First time reading Claremont’s run...

[Su_Whisterfield]

Uncanny X-Men 125 was my first X-Men comic. Fell in love with Jean Grey. Then I fell in love with the X-Men. Loved the long-term storytelling, it allowed for some character development.
Gave up on the X-Men when Jean was killed in Morrison’s run and Marvel had this dead is dead policy. Came back to the X-Men when I saw an article about how Bendis had brought the original five into the present. Used the Marvel Unlimited app to read all of Bendis’s run. Took me a weekend or so. When I heard that Jean would be brought back I read all of the X-books from Giant Sized X-Men up until present day. Took me more than a weekend.
Marvel Unlimited is a wonderful app.

I started picking up Marvel UK reprints and original copies of Uncanny in 1980. I suspect I was on the hunt for Captain Britain stories (might be wrong, that might have been a bit later?).
First issue I read was about 101 or 102, I think.
It was hellishly hard to find them, I had to frequent some pretty dodgy shops and some of the copies were pretty tatty (in a choice between a £3 copy or a better condition £5 copy, I went for the cheap one every time). A couple I never tracked down (the first Alpha Flight issue I think) until Marvel started Classic X Men reprints.

So, yes, you young whippersnappers have it easy. And Marvel Unlimited is fab.

[Sparko]

Jean is gone. She made the ultimate sacrifice. And now... what will happen to the team? How will they recover?

Just amazing stuff. I think I’m ready for some X-Men cartoons now. Throw them in the mix for shits and giggles.

[Adam-X]

Jean is gone. She made the ultimate sacrifice. And now... what will happen to the team? How will they recover?
Just amazing stuff. I think I’m ready for some X-Men cartoons now. Throw them in the mix for shits and giggles.

Have you already seen "X-Men: The Animated Series" (from the 90s) - if not - you're going to be VERY pleasantly surprised. They write stories CLEARLY based on existing stories from the comics, but obviously change them.
It's tragically funny to me, because their "Dark Phoenix Saga" is 20000000% better than any attempt the actual movies have made.

As for my first X-Men... it was Uncanny X-Men #121 thanks to a friend.
I did a longer write up - http://comicreliefpodcast.com/archives/2069

[Captain Buttocks]

My first issue was Uncanny 213, in the aftermath of the Massacre, Psylocke finds herself fighting with Sabretooth.

With amazing Alan Davis art and a visceral battle between Wolvie and Sabes, this caught my young imagination like nothing else and I have been hooked ever since. Once I was old enough I started collecting back issues (I'm 5 issues away from the full 94-534 run, incl GSXM1).

Good luck to all the X-ers with health issues - hope Claremont's great stories can help you through!

[Ragdoll]

I'm also on a first-time through, got inspired to take the deep-dive in X-history by Hickman's new stuff. Currently at the introduction of Nimrod, and New Mutants have been getting some crazy stories with really trippy art. Secret Wars 2 and all the tie-ins were a slog, but hopefully things will get good again now that they've gotten through their obnoxious event.

[Sparko]

Have you already seen "X-Men: The Animated Series" (from the 90s) - if not - you're going to be VERY pleasantly surprised. They write stories CLEARLY based on existing stories from the comics, but obviously change them.
It's tragically funny to me, because their "Dark Phoenix Saga" is 20000000% better than any attempt the actual movies have made.

As for my first X-Men... it was Uncanny X-Men #121 thanks to a friend.
I did a longer write up - http://comicreliefpodcast.com/archives/2069

Yeah, I have. I remember the first time the show came on. I was just talking to my younger brother about it. I was like 12, and super excited to have a cartoon with comic book characters, X-Men, and I remember giving my then 6 or 7 year old brother this huge hug of excitement. I was not let down. Those first episodes were unreal. I remember Morph dying. It was serious stuff! Back then of course TV was quite different, today I can watch the show in order, on my time, as fast as I want and can, and back then it was Saturday morning. Was I home then? Did she show air a repeat? A lot of possibilities. And eventually, I think I just stopped watching. I have read the last season can get pretty bad, and that the story never really got finished, but I’m sure I’ll still get a lot out it. Soon!

[Sparko]

My first issue was Uncanny 213, in the aftermath of the Massacre, Psylocke finds herself fighting with Sabretooth.

With amazing Alan Davis art and a visceral battle between Wolvie and Sabes, this caught my young imagination like nothing else and I have been hooked ever since. Once I was old enough I started collecting back issues (I'm 5 issues away from the full 94-534 run, incl GSXM1).

Good luck to all the X-ers with health issues - hope Claremont's great stories can help you through!

Thank you!

[pandafarmer]

I'm also on a first-time through, got inspired to take the deep-dive in X-history by Hickman's new stuff. Currently at the introduction of Nimrod, and New Mutants have been getting some crazy stories with really trippy art. Secret Wars 2 and all the tie-ins were a slog, but hopefully things will get good again now that they've gotten through their obnoxious event.

Nimrod was TERRIFYING to me as a kid during that time. New Mutants was simply a work of art for many years. I felt like I was the only kid who read them back then, but it's been awesome to see how well lauded and innovative the Bill Sienkiewicz run was for it's day.

[shooshoomanjoe]

It'll be even more interesting to see how OP goes into the 90's books from here. I feel like born and raised Claremont fans had a rough time during this era. I know I personally felt like my beloved complicated friends were becoming He-Man characters. But completely understand the nostalgia that those fans experience in their own way especially in combination with the cartoon.

One of my favorite era. I started buying X-Men in the summer of '89. That was after they had gone through the Siege Perilous and were scattered all over the world so I didn't know what was going on. I also picked up Classic X-Men which I found far more entertaining but I'll always be fond of the '90s.

[HandofPrometheus]

Man it's a unforgettable experience reading his run. It was comic book gold.

I started backwards though with Morrison's run > Whedon's run > somewhat Mike Carrey > Claremont run. I also didn't read adjacent books during his run like X-factor and New Mutants.

I honestly skipped the 90s...

[SiegePerilous02]

As far as mainstream, serialized soap opera style comics from the big two go, I think Claremont reigns supreme. The writing style is of course dated, but his run lasting 17 years allowed him to develop characters in a way that few other authors are able to do. Every character feels distinct. The overwrought Claremontian dialogue and narration had made him a cliche of himself, and it is fun to lampoon it, but it does have a charm to it. And for every bit of weird/stilted dialogue he had, he's also quote some very quotable lines compared to some of his contemporaries.

I don't remember where exactly I started, but it was probably a trade for the Dark Phoenix Saga before gradually collecting as much of the rest of it as I can. Mostly in essential collections, but I'm trying to get as many Epic or Omnibus collections as I can to get them in color. I think Claremont/Byrne is the most consistently great era, but some of the more interesting writing comes afterward. It just comes with some ups and downs. I think the worst low point is right after Byrne's departure, but it picks up again once the Brood show up.

Second worst (but still not bad) is the John Romita Jr. era. Some great issues and arcs, but overall it was kind of directionless compared to others. But New Mutants was happening at the same time, and I think that was the stronger title. And I loved the Silvestri/Outback and dissolution eras despite having some weird stuff in there as well.

Undisputed #1 X-Men run, followed by Morrison and then most likely Hickman.

I honestly skipped the 90s...

I did too.
At a quick glance, I don't think we missed anything important.

[Su_Whisterfield]

Re the ‘90s

I did too.
At a quick glance, I don't think we missed anything important.

To be fair, the 1990s was problematic across all of Marvel/DC, not just the X Titles.

[SiegePerilous02]

Re the ‘90s



To be fair, the 1990s was problematic across all of Marvel/DC, not just the X Titles.

I think it especially stings for the X-Men though considering how important Claremont was to their success.
Him leaving and the thing getting franchised to a ridiculous degree is pretty bad.

Though DC had some good-great stuff in the 90s, they fared better than Marvel.

[Sparko]

Next up...

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[Su_Whisterfield]

Next up...

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Ooh, enjoy!

I spent the afternoon going through a box of comics to sell, it’s a real time warp, everything from The Furry Freak Brothers, Nexus, Grendel, Elementals, Dalgoda, Zot!