Essential Uncanny X-Men

Rating:
Summary: Back to the beginning for Marvel's merry mutants
Review: "The Uncanny X-Men" were always my favorite Marvel Superhero group and it was not just because they were younger than the Fantastic Four and the Avengers the way Spider-Man was younger than Captain America and Daredevil. I mean, the FF were driven by the walking tragedy of Ben Grimm as the Thing and the great villains, why the Avengers started out as the Marvel version of the Justice League of America with the best of the best and then deteriorated into those superheroes who did not have their own comics. But the X-Men were victims of persecution and prejudice because they were mutants. The metaphor for teenage angst and the joys of puberty was just too obvious not to work. Plus they had a bald headed guy in charge.

"The Essential Uncanny X-Men" presents the first twenty-four issues of the comic book, which starts with the creative team of writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby but ends with Roy Thomas and Werner Roth. Issue #1 provides one of the better foundations for a Marvel comic. We begin with Professor Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Children in Westchester County, where Jean Grey breaks the boy's only barrier as Marvel Girl (the all time worst name for a superhero Stan Lee ever came up with). The original roster of the group, for those who cannot remember back any farther than the rebirth under Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, consisted of not only Professor X's power to read minds and project thoughts and Marvel Girl's telekinesis, but the agility and strength of the brilliant Hank McCoy, the Beast; the fully functional wings of rich boy Warren Worthington III, Angel; the walking snow cone Bobby Drake, the Iceman (who originally looked like a snowman); and the power means that shot out of the eyes of the group's field leader Scott Summer, Cyclops. All gained their mutant powers when they became adolescents (although we would not learn their backstories for several years), and were rescued from fearful humans by Professor X and given a power of sanctuary. Having trained them in the use of their powers, Xavier has their working as a team. Thus we have alienation and the need to belong all wrapped up with a mixed bag of superpowers.

The other key part of the foundation is that Lee and Kirby came up with THE ultimate villain for the Uncanny X-Men in the first issue. The FF had the Mole Man, which smacked of all the monster comics Lee and Kirby did during the Fifties, but the X-Men had Magneto, the Master of Mutant Magnetism. Now, granted if his power works the way they say it does this is an invincible super villain (he can easily kill everybody in sight by either taking making a metal object a weapon or manipulate the iron in your blood if he wants to be overly creative), but the important thing here is that in the face of human prejudice over mutants ("homo superior"), Magneto agrees he is part of a superior race and is out to confirm humanity's worse fears. In Issue #4 Magneto leads the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in a sort of mutant Civil War. Ultimately, the strongest similarity between the X-Men and Spider-Man are not that they are teenagers, but that they are heroes who are treated by the world at large mostly as villains.

The main complaint against these first two-dozen episodes is that despite this great foundation the comics are mostly standard superhero stories. The bit where Charles Xavier and Scott Summers both love Jean Grey but will not tell her their feelings is awkward at best, so the interpersonal relationships are nothing special at this point. Beyond Magneto really good villains are hard to come by; the Juggernaut is above average, but many of the others are laughable (e.g., the Locust), and even the Mimic is just an X-Men version of the Super Skrull. Even the mutant paranoia element is relatively low given where it would be in the future.

They are up to Volume 4 of "The Essential X-Men," but are still stuck on just this first collection of the original comics. This is too bad because in the next collection we would see Roy Thomas hitting his stride as the book's writer and then we get to the books drawn by Jim Steranko and then Neal Adams. Those were the early glory days of the X-Men and those volumes need to be published by Marvel as well. 'Nuff said. Final Note: Check out the great cover Kirby drew for "X-Men" #17: "...And None Shall Survive!" Nothing actually in the issue is that good, until the final pattern (which was nicely homaged by John Bryne at the end of "X-Men" #111), but I think it is one of Kirby's top 10 covers ever (not that I have really gone back and counted mind you).

Rating:
Summary: The first X-men stories
Review: Describes the first genesis of the X-Men, with the original cast (Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl and Professor X)- written in Stan Lee's flowing(and at times flowery?) prose. The story picks up well after the first 3 issues which were, like all initial Marvel issues , rather simplistic. After the halfway point, the comics are absolutely amazing, with one great issue following another, from the Stranger's appearance on earth to Lucifer's threatening Antarctica. The X-Men are great and very human and likeable, specially Iceman. The stories themselves do not have the complexity and darkness of later issues and are much more good-humoured and complete in themselves.
This collection loses nothing by being in black-and-white - and is a must for any X-Men(or actually any comics) fan.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Great Stories, Great Format.
Review: First of all, I must say that the Essentials series is fantastic. I hear people saying that they hate the idea of no color and hate the pulpy paper. Well, if your a true comic lover, then that doesnt matter. Its all about the story, and its easy to forget that the comics are not in color because the stories are so amazing. Also, where else can you get 20 plus stoires of your favorite super hero in just one book. Ok, now back to The Essnetial Uncanny X-Men. I found this book spectacular, and I highly advise that any X-men fan buy it. I found almsot all of the stories extremely exciting and I found it very interesting how the X-Men evolved throught out the book. Its also fascinating to see the beginnings of many of your favorite X-Men villians, such as Magneto, Toad, The Blob, Vannisher, and others. So, once again, if you like X-men, or if your just looking for some exciting comic book stiories, then get The Essential Uncanny X-Men.

Rating:
Summary: Pop culture at its best
Review: For those of us too young to have even been alive in the '60's, this book is an excelent way meet some of the legends of the comic realm for the first time. Yes, the lack of color is something of a detraction, but having grown up on manga, I can't say that it' s enough to put me off of this book and others like it. In fact, I think the lack of color lets the characters stand out on their own. The only complaint that I have is that they haven't come out with a second collection of the early X-men.

Rating:
Summary: The First and Original X-MEN
Review: I am a newcomer to the X-Men mythology, having discovered these unforgettable mutants through the Hugh Jackson films. The films incorporate (and take many liberties with) the 25+ years of the X-Men which has made reading the comics a vastly different (but enjoyable) experience. Here follows a summary of what to expect in volume 1 of THE UNCANNY X-MEN. (Possible spoilers.)

Our superheroes and their lives and powers are varied:

~Robert (Bobby) Drake, Iceman. The youngest member of the group with a sense of humor that compliments that of Hank McCoy's.

~Hank McCoy, Beast. The most intellectual, humorous, and athletic.

~Warren Worthington III, Angel. Wealthy, charismatic, and in love with Jean Grey. He is the one with wings.

~Scott Summers, Cyclops. The most tragic (because of the intense power of his eyes) and the most respected (the deputy leader of the X-Men) and in love with Jean.

~Jean Grey, Marvel Girl. Telekinetic (also telepathic, but that is not revealed in this volume), the only female member, and forced to choose between Scott and Warren.

~Charles Xavier, Professor X. A wheelchair-bound mutant whose telepathic powers make him one of the most formidable and most powerful of all mutants. He not only founded the X-Men and leads them, but created the school Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (where mutants go to learn to control and refine their powers and abilities).

Volume 1 contains issues 1-24. The X-Men fight several of their memorable villians:

~Magneto (The X-Men's archenemy, enough said.)

~Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (Mastermind, Toad, and siblings Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver) who work for Magneto.

~Juggernaut

~the Sentinels

~Lucifer

~Mimic (who will later become an X-Man)

Other lesser villians include the Stranger, the Vanisher, the Blob, Unus, the Locust and the Submariner.

The X-MEN comics are excellent and thrilling reads, however, the series isn't without its faults (written in the 1960s, the sexism is quite obvious, even if it isn't offensive). However, after reading this, you'll be wanting more---much more.

The Essential series is published only in black and white. There is another series, Marvel Masterworks, which reprints the series in color.

Marvel has yet to publish a follow-up to volume 1 of the Essentials, which is sorely needed as one is left with many unresolved issues that begged to be answered (How do Jean-Scott-Warrren resolve the love triangle? What is Magneto planning next? Will the Locust be back? What happened to Unus and the Blob?)

Whether one is a newcomer to comics or a longtime reader, the X-MEN should not be missed out by anyone!

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.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book, but need help ...
Review: I bought this books because I had heard that this was the one that started it all. I had never really read the X-Men comics, but I was the cartoon's junkie for 5 years of my life. When they quit making new episodes, I watched the reruns and had 7 6-hour tapes filled with the cartoons to prove I was addicted.
But I just recently started reading the comics and collecting the various graphic novels, which are numerous. I have searched through nearly every review I could find here on Amazon.com and I still can't find the answer to one question: in which graphic novel or comic does Morph die? In the cartoons, he died in the pilot.

Rating:
Summary: Excelent
Review: I got this book for christmas a few years ago, and I have read it like 20 times. I at first hated the X-men because it was too complicated and there were too many charachters to keep up with. In this there are only 6 X-men and there are real true villans.

If you hate the X-men the way they are, but like the idea, this is for you!!!

Rating:
Summary: Graphic novels are great, but...
Review: I love graphic novels as much as the next collector and have just about everything listed by Amazon. Not exactly everything, but a great percentage. This graphic novels should actually be rated and listed the same as regular novels, because the dynamics of their stories, not just the fantastic artwork, takes you away to places that novels, such as STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND, CHILDHOOD'S END, FOUNDATION, RINGWORLD, STAR TREK novels, DARKEYE: CYBER HUNTER and so forth, take you. All are extremely imaginative and have visually-gratifying narrative/dialogue not too far removed from graphic novels such as this or any other. Broaden your minds, but hang on to the graphic novels as well!