X-Men Epic Collection: Second Genesis (Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011) Book 5)

This is it, X-fans. This is where the X-Men get their shot at greatness.Well, this is where it starts, at least.If you picked up the X-Men Epic Collection 4 or know your X-history, you'll know that following X-Men #66 (with a publishing date of March 1970), the X-Men series went into reprints and the X-Men TEAM became occasional guest stars in a bunch of other Marvel books. It wouldn't be until Giant-Size X-Men #1 (publishing date May 1975) that new X-Men adventures would be told in a book titled "X-Men." This book introduced a mostly new, international X-Men squad that would be more appealing to the foreign markets (read: outside the US) that Marvel was trying to sell their books in. New to the team was Storm (Kenya), Nightcrawler (Germany), Colossus (Soviet Union), Thunderbird (Apache- he lived on a reservation in the USA), Banshee (Ireland), Sunfire (Japan), and Wolverine (Canada). Banshee and Sunfire had made earlier appearances in the X-Men book before it had gone into reprints and Wolverine had made his first appearance in Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974). They joined veteran X-Man, Cyclops, in a mission to rescue the rest of the original team from the mysterious mutant island, Krakoa! The Island that Walked Like a Man!Written by then Marvel Editor-in-Chief, Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cochrum, this new team was initially supposed to appear in a series of Giant-Size X-Men comics but instead, they relaunched the original X-Men title and made the next issue of Giant-Size a reprint book before discontinuing the Giant-Size line.With X-Men # 94 (publishing date August 1975), the X-Men series was back! Len Wein's story for Giant-Size X-Men #2 was split in two for issues 94 and 95 of the regular series. Wien handed scripting duties for the book over to Chris Claremont who would fully take over writing duties with issue 96 and continue with the title for the next sixteen years.It is really with Claremont that we see the team members develop into fully realized people with thoughts and interests well beyond the action portrayed within. It gives the whole book a level of quality that was largely missing in previous X-Men issues.With the relaunch, the X-Men team was cut down to mostly the newcomers with only Cyclops sticking around as field leader. Beast had left during the X-Men's hiatus to join the Avengers. Angel and Iceman would leave to become members of the short-lived Champions team. Havok and Polaris would retire from the team only for a new enemy to manipulate the two into fighting the new X-Men. And then there was Marvel Girl who would leave with the rest of the originals but soon return as a cast member if not a full member of the team. Her story would lead to the Phoenix... and some damn good stories.Which leads us directly into the stories! Probably in an attempt to differentiate the new book from the original (which was essentially cancelled), the new book wouldn't focus on a limited cast of evil mutants in a villain of the month arrangement. Instead, the book would throw everything against the wall and see what stuck. You'd have some traditional fare like a Sentinel fight, or a battle against Havok and Polaris, but you'd also have the X-Men visit Banshee's Irish castle where Nightcrawler would meet the local leprechauns. The X-Men would fight interdimensional demons. As mentioned above, they'd fight living islands. Things got bigger and weirder as the battles got more personal. Even in their second mission (#94 & 95), the X-Men would fight a less typical foe, Count Nefaria and his Ani-Men. While the enemies were different, what really matters here was that the X-Men took on their first casualty with one of their own dying by the end of the book. A rarity at the time, it showed readers that the X-Men book was willing to play for keeps.It was a book to watch, especially when it went cosmic in a big way. By X-Men #108, the X-Men were fighting intergalactic empires and saving the entire universe from collapse. It wouldn't be the last time.None of this would have worked without talented artists to make all of this high action and drama work. Fortunately, the series started strong with Dave Cockrum on art. Cockrum was intimately involved in the creation of most of the new X-Men (Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Thunderbird) and was a strong partner on plots after Len Wein departed. I am much more familiar with Cockrum's second run on this book and discounted his contributions to the title before rereading his first run. His second run is stiff. His first run... he fires on all cylinders here. This is Cockrum in his prime. The action is well done. The panel layouts in excellent. While there is a lot less experimental stuff happening here compared to Neal Adams' run, Cockrum's professional art is polished and clean.Unfortunately, Dave Cockrum was also Marvel's art director and had responsibilities well beyond just the X-Men comic. When the book was bi-monthly, it was manageable, but as sales increased and demand picked up to make X-Men a monthly book, Cockrum had to leave the book in the hands of John Byrne. From all accounts, Byrne REALLY wanted the X-Men book but it's said he was also intimidated by the legacy left by Cockrum. This is the first time I've really understood that because Cockrum's work really does shine in this collection. Byrne does a great job himself but their pencils really seem on par here.Don't worry, folks. John Byrne's run is just getting started and when he hit his stride in the next volume, we'll see some magic. For now, let's just be happy to get two artists near the top of their game.Besides getting a good chunk of All-New, All-Different X-Men, we also get their crossover with Iron Fist (by the same creative team of Claremont and Byrne), and a series of Marvel Team-Up issues of varying quality. Marvel Team-Up Annual #1 (Publishing date December 1976) is almost universally reviled. It is poorly plotted and paced, and just doesn't do Spider-Man or the X-Men any favors from a continuity perspective. Team-Up #69 and 70 on the other hand, continues the story of Havok and Polaris (mostly Havok) after they drop out of the X-Men book. It's much better, possibly because Chris Claremont and John Byrne are the creative team.Finally, we have all those extra content features that I crave! At the back of the book, we get the cover for Giant-Size X-Men #2 (which like I mentioned above was a reprint comic), character designs and treatments for the new X-Men or potentially new X-Men as well as possible redesigns for the original team, inked artwork from Giant-Size X-Men #1, a feature from F.O.O.M. #10 depicting the All-New X-Men team, some unused artwork that would have featured in Giant-Size X-Men #2, model sheets for the X-Men by Dave Cockrum, some unused artwork from X-Men #106, a feature from Rampaging Hulk #2 about the All-New X-Men, and cover artwork from Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men Volumes 1 & 2. It's some beefy extras, all collected here for your enjoyment.This is where it starts, people. This is when the X-Men becomes the team you need to take up and notice. I still put the Roy Thomas/ Neal Adams run on the book as my absolute favorite but, historically speaking, this is when the book gets consistently good for a long while. If you've never read this before or want it all in one convenient to read package, this is your best shot.Or it was... I don't know what the price is going to be when you read this. Definitely worth somewhere below $40 American, though.

This book features full color reprints of the Uncanny X-men issues #94-110, and starts with Giant-Size X-Men #1. This was a major turning point in the X-Men's history, and it's where their most famous era begins. It's true that Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Beast, and Angel had many adventures throughout the '60s until the series was temporarily canceled. However, this is still a great starting point for readers as a new team was introduced including Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, and Nightcrawler. Additionally, Chris Claremont did an amazing job giving more depth to these characters and writing more dramatic stories, and you'll see fantastic artwork from the likes of Dave Cockrum and John Byrne. You'll see the first appearance of many classic X-Men characters as well as being introduced to the Phoenix Saga. Going back to read these stories was a lot of fun for me even as an adult, and I don't think any X-Men fan should be without this collection. This collection is much cheaper than buying one of those super expensive hardcover books, and there's also plenty of bonus content like original character designs and some articles that were written about the X-Men. I'm not sure the Marvel Team-Up issues were necessary, but I liked the 2 issues of Iron Fist that cross over with our favorite mutants. Here's a breakdown of all the issues included in this truly Epic Collection...Giant-Size X-Men #1 - The new X-Men team is formed including Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, and Banshee.Uncanny X-Men #94 - First issue with the new team as they battle Count Nefaria.Uncanny X-Men #95 - The battle with Nefaria continues, Thunderbird dies.Uncanny X-Men #96 - The X-Men battle an ancient demon which mentally introduces Professor X to other worlds.Uncanny X-Men #97 - The X-Men are forced to battle Havoc and Polaris who are under the control of Eric the Red.Uncanny X-Men #98 - The sentinels return to terrorize the X-Men, features the first appearance of Black Tom.Uncanny X-Men #99 - The team battles their way out of captivity in outer space.Uncanny X-Men #100 - The new X-Men team are forced to battle the old team.Uncanny X-Men #101 - Featuring the first appearance of Phoenix.Uncanny X-Men #102 - The team battles Juggernaut and Black Tom, features Storm's origin.Uncanny X-Men #103 - The battle with Juggernaut and Black Tom continues.Uncanny X-Men #104 - The new team battles Magneto for the first time, first appearance of the Star Jammers.Uncanny X-Men #105 - The X-Men battle Eric the Red and Firelord.Uncanny X-Men #106 - While training in the Danger Room, the X-Men meet Xavier's dark side.Uncanny X-Men #107 - The team is transported deep into space to help Lilandra fight the Imperial Guard.Uncanny X-Men #108 - The team battles for the safety of the M'kron Crystal, John Byrne's art starts.Iron Fist #14 - Iron Fist battles Sabretooth in his first appearance.Iron Fist #15 - Iron Fist meets and battles the X-Men.Uncanny X-Men #109 - During a pleasant day off, the X-Men are attacked by Weapon Alpha.Marvel Team-Up Annual #1 - Spider-Man and the X-Men battle a group who consider themselves gods.Marvel Team-Up #53 - Spider-Man deals with the Hulk and Woodgod.Uncanny X-Men #110 - The X-Men are attacked by Warhawk.Marvel Team-Up #69 - Spider-Man and Havok deal with some ancient warriors.Marvel Team-Up #70 - Spider-Man and Thor battle the Living Monolith.

If you ever wondered what's the big ado with those X Men anyways, then you may want to check out this trade. Though it doesn't contain the big stories like God Loves, Man Kills or Days Future Past, it does introduce us to the second team of X Men with all their divergent problems and soap operic lives. There's a lot to love here from Storm's inherit badassness to Peter's overly protective nature. Wolverine is at his best as the loner in search of a family. There's tons of action and comedy, not to mention increible art by Dave Cockrum.If there's one downside, it has to be the inclusion of the Marvel Two in One issues. One is a two part story without part two. I believe it's left out because it doesn't include the X Men in part two. Really though, all these issues could be dropped. They fill in a gap in X Men continuity that I, as a reader, didn't need. I suppose it'sinteresting to see the early collaboration between Claremont and Byrnes, but it is pretty far from the greatness to come.

I love the Marvel epic collections because they are good quality! A lot of times when you see collections they are black and white with rough pages- These have nice glossy colored pages. Great purchase for Marvel/X-men fans!

I didn't read comics as a child. I just started reading them after the age of fifty. But I've been making up for lost time fast with collections and graphic novels. One thing I've discovered is that Chris Claremont ' s work sometimes makes my head hurt. All the wordy dialog, endless speech bubbles, and thought bubbles! At times I can barely see the artwork. This collection is different. There's the perfect amount of dialog, thoughts and descriptions. It's an enjoyable history book filled with action and background on some of Marvel's most important characters. And it's a lot of book fo the buck.

It seems odd to think now, considering how huge the team became, that the X-Men were ever considered a failed property. But having been cancelled in 1970 after lacklustre sales, they were just that. Then Marvel thought to try again, with an almost entirely new team, and the results were... spectacular. This Epic (volume 5 in the overall chronology) collects the title from the beginning of their 1975 reboot, and welcomes the 'new' X-Men, including Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and a minor Hulk supporting character called Wolverine...Right from the get-go, it is clear that something special has been made. As Professor X travels the world recruiting a new team to rescue the missing originals, it is clear that real thought was put into making the new heroes both international and as different in personality as possible, and the difference in excitement is incredible.Len Wein writes the double-length epic that introduces the new characters, but from then on the writing comes from Chris Claremont, a man who would become THE definitive X-Men writer. Art is provided for most of this Epic (until John Byrne takes over for the last few issues) by Dave Cockrum, the co-creator and designer of most of the new characters, and his character and action work is truly wonderful, whether capturing the airborne majesty of Storm, the gentle steel of Colossus or the demonic swashbuckling of Nightcrawler.Over the course of these wonderful stories, we are introduced to such X-Men mainstays as Moira McTaggert, Black Tom Cassidy, Lilandra and the Imperial Guard, and the freebooting Starjammers, as the new X-Men's adventures take them into space (twice!) and around the world, with plenty of squabbling and a cosmic upgrade for Jean Grey into the bargain.The material in this book spans the years 1975 to 1978 (the book still being bi-monthly during this period) and as well as reprinting the X-Men issues from that time, also throws in a couple of issues of Iron Fist (one introducing Sabretooth, the other featuring the title character battling the X-Men themselves), and three issues and an annual from Marvel Team-Up featuring Spider-Man joining forces with the team as a whole and ex-X-Man Havok on his own. It's a full package, and everything here is Bronze-age gold.There is certainly no lack of extras, either; a generous 49 pages of extras includes such treats as the original character sketches for the team (including several X-Men that didn't make the cut), original Cockrum art pages, X-Men-related material and articles from the June 1975 issue of F.O.O.M., Starjammer designs, another article on the team from Rampaging Hulk, and the covers of the first two Uncanny X-Men Masterworks. Much love has gone into this collection, and it shows. And with material this good, it deserves no less; I couldn't recommend this more.

I always loved the old X-Men, I still do. When the new ones came out, I was quite dismissive (perhaps I shouldn't have been as those first issues go for quite a few thousand now). Actually they were not that bad. The artwork was first rate and the stories have an epic quality that perhaps the earlier series never really had (Locust etc stories). This book fills the gaps for me as I did pick up some of the earlier mags but not consistently from Dark They Were and Golden Eyed. The extras are also first rate and you wonder what would have happened with the series if some of other superhero ideas had been turned into reality. Still think they should have kept more of the original characters. Totally recommended.

The beginning of what many consider the definitive era of the X-Men and as expected the stories are really damn good including some appearances from Iron Fist, Spider-Man and The Hulk

the book arrived bent/warped with lots of scratches on the back. this is not how the book was described.

Em 1975, a Marvel decidiu dar uma nova chance aos X-Men, cuja revista havia sido cancelada meses antes - e ainda assim, seus últimos números eram meras republicações de antigas sagas da equipe. O então editor-chefe Roy Thomas encarregou o experiente Len Wein (criador, por exemplo, do Monstro do Pântano) da empreitada. E este foi extremamente feliz ao chamar Dave Cockrum, que havia feito um trabalho revolucionário no visual da Legião dos Super-Heróis, da Distinta Concorrência, para ilustrar o hoje lendário "Giant Size X-Men". A publicação, que valia como um "anual" das revistas de linha, traria um novo conceito, um novo começo, uma nova tentativa de fazer engrenar o título.Wein e Cockrum entregaram o que a franquia precisava: novos personagens, novos uniformes, novos ares. A equipe, all-american de início, se internacionalizou, agregando europeus, africanos, nativos indígenas e até um soviético (em plena Guerra Fria), além de um certo baixinho canadense invocado, cujo sucesso iria mudar os rumos da equipe de mutantes da Marvel para sempre. Tudo isso embalado pelo traço inovador e imaginativo de Cockrum.Pouco tempo depois, já com o escritor britânico Chris Claremont nos roteiros, a chegada de um artista em ascensão, John Byrne, conseguiu aumentar ainda mais a qualidade gráfica e a popularidade da revista, que em poucos meses passou de publicação bimestral para o maior sucesso de vendas Marvel em muitos anos.Essa caprichada edição da espetacular coleção "Epic Collection" traz toda essa fase de transição e triunfo, uma verdadeira virada épica, que tornou os "All-New, all-diferent" X-Men o maior sucesso comercial da editora na época. O volume, de mais de 500 páginas coloridas remasterizadas, possui ainda uma boa quantidade de extras, incluindo estudos preliminares de Cockrum para as concepções visuais dos membros da equipe.Vale cada centavo.