BeginnersGuideto

ReadingXMen

Youcanjumpaheadtothebeginningofeachsectionand
startreadingwithlittletozeropreviousknowledge.Read
eachsectionandanyprerequisiteknowledgeyoullneed
willbeprovided.

Thisguideisintendedfornewreaderstotheseries.It
goesovermanyofthemainstoryarcs,butnotevery
singleone.Itsticksveryclosetothemaintitles,andis
nowhereneartoallthereistoreadintheXUniverse.It
shouldbementionedthatonceyoufeelcomfortable
enoughwithyourknowledgeoftheseries,youshouldbe
abletoreadanyofthesideseries'thatyoulike.Each
sectionalsoincludesanoptionalsectiontohelpgetyou
startedintheextendedXUniverse.Iknowafranchiselike
XMencanbedauntingtojumpinto,andIhopethis
enticesyougetreading.

TheOriginalXMen(196370)&ModernRetellings


Thisistheverybeginning,andyoullneednopreviousknowledgetostartatthispoint.
Thiseraisdifferentthanmostbecauseyouhavemultipleoptionswhenstartingwith
storiesoftheoriginalteamofXMen.
YourfirstoptionwouldbetoreadsomeoftheoriginalissueofXMen.StanLee
andJackKirbycreatedtheXMenin1963.Stanwasonthebookforthefirst19
issuesandJackforthefirst17.Iwouldsayagoodintrototheserieswouldbe
thefirst2025issues.Thesefirsttwodozenissuesarentveryimportantlateron
downtheline,buttheydointroducecharactersthatwillbewithusforallof
XMenshistory.ReadthisifyouvereadotherSIlverAgecomicsorifyourejust
adamantonreadingeveryissue.
Secondly,wehaveamoremoderntakeonSilverAgestories.Itisathree
volumeseriescalledXMenFirstClass.Itisastandaloneseriesfromthemid
2000sthatfollowstheoriginalfiveXMeninsomeallagesadventure.This
seriesisperfectforkidsandadultslookingtogetintotheseries.Betweenall
threevolumesitisaround30issues,buttheyreadalotfasterthantheoldSIlver
Agecomics.YoudprobablygetthroughthesefasterthantheoriginalLee/Kirby
run.
Lastly,yourfinaloptionwouldbeagraphicnovelfrom2012calledXMen:
SeasonOne.Ifyoureinahurry,thenthisisthequickestwaytoreadaboutthe
originalXMen.SimilartoFirstClass,itsamoderntakeonearlystoriesofthe
XMen.ItretellsthefirstfewissuesfromtheLee/Kirbyrunthroughtheeyesof
JeanGrey.

Fromhereyoucanmoveontothenextsectionortakealookatoneormoreoptionalarcsthateachsection
willhave.Theyrenotessential,buttheywillintroduceyoutomorefacetsoftheXMenuniverse.
OPTIONAL:Ifyouwanttocontinueonreadingtheoriginalseriesafterthefirst20to25issues,youcan
eithercontinuereadingthewholerunorskipaheadabitandreadsomeofthelate60'sstuffifyou'dlike.I'd
recommend#4766ifyoudontwanttoreadthewholething.XMenisessentiallycanceledafter#66andis
putintoreprintuntil1975whenthetitlerelauncheswithanewcreativeteam(akatheClaremontera).

TheChrisClaremontEra(19751991)

ThisisthestartofChrisClaremont'stimeonthebook.WhileStanLeeandJackKirby
inventedtheXMen,Chrisbroughtthembackfromobscurityandperfectedthem.Heis
onthebookfor17straightyears,andhiswholerunisbasicallyoneverylongstory.
Someofhischaractersandplotpointsstillhavelastingeffectsincomicsthatarebeing

releasedtoday.It'sbesttoreaditallinorder,butIbrokeitupabitforthosewhowant
tojumparound.
IfyouwatchedXMenTheAnimatedSeriesfromthe90's,thenthismightbeagood
placeforyoutojumpin.Manyofthestorylinesfromthatshowwereadapteddirectly
fromChristimeonUncannyXMen.
NomatterwhereinChrisrunyoudecidetostartreading,Irecommendthatyouallread
GiantSizeXMen#1.WhileChrisdidntwritethisissue,itisthejumpingoffpointfor
thisera.ManypopularXMenareintroducedincludedWolverine,Nightcrawler,Storm,
andColossus.
Onequicknote:TowardstheendofChrisrunwestartseeingmoreXMentitlesshow
upandcrossingoverwitheachother.
Afterthatyouvegotafewoptionsasfarasstartingpoints(theremaybesome
overlapping):
AsImentionedearlierreadGiantSizeXMen#1first!
ThefirsteraofChrisrunincludesthestorylineslikeThePhoenixSaga,The
DarkPhoenixSaga,Proteus,andDaysofFuturePast.Thereadingorderis
UncannyXMen(v1)#94143.Issue#94picksuprightwhereGiantSizeXMen
#1leftoff.
ChrisseconderaonthebooksbeginswhenKittyPrydejoinstheteamandJean
GreyhaddiedafterbecomingDarkPhoenix.Youllseethestorylines:Mutant
Massacre,FalloftheMutants,andInferno.ThereadingorderisUncannyXMen
(v1)#139243.(NotethatsomearcscrossoverwithotherXMentitles).
TheendofChriseraasheabruptlyleavesMarvelin1991.Thissectionincludes
theintroductionofGambitandJubilee.ItalsoincludesthestorylinesXTinction
AgendaandTheMuirIslandSaga.ThereadingorderisUncannyXMen(v1)
#244280andXMen(v2)#13.(NotethatsomearcscrossoverwithotherXMen
Titles).

OPTIONAL:GodLoves,ManKills:Thisisastandalonegraphicnovelthatwaswrittenduringthisera.It's
widelyregardedasoneofthebestXMenstoriesofalltime.ItwastheinspirationforthesecondXMen
movie.
OPTIONAL:FromhereClaremontleftMarvel.HewassupposedtotakeoverthisnewXMentitle,butitwas
movedovertootherwritersafterheleft.IfyouwanttoreadmoreaboutwhatChriswouldhavedoneafter
#3thenreadseries'XMenForeverandXMenForever2.Fairwarning,thosewereendedbeforehecould
finishupallofhisplotthreads.

XMeninthe90s(19912001)


AfterChrisleavesMarvelintheearly90's,weseeaperiodwherethenowtwomain
XMentitlesHEAVILYcrossoverwitheachother.Iusuallyrecommendnewreaders
skipthe1990'serauntilyou'vereadmoreXMen,andcantestthatwatersoutonyour
own.Afteryoumoveintothemoderneramostofthe90'swon'tberelevantanyway,so
itsnotthatbigofadealtoskipoverit..Ifyoureinsistent,thereareplentyofreading
guidesavailableonlinethatcanhelpyounavigateyourwaythroughthedecade.

OPTIONAL:Onepartofthe90sthatyoucanreadimmediatelywouldbetheAgeofApocalypsecrossover.
Itsaselfcontainedstorythattakesplaceinanalternateuniverse.Itscollectedintotofourtrade
paperbacks,butitsalmostuniversallyacceptedthatyoucanskipVol.1.ReadVol.2throughVol.4fora
morecohesivestory.IfyourestillcravingmoreAoA,gobackandreadVol.1afteryouvereadtheother
ones.

StartoftheModernEra(20012004)

GrantMorrisontookoverXMen(v2)in2001anditwasrenamedNewXMenforhis
entiretimeonthetitle.ItiswhatbroughtXMenintothemoderneraofcomicsandis
highlyregardedonofthebestcompleterunsonanXMentitlesinceClaremontleft
MarvelafterXMen(v2)#3
ThisisgoingtobeNewXMen#114154

OPTIONAL:ChrisClaremontstartedanewXMencomicaroundthistimecalledXTremeXMen(v1).It's
notasgreatashisearlierwork,butifyou'reafanafterreadinghisfirstrun,thenitmaybeworthchecking
thisout.

STARTHERE:JossWhedon'sAstonishingXMen
(20042008)
ThisisadirectresponsetoGrantMorrison'srunonNewXMen,anditisjustashighly
regarded.WhedonisahugefanofXMen,anditreallyshowswiththisbook.
ThisrunisgoingtobeAstonishingXMen#124andGiantSizedAstonishingXMen
#1.

OPTIONAL:WarrenEllistakesovercreativecontrolofthiscomicafterWhedonleavesandisalsoadecent
read.Hewritesthetitlefrom#2535andalsofortheminiseriesAstonishingXMen:Xenogenesis#15.

OPTIONAL:TheVulcanSaga
Therearealotofpeoplewhodon'tlikeVulcan,butIamnotoneofthem.VulcanisthethirdSummers
brother(yes,brotherofCyclopsandHavok)andthisishisstory.IfyoulikeXMenstoriesinspace,thenthis
maybeforyou.
Hereisthereadingorder:XMenDeadlyGenesis#16,UncannyXMen#475486,XMenEmperorVulcan
#15,XMenKingbreaker#14,andWarofKings#16.

STARTHERE:TheHouseofM,MDay,andtheMutant
Messiah(20052011)
Thissectionisbasicallygoingtobeawholebunchofminiseriesandcrossovers.They
allfitinreallywelltogether,andthey'resuperimportantintheXMenandMarvel
universeasawhole.TheeventsheresetthestageforahugeshiftintheXUniverse.
Whiletheindividualissuesoftheregular
Readinthisorder:HouseofMminiseries,MessiahComplexCrossover,Cable(v2)
#112,MessiahWarCrossover,Cable(v2)#1624,SecondComingCrossover,and
Schismminiseries.

NOTE:Cable(v2)issuesandMessiahWarcrossoverandoptionalinthissection,butIhighlyrecommend
them.
OPTIONAL:MikeCareyhasagreat7yearrunonXMenLegacy(akaXMenv2)duringthistimeperiod.
HisissuescrossoverwithmostoftheXMeneventsofthetime,butforthemostpartit'seasytofollow.
Readinthisorder:XMen(v2)#188204,XMenLegacy#208216,XMenOriginalSincrossover(not
relatedtoOriginalSin2014),XMenLegacy#219225,#238248,AgeofXcrossover,andXMenLegacy
#249260
OPTIONAL:AfterSchism,youcanreadallofGillian'srunonUncannyXMen(v3)andArron'srunon
Wolverine&theXMen(v1).ThoughyoushouldkeepinmindthatbothtitlesintersectwithAvengersvs.
XMen.YoushouldreadAvXbeforeyoureadthecrossoverissuesforeitherofthosebooks.

STARTHERE:AvengersVs.XMenandMarvelNOW
Relaunch(2012present)

AvengersVs.XMenisn'tapartoftheMarvelNOWrelaunch,butit'saveryimportant
plotelementthatdirectlyaffectstheXMenMarvelNOWtitles.

Whatyouneedtoknowbeforehand:ScarletWitchalteredrealitybydeletingthe
XGenefromallbut198mutants.Afterawhilethefirstmutant,Hope,wasfinallyborn.
Afterrunningthroughtimefor16yearswithCabletoprotecther,Hopecomesbackto
thepresentasayoungwoman.SheisnowbelievedtobethenewhostforthePhoenix.
Oh,alsoCyclopsandWolverinearefightingandtheysplittheXMenintotwoseparate
teams.
Here'swhattoread:AvengersVsXMenminiseries,AllNewXMen#115,Uncanny
XMen(v3)#111,BattleoftheAtomCrossover,AllNewXMen#1821,andTheTrial
ofJeanGreyCrossover
FromhereyoucannowcatchuptothecurrentissueofbothAllNewXMenand
UncannyXMen(v3)

OPTIONAL:Afteryouread"TheTrialofJeanGrey",youcanthenstartonCyclops(v3)#1.Thisisthe
spaceadventuresofyoungCyclopsfromthepast,hisspacepiratefatherCorsair,andhisteam.
OPTIONAL:Ifyou'relookingforevenmorecurrentXMenaction,youcantryoutXMen(v4).Readissues
#14,thenitcrossoverwithBattleoftheAtom,thenyoucanread#7upuntilthecurrentissue.

Congratulations,ifyou'vereadeverythingonthelist,
youarenowaXMenXpert!