A review by translibrarian
Essential Classic X-Men, Vol. 1 by Werner Roth, Alex Toth, Roy Thomas, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

3.0

The Marvel Essentials collections takes the original comics from a particular title and presents them in black and white on newsprint, without the original colors. This can offer insight into the ways that comics are made (with just the inking and lettering). The 3 Essential Classic X-Men Books collect the first 66 comics from the 1960’s. these books show a marked evolution of the comic book series, but may be difficult for modern comic readers to get into due to their slow pacing, basic story-lines, antiquated gender roles, and simpler art style. People interested in comic book history may get a kick out of these early comics, that take that take off after Kirby and Lee leave the book, with increased tension and pacing that lasts for several stories that make up major x-men lore (Magneto, The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Sentinels, The Savage Land) before settling into a lull that struggles to find a rhythm with stories of the MutantMaster. A brief stint by Neal Adams, with more realistic art, and introducing flying reptile villain Sauron, briefly invigorates the 3rd volume; but a final story about Magneto’s daughter soon after increases the lull, and the series was cancelled until it’s revival in the 1970s.

Completionists and fans of a bygone era of comics may delight, but those whose interest in the series stems from the 1970’s onward, may prefer Ed Piskor’s documentary retelling, X-Men: Grand Design, which covers and streamlines the same material.