X-Men TPB's

[Avenged Probably]

Okay I need some advice regarding X-Men TPB's. I have been a long time reader.. but stopped for about 4 years and have recently began reading again.

I have started collecting the 'New X-Men', 'Uncanny X-Men' and 'X-treme X-Men' series. I also purchased 'Poptopia' and 'Eve Of Destruction'

I'm looking for books that come before these, but after 'Zero Tolerance' to fill the gaps basically. Which ones should I get? And in what order?

Also any reccomendations of 80's/90's stuff after 'Dark Phoenix' but before 'Phalanx'

Thanks, any help is much appreciated.

[TGC]

Okay I need some advice regarding X-Men TPB's. I have been a long time reader.. but stopped for about 4 years and have recently began reading again.

I have started collecting the 'New X-Men', 'Uncanny X-Men' and 'X-treme X-Men' series. I also purchased 'Poptopia' and 'Eve Of Destruction'

I'm looking for books that come before these, but after 'Zero Tolerance' to fill the gaps basically. Which ones should I get? And in what order?

Also any reccomendations of 80's/90's stuff after 'Dark Phoenix' but before 'Phalanx'

Thanks, any help is much appreciated.

Fall Of Tyhe Mutants and Inferno srping immediately to mind. They were mid to late 80's multi issue collections that weren't horrible by any means.

[GhostMachine]

Are you reading the black and white reprint Essentials books, just out of curiosity?

I wish they would do more from the beginning of the original series. And its screwy that volume 1 is Essential Uncanny but vol 2 is Essential Classic.

`Days of Future Past' is good, but I don't know if its been collected in a TPB, and you definitely need to find the `God Loves, Man Kills' graphic novel (its what the second movie was based on).

[TGC]

If anyone can afford it, they have the hardcover that collects the first five years after Giant Sized X-Men of Claremont's run on Uncanny X-Men. Sadly I think it's $100.

[Avenged Probably]

Yeh I have 'Days of Future past' in pocketbook form, as well as Dark Phoenix Saga and Second Genesis (Giant Size X-men 1 and onwards).

I've heard alot of 'God Loves, Man Kills' when is it set?

And no I've not read the 'Essential Books' as I've read alot of the major stories from them in some place or other, and I think the B&W thing would bug me.

Edit: Im pretty sure the pocket books I have have most of that, theres 5 of the with 10 -12 issues in each. They were £3.99 each too.

Edited September 12, 2006 by The Age Of Avenged

[Gabriel]

The one thing that stops me from getting the Essential books is that they're not in color. The black and white format is definately throwing me off right now, and I don't know if it'd be worth it for me to get them.

Suggestions... the Fall of the Mutants... the Age of Apocalypse. AOA is one of my faves.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I'm reading both Ultimate X-Men year one, and the first essential one ATM, and with essential, the black and white thing isn't that off-putting, I got used to it quickly. The VERY cheesy, quaint writing on the other hand is harder to get used to.

I know its not really what you were after, but I'm halway through the first year of Ultimate X-Men and is ace so far, though a friend tells me it gets worse after the first year or so.

[Gabriel]

I'm reading both Ultimate X-Men year one, and the first essential one ATM, and with essential, the black and white thing isn't that off-putting, I got used to it quickly. The VERY cheesy, quaint writing on the other hand is harder to get used to.

I know its not really what you were after, but I'm halway through the first year of Ultimate X-Men and is ace so far, though a friend tells me it gets worse after the first year or so.

[GhostMachine]

The good thing about the Essentials series is that the lack of color helps view the pristine art unblimished; back then, comics tended to have gaudy and sometimes overdone color schemes and occasional coloring screw-ups (in fact, on the cover of the issue that introduced the Scarlet Witch, her costume was colored a shade of lime green!). The Steranko art in the latter half of vol 2 really looks great in black and white.

I look at it like this:

Essential series, in b & w = around $20.00 a book.

Masterworks series, in color = around $50.00, and have less stories in them I believe.

I am probably going to pick up Essential Captain America vol 1 when the shop I go to gets more copies in and I have the money to spend. Its just too bad that its actually the stuff from Tales of Suspense in the 1960's, instead of the 1940's Captain America comics.

Oh, and God Loves, Man Kills is the X-Men roster from a bit after the Dark Phoenix era. I'm not sure exactly when it came out, and I don't even remember if Wolverine is wearing the yellow and blue or brown and tan costume in it. (If he's in yellow and blue, it came out before X-Men #139, where the brown and tan costume debuted)

[Avenged Probably]

I'm thinking of getting one of the 'essential' collections, probably of something I haven't read much of, either Captain America, Fantastic Four or The Avengers. Is there any others available? Recommendations please?

[Timmoru Suzuki]

There's plenty of essentials. Thor and Spider-Man have them too, and Wolverine and Ironman may well do, but I'm not certain.

The X-Men one I'm reading is ok, but I'm glad the writing has changed over the years. Its very contrived, and quaint and cheesy as hell, but the stories are fun.

[GhostMachine]

I'm thinking of getting one of the 'essential' collections, probably of something I haven't read much of, either Captain America, Fantastic Four or The Avengers. Is there any others available? Recommendations please?

Edited September 14, 2006 by GhostMachine

[TheRaySays]

All of the Essential Volumes in Print:

Ant-Man

Avengers Vol. 1-5

Captain America Vol. 1-2

Classic X-Men Vol. 2

Daredevil Vol. 1-3

Defenders Vol. 1

Doctor Strange Vol. 1-2

Fantastic Four Vol. 1-5

Ghost Rider Vol. 1

Godzilla

Howard the Duck

Hulk Vol. 3

Human Torch Vol. 1

Incredible Hulk Vol. 2

Iron Fist Vol. 1

Iron Man Vol. 1-2

Killraven Vol. 1

Luke Cage Vol. 1

Marvel Team-Up Vol. 1-2

Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1

Monster of Frankenstein Vol. 1

Moon Knight Vol. 1

Nova Vol. 1

Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol. 1-3

Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 1-2

Savage She-Hulk Vol. 1

Silver Surfer Vol. 1

Spider-Man Vol. 1-4, 6-7 (#5 is strangely out of print)

Spider-Woman Vol. 1

Super-Villain Team-Up

Thor Vol. 1-2

Tomb of Dracula Vol. 1-4

Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1

Werewolf by Night Vol. 1

Wolverine Vol. 1-4

X-Factor Vol. 1

X-Men Vol. 2-7

There's actually ones on here I didn't even know existed. I'm tempted to check out Super-Villain Team-Up, Marvel Team-Up, and/or Marvel Two-In-One as I was a big fan of the strange combinations of characters back in the day. Luke Cage could also be pretty blaxploitastic. Like most, tho, I have a problem with the lack of color.

I'm reading Avengers Masterworks Vol. 1 now which is # 1-12 in color, and it's awesome, but even I can't afford a $50 hardcover that often.

[Avenged Probably]

Thats a great listm thanks. Anyone any idea where I can get out of print, less common books like the 'Onslaught' series, for less than around $100 each? Any specialists or anything?