Lee, Stan. Marvel Masterworks Presents the X-Men Vol. 1. New York, N.Y. : Marvel Comics, 2003.
Plot: The first ten issues of the X-Men with a prefix by Stan Lee. The original X-Men comics were not especially popular in their 1961 form. Beast had monkey feet, but looked human otherwise. Jean Grey was called Marvel Girl (subtlety is for wimps). Now-secondary characters Angel and Ice Man formed the core team. Mystique, Rogue, and Wolverine did not exist. Nevertheless, some aspects remained consistent. Cyclops already served as the oddly broody, worried leader. Professor X and Magneto worked as perfect foils. Jean and Beast's personalities began to form. The collection provides insight to the introductions and eventual development of one of the world's most popular comic book franchises.
Genre: Comics
Reading Level: While the comics are based on action, they are not as bloody, politically, or emotionally-driven as modern incantations, so they may be gentler for sensitive readers.
Similar Titles: X-Men, Iron Man, The Avengers
Personal Thoughts: Critics generally mock the first volumes of the franchise for being too "childish," apparently forgetting that children were the target audience. Around the 1970's, the series changed dramatically, adding new characters, lengthening continuity, and focusing on the civil rights aspect of the comic. While the changes made the series more intriguing for older readers, they also caused the comic to become less accessible for newer readers.
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