UNCANNY X-MEN #94 to #247 by Chris Claremont and various artists
- When a young writer named Chris Claremont took over X-Men in 1976, few fans could predict the incredible impact he would have on the Marvel Comics series. With a flair for realistic dialogue, heartfelt storylines and hard-hitting action, Claremont's writing breathed life into the characters. In collaboration some of the best artists in the business, Claremont crafted a run still heralded as a definitive era on the book. X-Men became more than just another super-hero title: this diverse cast of mutants fighting against prejudice and intolerance has resonated in the hearts of millions of devoted readers.
ASTONISHING X-MEN #1 to #24 by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday
- Winner of multiple prestigious Eisner Awards, Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men was a smash hit with critics and fans alike from the very first issue - winning praise from dozens of top media outlets including Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, TV Guide, and New York Magazine, as well as racking up nearly every major comic-book industry award. Whedon and Cassaday assembled a tight cast - Cyclops, the Beast, Wolverine, and Emma Frost, joined by returning fan-favorite Kitty Pryde - and set forth a groundbreaking pace, from the opening pages of a Sentinel attack to the unexpected return of a beloved X-Man. Then, building on early momentum, they ratcheted up the danger and drama with a shocking second year, creating a must-read book that can truly be called "astonishing!"
Wow! Astonishing X-Men sure had a drop off after Whedon.
Very good. I enjoyed it a lot.
Yeah, Astonishing X-Men was great! I managed to read the trades out of order and still loved it.
Forgot to say, read Whedon's X-Men. Enjoyed it even though I generally don't enjoy X-Universe stories. Very nice.
THE NEW MUTANTS #1 to #75 by Chris Claremont and various artists
- The New Mutants was an attempt to recreate Uncanny's success by introducing an all-new team of ethnically diverse young heroes and it succeeded brilliantly and on several levels.
THE MIGHTY THOR #337 to #382 by Walt Simonson
- Considered by many to be the greatest run on Thor ever, Walt Simonson's classic tales of the God of Thunder are collected here-completely remastered from the original artwork and newly colored by Steve Oliffe! And there are too many timeless tales to count: The Casket of Ancient Winters! The death of Odin! The origins of Asgard! The sacrifice of the Executioner! Thor as a frog! The Mutant Massacre!
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1 to #50 by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and various artists
- The best Justice League version ever! Writers Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis destined to shake up not only the Justice League, but the nature of comic books in general. In an era when comics were going for "grim-and-gritty", they decided to opt for jokes and slapstick. Giffen and DeMatteis didn't have access to Superman, Wonder Woman and Flash. Those characters were undergoing editorial renovation. Their solution? Populate the League with second-rank heroes, those guys nobody seemed to really love, like Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Mister Miracle and (later) Captain Atom, Power Girl and others. Giffen and DeMatteis not only rescued these characters from their fates as perpetual walk-on players...they actually endowed each of them with recognizable personalities. They took a bunch of backup heroes and breathed life into them.
MARVELS by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross
In 1994, Marvels was the breakthrough work for both of its creators: a worm's-eye view of the spectacle of Marvel comics history—35 years of glorious superheroes and terrifying super-disasters, told from the perspective of Phil Sheldon, a newspaper photographer who's experienced "the marvels" from ground level. Renowned artist Ross's rich, lush, nearly photorealistic style (he painted all the major characters from photographs of models) made his reputation—and the book—a landmark. The story, too, suggests a sort of grandeur that had largely slipped away from superhero comics by the early '90s, even as it describes the helplessness that normal people might feel in the presence of angel-winged mutants and rapacious gods from outer space.
