May I make a suggestion for your reading list?

[Tofali]

The hate and intolerance on this board doesn't reflect that ppl read the X-Men.

[a moment closer]

One of my many goals is to start at M-Day and read everything going forward from there. I think that's a perfect jumping-on point for the modern X-Men experience.

I was literally brought to tears at times and laughed out loud often. That era of the X-Books was fantastic and touched me deeply. I've read everything published since M-Day, I can't recommend it enough, it is the perfect jumping-on point. At least read up to Schism, I'm sure you'll find a lot to like. I hope you do experience some of the deeper emotional beats that I did and are able to laugh out loud too.

[Sans Simian]

I was literally brought to tears at times and laughed out loud often. That era of the X-Books was fantastic and touched me deeply. I've read everything published since M-Day, I can't recommend it enough, it is the perfect jumping-on point. At least read up to Schism, I'm sure you'll find a lot to like. I hope you do experience some of the deeper emotional beats that I did and are able to laugh out loud too.

My jumping-back-on point for the X-books was the beginning of Bendis's run, after being out of the X-realm since around UXM #350. I've read back to Schism and up through Gillen's run to the present, so I know what's going on now. But I've heard about M-Day and House of M and Genosha and I'm really itching to go back and read it all. (I'm probably going to be a fool about it and try to do it all through single issues because why take the easy road.)

[All-New Valar Stercus NOW.1]

What are these comics you speak of? The actual X-comics are about how they hate each other and they're all doooomed because of ...whatever.

[genki_desu]

Actually, I think the more apt comparison is: I'm a fan of Madonna, but don't like her last album, and refuse to let anyone around me like that album, because my opinion of what Madonnas's career should be is the only one that is allowed to exist.

I would say that the more apt comparison is: I'm a fan of Madonna but for the last ten years or so, she's been releasing songs written by budget rent-a-composers with no real interest in the music and played by slightly tone-deaf musicians. No matter how much I like Madonna, I'm not gonna pretend that bad Madonna records are good music.

[Sans Simian]

I would say that the more apt comparison is: I'm a fan of Madonna but for the last ten years or so, she's been releasing songs written by budget rent-a-composers with no real interest in the music and played by slightly tone-deaf musicians. No matter how much I like Madonna, I'm not gonna pretend that bad Madonna records are good music.

One person thinks Madonna peaked sometime around "Lucky Star". Another, "Like a Prayer". Another, "Ray of Light". Three different fans, but they all like Madonna. They should be able to come together on a forum specifically for Madonna fans and be able to talk to each other without the whole system degenerating into "My Madonna is better than your Madonna is better than your Madonna" arguments, where a person who's looking to come in and contribute a new voice (say, someone who likes Madonna in Evita) sees what's going on and decides not to even bother trying to add their voice. Then is it really a forum for Madonna fans, or just an echo chamber for close-minded people to perpetuate their own prejudices and bully others into silence?

[dragonmp93]

One person thinks Madonna peaked sometime around "Lucky Star". Another, "Like a Prayer". Another, "Ray of Light". Three different fans, but they all like Madonna. They should be able to come together on a forum specifically for Madonna fans and be able to talk to each other without the whole system degenerating into "My Madonna is better than your Madonna is better than your Madonna" arguments, where a person who's looking to come in and contribute a new voice (say, someone who likes Madonna in Evita) sees what's going on and decides not to even bother trying to add their voice. Then is it really a forum for Madonna fans, or just an echo chamber for close-minded people to perpetuate their own prejudices and bully others into silence?

So who would be the Avengers and the Inhumans in this case ?.

I wasnt talking about the quality of the X-men books.

[Supernature]

I would say that the more apt comparison is: I'm a fan of Madonna but for the last ten years or so, she's been releasing songs written by budget rent-a-composers with no real interest in the music and played by slightly tone-deaf musicians. No matter how much I like Madonna, I'm not gonna pretend that bad Madonna records are good music.

The accuracy though !

Madonna and the X-Books. Same struggle.

[JustAnotherFan]

One person thinks Madonna peaked sometime around "Lucky Star". Another, "Like a Prayer". Another, "Ray of Light". Three different fans, but they all like Madonna. They should be able to come together on a forum specifically for Madonna fans and be able to talk to each other without the whole system degenerating into "My Madonna is better than your Madonna is better than your Madonna" arguments, where a person who's looking to come in and contribute a new voice (say, someone who likes Madonna in Evita) sees what's going on and decides not to even bother trying to add their voice. Then is it really a forum for Madonna fans, or just an echo chamber for close-minded people to perpetuate their own prejudices and bully others into silence?

So wait, if I like one Madonna song from here and another there during all these eras but dislike everything recent from Madonna, does that mean that Madonna sucks now?

[emac1790]

I hope I'm not out of line here, but I would like to suggest that you guys read some X-Men comics books. There's a great metaphor in them about tolerance and acceptance that can be readily applied to real world issues like race and sexuality and dealing with people with different ideals than you, and from what I've seen here lately I think some of you guys might benefit from that perspective. So check it out, maybe you'll find you've expanded your way of thinking!

Sadly, I think people will miss the point of Shawn's post.

[DDD]

I already did.

[Sans Simian]

I wasnt talking about the quality of the X-men books.

I read that wrong then. Mea culpa

So wait, if I like one Madonna song from here and another there during all these eras but dislike everything recent from Madonna, does that mean that Madonna sucks now?

To you, yes. But not for everyone.

Sadly, I think people will miss the point of Shawn's post.

[JustAnotherFan]

I hope I'm not out of line here, but I would like to suggest that you guys read some X-Men comics books. There's a great metaphor in them about tolerance and acceptance that can be readily applied to real world issues like race and sexuality and dealing with people with different ideals than you, and from what I've seen here lately I think some of you guys might benefit from that perspective. So check it out, maybe you'll find you've expanded your way of thinking!

Is this really what X-Men are about?! I could have sworn that over the last few years X-Men has been about infighting and pointless squabbling:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...n_Schism_4.jpg

http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/...699-schism.jpg

http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/...1306162081.jpg

[AJpyro]

Is this really what X-Men are about?! I could have sworn that over the last few years X-Men has been about infighting and pointless squabbling:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...n_Schism_4.jpg

http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/...699-schism.jpg

http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/...1306162081.jpg

So has pretty much the whole of the Mu.

So onto xbooks. My jump on moment was BMB but I manged to snag some of the older books and now i own Gillens X-men, Astonishing, and PAD's X-factor.

Pre HoM, I got the Academy x books. Pretty good overall.

[JustAnotherFan]

So has pretty much the whole of the Mu.

So onto xbooks. My jump on moment was BMB but I manged to snag some of the older books and now i own Gillens X-men, Astonishing, and PAD's X-factor.

Pre HoM, I got the Academy x books. Pretty good overall.

True that, I was just focusing on X-Men because of the thread title and being on x-boards.

Those are really good choices as far as I can tell! I've yet to check out Gillen UXM and I'm not sure if I can if it contains a lot of Land art because his art is just so awful IMO.
I should check out PAD's X-Factor as well, I read his ANXF but haven't read the previous ones. As things are right now it's a good time to catch up on back issues!