All New Marvel Collected Editions

[Punjabi_Hitman]

Coates' run of Black Panther one of my favorite super-hero comics. The first two deluxe editions are really good.

I wrote two small reviews of it on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-2ODEvhwzj/ and https://www.instagram.com/p/B-2xwQlhklS/.

The first two volumes of his Captain America are good too. Added the deluxe to my wishlist.

I tried to read the first issues (The Client arc) from Priest run but was not able to finish it. It was not for me.

The problem I have with Coates' BP run is BP is he's a secondary character who is completely written out of character to make his run work. If you like reading about politics in Wakanda where Black Panther is a moping idiot then it's a good run. Otherwise for me it mostly pisses me off. Although the galactic arc was entertaining in the beginning but now it's going on way too long and again BP ended up being relegated to secondary character who can't solve his own problems.

[Johnatellodi]

This is entirely anecdotal, but does anyone else feel like Astonishing X-men is rarely talked about anymore?

Probably not. It is, after all, one of the most praised books in the industry, but the reprint sort of reminded me that it had not crossed my mind or come up in discussion in quite a while. I hope some new readers pick up the reprint and share their thoughts.

It's awfully tempting to go the obvious route and pick Joss Whedon as director of the first MCU X-Men film.

[Balakin]

This is entirely anecdotal, but does anyone else feel like Astonishing X-men is rarely talked about anymore?

Probably not. It is, after all, one of the most praised books in the industry, but the reprint sort of reminded me that it had not crossed my mind or come up in discussion in quite a while. I hope some new readers pick up the reprint and share their thoughts.

It's awfully tempting to go the obvious route and pick Joss Whedon as director of the first MCU X-Men film.

Don't think Whedon wants to come back to the MCU any time soon but we have Sam Raimi crawling out of his cave to do Doctor Strange so who knows anymore...

I think AXM is one of the great modern starting points for new fans (that and the Morrison New X-men run but with more consistent art) but I don't think it comes up in the ongoing discussion that much since it's a very back to basics run that didn't add as many new elements to the franchise as New X-men did.
It's not relevant to the current X related discussions but it's still a great series and a good jumping on point.

[mzqamarul]

This is entirely anecdotal, but does anyone else feel like Astonishing X-men is rarely talked about anymore?

Probably not. It is, after all, one of the most praised books in the industry, but the reprint sort of reminded me that it had not crossed my mind or come up in discussion in quite a while. I hope some new readers pick up the reprint and share their thoughts.

It's awfully tempting to go the obvious route and pick Joss Whedon as director of the first MCU X-Men film.

I just re-read my Astonishing X-Men OHCs, trying to convince myself I don't need to double dip with the Omnibus. Well that plan spectacularly backfired. Whedon's script is so good. Excellent character work with top notch dialog and banter. Cassaday was at his supreme best on art. Just amazing stuff.

I am also in the middle of reading x-men and inhuman materials post secret war. It's like going from reading Shakespeare to 50 Shades. Absolute garbage.

Anyone who have not read Whedon's and Cassaday's Astonishing should get that Omnibus.

[Hive]

(that and the Morrison New X-men run but with more consistent art)

I don't really "get" Morrison's run. Don't like the new characters heavily promoted (especially Xorn, yikes), don't like the new costumes and don't like most of the artwork.

[Crossfist]

Not my picture, it's from Planetxmen on Reddit. Just thought I'd share because those customs look so cool. zysplk0kalw41.jpg

https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/...all_in/fpdpn9m

[Hive]

As an X-Men fanatic myself, that picture is absolutely drooltastic...

[Dick Grayson]

As an X-Men fanatic myself, that picture is absolutely drooltastic...

That is indeed a great looking shelf!

Side note: If anyone ever gets into binding and needs some graphic design help to make covers, I’m happy to help

And regarding Morrison and Whedon’s runs: they were the first two runs of X-Men I ever read, in part due to their accessibility. Most X-Men I’d come across prior to that required familiarity with literally decades of stories. Both Morrison and Whedon’s runs are self-contained and new reader friendly and while there are bits that don’t hit as hard if you don’t have some familiarity, I never felt too lost or out of my depth. I’m actually looking forward to re-reading both at some point now that I’ve read Claremont’s run (and then some).

[Balakin]

I don't really "get" Morrison's run. Don't like the new characters heavily promoted (especially Xorn, yikes), don't like the new costumes and don't like most of the artwork.

As an X-Men fanatic myself, that picture is absolutely drooltastic...

I think your second comment answers the first one (at least partially)
Morrison's approach was a new start and a new aesthetic that could help bringing the team over to the 21st century.
He started working on the title after the first X-men movie and thought that the comics needed to catch up with the movies, needed to offer something for the readers who would jump in after coming out of the cinema.
So he proposed an upgrade on the costumes, less spandex and more cool leather jackets, late 90s, early 2000s rave and cyberpunk influences (a'la matrix, which he has an everlasting grudge against).
And he wanted to distance himself from the convoluted continuity of the previous decades and focus more on the school and the mutant aspect of the characters instead of the super heroics.
He looked at whatever the X-men was doing in the last two and a half decades and asked what if I put the emphasis on the unexplored aspects.

Now if you are an X-men fanatic, following the team and various books in the past, I can see why you would think Morrison went against everything you knew and loved.
I grew up on Claremont's run but I always much prefer self contained, interesting takes but I completely understand why fans of the previous era would dislike it.
But for new fans, or tired old ones, this was a fresh and exciting take that felt more grounded at of the zeitgeist.

As for the art, Quitely is not everybody's cuppa but I think he is a brilliant artist and his style really fits Morrison's writing.
I remember getting a random issue back in 2003 I think, first time I've ever seen Quitely's art and instantly fell in love. The way he conveys motion and tells the stories visually is amazing.

The other artists are more of a mixed bag (poor Igor Kordey got done dirty) but I can't see many people having problems with Jimenez.

[your_name_here]

Agree on Whedon and Cassadays run on Astonishing. Superb stuff. One my all time favourite runs that mixes nostalgia in with the new. Cassaday is absolutely superb.
Would love to see the two come back to comics at some point.

[madave]

I never saw the point of getting the Omnibus when the Astonishing run is collected in two separate OHC editions which are easier to read. I mainly buy Omnibus editions of comics I know I like because of the larger panels, I'd never choose them just to get more comics included in the same edition. Its the same reason I went for the three Grand Design Treasury editions over the forthcoming Omnibus. Maybe if I'm not committed to a book and I want to get as many comics as cheap as possible, but for something I like my preference would be for larger panels but no more than 400/500 pages in a single volume.

[your_name_here]

Is Millar/Hitch Ultimates any good? I wasn’t sure if it’d be better collecting it that way or separately (Season 1 and Ultimates 2)

[Hive]

I think your second comment answers the first one (at least partially)
Morrison's approach was a new start and a new aesthetic that could help bringing the team over to the 21st century.
He started working on the title after the first X-men movie and thought that the comics needed to catch up with the movies, needed to offer something for the readers who would jump in after coming out of the cinema.
So he proposed an upgrade on the costumes, less spandex and more cool leather jackets, late 90s, early 2000s rave and cyberpunk influences (a'la matrix, which he has an everlasting grudge against).
And he wanted to distance himself from the convoluted continuity of the previous decades and focus more on the school and the mutant aspect of the characters instead of the super heroics.
He looked at whatever the X-men was doing in the last two and a half decades and asked what if I put the emphasis on the unexplored aspects.

Now if you are an X-men fanatic, following the team and various books in the past, I can see why you would think Morrison went against everything you knew and loved.
I grew up on Claremont's run but I always much prefer self contained, interesting takes but I completely understand why fans of the previous era would dislike it.
But for new fans, or tired old ones, this was a fresh and exciting take that felt more grounded at of the zeitgeist.

You know what? I think you're probably right. I did feel it was a soft reboot of sorts, missing many of the characters and plots that I was familiar with.

I grew up on Claremonts long and convoluted arcs - and while I loved them, they weren't exactly new-reader friendly, I'll give you that.

As for the art, Quitely is not everybody's cuppa but I think he is a brilliant artist and his style really fits Morrison's writing.
I remember getting a random issue back in 2003 I think, first time I've ever seen Quitely's art and instantly fell in love. The way he conveys motion and tells the stories visually is amazing.

The other artists are more of a mixed bag (poor Igor Kordey got done dirty) but I can't see many people having problems with Jimenez.

My memory of the artwork was perhaps a bit too harsh. Googling Quitely's work on the X-Men, I can see that it wasn't all bad. Not among my favorite X-artists either, but firmly in the middle. Whoever came up with the cat look for Beast though, I'll never forgive...

[Balakin]

You know what? I think you're probably right. I did feel it was a soft reboot of sorts, missing many of the characters and plots that I was familiar with.

I grew up on Claremonts long and convoluted arcs - and while I loved them, they weren't exactly new-reader friendly, I'll give you that.



My memory of the artwork was perhaps a bit too harsh. Googling Quitely's work on the X-Men, I can see that it wasn't all bad. Not among my favorite X-artists either, but firmly in the middle. Whoever came up with the cat look for Beast though, I'll never forgive...

that was probably Quitley and Morrison. You gotta admit, Whedon used it really well in ASM.
Cat beast was the first I've seen Beast since... I don't even know how long, and in that random issue I got he was chasing a flaming Glob Herman and with Quitley's art it just looked cool to me.

But I feel your pain, cause the next time they've "upgraded" Beast in Bendis' run to that ape form I've felt the same disappointment you did for Cat Beast.

[Balakin]

Is Millar/Hitch Ultimates any good? I wasn’t sure if it’d be better collecting it that way or separately (Season 1 and Ultimates 2)

That's a read I hold dear to my heart but only recommend it cautiously.

Up until the MCU started it felt like this is the closest we will get to a cinematic version of the Avengers.
And the MCU used a lot of ideas from this run, but in my humble opinion, they've made it work better than Millar did.

Basically his take is quite satirical, edgy and everyone behaves like a celebrity A-hole. If you like Millar's writing you'll probably enjoy it, I think this is one of his better books.
Also there are a couple of references that are very of their time, so you really need to read it as an early 2000s, pre MCU experiment to create the most "movie-esque" superhero comic possible.
Hitch on art is superb tho. He continued to deliver the same quality he committed to on The authority.

BTW I've re read it last year and I still had a lot of fun with it and will re read it in the future. It might not be an objectively quality book but it's a lot of fun.