Question re: the Essential graphic novels

taekwondodo · Post by **taekwondodo** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 4:31 pm

HELP

I was just on Marvel's site - to complain that they haven't been sending me my books!! - and decided to check out the graphic novels section. I've been getting the Ultimate back issues that way b/c I just started following the comics this year. I ran across a bunch of 'Essential' books. The question is, are these actually the comics themselves or are they just compilations of biographies and snippets of information on the characters and their relationships/adventures etc? If they are actually reprints of the comics then they are mine!!! Otherwise, I'm not really that interested.

TKD

Bamf Bunny · Post by **Bamf Bunny** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 11:28 pm

They are yours, then - they're reprints of the comics. Essential Uncanny X-Men (note the word "Uncanny" ) is the old lineup with Beast, Angel, Iceman, Marvel Girl (i. e. Jean Gray), and Cyclops. Essential X-Men - there are four volumes - starts with Xavier recruiting Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Thunderbird, and Banshee.

The collections are black-and-white reprints of the original comics, and include some of the best X-Men stories ever: the Phoenix and Dark Phoenix sagas, Days of Future Past, the Brood Wars, "Kitty's Fairy Tale" ... Pick them up.

Dracadancer · Post by **Dracadancer** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 12:12 am

Most def pickup the Essential series. Like Bamf Bunny said they're a collection of the Uncanny X-men series and well worth having since they're dang cheaper than buying back issues. They are on kinda cheap newsprint type paper and in black in white but being in black and white really let's you see the details of the inking from people like Dave Cockrum, John Byrne, Gaffney Suzanne, etc. Plus it follows the stories of the best writer of Uncanny, Chris Claremont. They're each about 500 pages or 25 issues long and well worth the 10 bucks you'd spend on them. There's two of VOL 1. though, one being the very first Uncanny's 1-25, and the second Vol. 1 starts at Uncanny #94 with the introduction of Nightcrawler, Strom, Wolverine, Colossus, Thunderbird, and Banshee. I mean the first Nighty issue, can't hardly pass that up eh?

Garble · Post by **Garble** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 1:05 am

I love the Essential series.. I even buy the volumes containing stuff I already have in "X-Men Classics" issues, just so the'll conintue the series.

It's really the most bang for your buck as far as back story goes. And you get all the little stories that never seem to make it into other TPBs...

Bamf Bunny · Post by **Bamf Bunny** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 2:51 am

But watch out if you're ordering them online, especially used without descriptions. There's a book called "Essential Guide to the X-Men" that isn't comic reprints. The word "guide" doesn't appear in the titles of any of the comic collections.

taekwondodo · Post by **taekwondodo** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 5:49 am

Oh God, I'm in heaven. This is an anwer to prayer!!! *runs off frantically to the Marvel site to order any and all Essentials that include Nightcrawler*

OW! Gotta slow down, tripped over my own feet I was going so fast!

Thx guys!