executioner's song. These are the X-men you should buy and relish, not the expensive replicas now on display. (3.00! What the #$@!?! I remember when good stories existed at 40 or 50 cents!) Not as good as the Claremont/Byrne collection of Essential #2 (Which rivals 'Watchmen') but pretty damned good. And it has Rouge, if even as a bad girl.
Rating:
Summary: a Claremont classic
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT
Review: Here we have Uncanny X-Men #145-161. We have Starjammers, Dr. Doom, and all sort of goodie. I just wish it would have been in color.
Rating:
Summary: X-Men for ever
Review: I am a complete fan of the Marvel Mutant Superheroes X-Men, and because of it, let me tell you that this series of "Essentials" are one of the best that ever happened to comics. If you like the X-Men, then you must have the X-Men Essential series. I am now waiting for the 5th book.....
Rating:
Summary: Good Find!
Review: I bought all of these to back track and read the previous things that had happened within the comic. This serves the purpose but was disapointed that they were not in color.
Rating:
Summary: Good Find!
Review: I bought all of these to back track and read the previous things that had happened within the comic. This serves the purpose but was disapointed that they were not in color.
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