Can anyone tell me the best place to start in terms of old issues of X-Men when Cyclops et al were students? I'm reading the current stuff, and have the desire to go back to simpler times, where I don't have to constantly read about cylops' struggle with being a leader. Also, apart from Morrison's run, I've never read anything with Jean Grey in it, so I'm quite intrigued about that. Based on reviews and opinions, I should avoid the relatively modern First Class series, so I'm expecting to have to go quite a way back into the X-Men's history. Cheers in advance for any help
As long as you're not a huge continuity snob, I think the first few collections of Ultimate X-Men are great stories about a relatively young group of mutants.
Thanks for the reply. I tried Ultimate X-men a while back, and there was just something that I didn't really like about it, may have been the art, can't really remember. Not a continuity snob, but the legacy of the characters and their history is one of the the things that interests me.
The three X-Men First Class series were fantastic, whoever said otherwise are liars.
Oh well that's added to the cost of this folly. I'll give the first volume a go then.
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
Yeah, give the first volume a shot at the very least.
It doesn't try to change the origin stories from the 60's, it just kind of includes other adventures the group had with the Marvel Universe. The only thing it really does change is the original costumes, but that's nothing but cosmetic.
I keep thinking about getting all my full runs together, buying a big mess of acid-free sheet protectors, and putting them in three-ring binders.
That way I could print out custom spine/cover designs if I wanted to, and store them on a shelf, without going to the trouble and expense of binding them.
The only problem, is that I can't find sheet protectors that are close enough to comic book dimensions, so the issues would flop and slide around anytime you picked the binder up.
Is there any way to put wires between the pages so that the books can still be read in the binder?
That's a thing you could do, I bet. Libraries do that for magazines. I think the libraries do it to keep people from stealing them.
The solution to this sort of thing is to buy tpbs and graphic novels.
Yeah, I'm planning on making a pseudo-tpb of all 52 #1's. I can lend it out to my school's comics club, and save it in case it gains some monetary value as a curiosity.
For XMen, just get a trade of the original XMen run and go through the issues in order.
I loved the first trade of Northlanders ("Sven the Returned") so much. Every subsequent one, I was kinda disappointed with (well, I also liked "Plague Widow"). It might be because basically all the stories other than "Sven the Returned" end with brutality and misery for the protagonist. I suppose that's very true-to-life (pretty sure life wasn't all frankincense and peaches in those times), but I still end up depressed when I finish each trade. I still keep buying them, though, so I guess they're doing something right. Or I'm doing something wrong.
I loved the first trade of Northlanders ("Sven the Returned") so much. Every subsequent one, I was kinda disappointed with (well, I also liked "Plague Widow"). It might be because basically all the stories other than "Sven the Returned" end with brutality and misery for the protagonist. I suppose that's very true-to-life (pretty sure life wasn't all frankincense and peaches in those times), but I still end up depressed when I finish each trade. I still keep buying them, though, so I guess they're doing something right. Or I'm doing something wrong.
the part in the first story where he totally ambushes a bunch of guys disguised as a dead deer was so insanely badass that i was constantly disappointed that the subsequent stories were never quite as awesome.
I loved the first trade of Northlanders ("Sven the Returned") so much. Every subsequent one, I was kinda disappointed with (well, I also liked "Plague Widow"). It might be because basically all the stories other than "Sven the Returned" end with brutality and misery for the protagonist. I suppose that's very true-to-life (pretty sure life wasn't all frankincense and peaches in those times), but I still end up depressed when I finish each trade. I still keep buying them, though, so I guess they're doing something right. Or I'm doing something wrong.
the part in the first story where he totally ambushes a bunch of guys disguised as a dead deer was so insanely badass that i was constantly disappointed that the subsequent stories were never quite as awesome.
Oooo this is that comic? I read that damn near five years ago and it still sticks with me. And his old crush is a battered yet somehow badass lady or something? Details are really hazy.
Alright, I got a question for the likes of Munch and Tex. I wanna start reading Booster Gold, Blue Beetle and JLI, starting with Booster. Is there anything I should really read before the getting the current volume? Or a recommended order of reading anyone can give me?
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
Well, Justice League International has 6 trades out now, covering about the first 30 issues of JLI and the first dozen of Justice League Europe. You could start that no problem, although I don't know if they'll continue those reprints since we've got the reboot coming up.
Booster Gold's first run is available in the Showcase series, which is the black and white DC reprint similar to the Essential volumes. You don't need to read it, but it does the best in establishing Booster Gold as a guy who's all about the dollars, but is also somewhat competent in being a hero (JLI kind of downplays that). The current BG series you could start on its own, but reading 52 first would help establish Booster's intention.
Right, on that note, I wonder if I have a bad version of the Showcase Booster Gold Volume 1. Is the last page of the volume meant to be page 624, showing Beetle looking through a set of shelves?
Alright, I got a question for the likes of Munch and Tex. I wanna start reading Booster Gold, Blue Beetle and JLI, starting with Booster. Is there anything I should really read before the getting the current volume? Or a recommended order of reading anyone can give me?
First read Showcase Presents: Booster Gold, then Justice League International, then Formerly Known as the Justice League, then I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League, then OMAC Project (even though I'm not a fan of it, it sets up a lot of stuff as far as Booster's new characterization goes), then all of 52, then Booster Gold: 52 Pick-Up, then Booster Gold: Blue and Gold, then skip all of Dan Jurgens' junk, and just read Booster Gold: Past Imperfect.
That'll give you a pretty good idea of who Booster is, and how he's evolved as a character over the past few decades.
TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
Wildcat, that is the last page for me too. I'm kind of surprised the BG Showcase is out of print/hard to find, since it's only one volume I thought it would do better than getting some wacky silver age book out on the shelf, like Phantom Stranger or The Witching Hour.
For SHIELD stuff, Johnathan Hickman's Secret Warriors. It is super-espionage at its finest.
Cap and Iron Man are trickier. They have great runs, but are fraught with drama. So, if you don't want any "angst" or the similar you are a little screwed.
I'd give Captain America Vol. 1, The Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker a shot and see if you like it. It's very military in tone, and somewhat dark.
Invincible Iron Man Vol. 1 by Matt Fraction has lots of funny bits of dialogue and what not but Tony battles his inner demons constantly.
I have a good collection of classic incredible Hulk comics from issue 8 to 200, only missing the issue of Wolverine's first appearance(s). Is it worth looking out for issues 1-7, 180 and 181 or are they still butt-rapingly expensive? I haven't looked them up since the early 00s.
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Cheers, I'll scour amazon
All of the big time storylines from that era are also collected individually though in actual color trades.
Dark Phoenix Saga, Days of Future Past, Mutant Massacre etc
Oh well that's added to the cost of this folly. I'll give the first volume a go then.
It doesn't try to change the origin stories from the 60's, it just kind of includes other adventures the group had with the Marvel Universe. The only thing it really does change is the original costumes, but that's nothing but cosmetic.
Yeah, I'm planning on making a pseudo-tpb of all 52 #1's. I can lend it out to my school's comics club, and save it in case it gains some monetary value as a curiosity.
For XMen, just get a trade of the original XMen run and go through the issues in order.
Is Northlanders good?
Has anyone read Viking?
Ah, dammit.
the part in the first story where he totally ambushes a bunch of guys disguised as a dead deer was so insanely badass that i was constantly disappointed that the subsequent stories were never quite as awesome.
Oooo this is that comic? I read that damn near five years ago and it still sticks with me. And his old crush is a battered yet somehow badass lady or something? Details are really hazy.
Booster Gold's first run is available in the Showcase series, which is the black and white DC reprint similar to the Essential volumes. You don't need to read it, but it does the best in establishing Booster Gold as a guy who's all about the dollars, but is also somewhat competent in being a hero (JLI kind of downplays that). The current BG series you could start on its own, but reading 52 first would help establish Booster's intention.
That'll give you a pretty good idea of who Booster is, and how he's evolved as a character over the past few decades.
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Peter David is considered the definitive one though.
I like Captain America, Ironman and SHEILD, the more military themed stuff. Heavy points for good, consistant art, clever tactics, and good dialog.
Cap and Iron Man are trickier. They have great runs, but are fraught with drama. So, if you don't want any "angst" or the similar you are a little screwed.
I'd give Captain America Vol. 1, The Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker a shot and see if you like it. It's very military in tone, and somewhat dark.
Invincible Iron Man Vol. 1 by Matt Fraction has lots of funny bits of dialogue and what not but Tony battles his inner demons constantly.
Yeah def Brubaker's Cap
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