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X-Men: First Class - Digest Size Collection #1
X-Men: First Class - Mutants 101
Professor Charles Xavier’s first students — as you’ve never seen them before! Class is in session as Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Angel, Beast and Iceman learn what it means to be X-Men — and find their place in the emerging Marvel Universe! Spring Break in Florida may sound fun…but fighting for survival against the Lizard in the Everglades isn’t what they had in mind! More uncanny encounters await for the young mutants, with Doctor Strange, Thor — and the alien, shape-shifting Skrulls! But are the X-Men ready for…Gorilla Man?! And when the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants strikes, will the team be beaten…or bewitched? Jean Grey finds a role model in the Invisible Woman — and mayhem awaits on Monster Island! Enjoy first class adventures starring the original X-Men!
COLLECTING: X-Men: First Class (2006) 1-8, X-Men: First Class Special (2007) 1, X-Men: First Class (2007) 1-3
COLLECTING: X-Men: First Class (2006) 1-8, X-Men: First Class Special (2007) 1, X-Men: First Class (2007) 1-3
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 26, 2022
4 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Jeff Parker
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 14, 2023
A delightful revisit of the first X-Men era that keeps the original's charms intact and provides enough of an update to reflect some more modern values (I was pleased to see Marvel Girl wasn't once tasked with cooking or laundry). The colourful art did well to recapture the air of whimsey and dynamism from the '60s as well.
March 15, 2024
*More like 3.5 stars than 3.*
A collection of issues that felt like one shots alongside a special issue that felt like more shorter one shots.
The plot was not overarching. The one and done story style followed this volume throughout, leaving each issue feeling like a filler issue that belonged in another volume.
On the flip side, the lack of a cohesive plot made the reading less heavy. This worked great as an introductory volume because you could get used to the characters without being thrown headfirst into a heavy plot that suddenly required years of background knowledge. So, this was light and fun at times, and each story had no real consequence because none of them inter-linked. Some of them suggested there could be a follow up to them in the future, but no immediate follow up made those suggestive endings lose their impact.
The art ranged from adequate to good and the colours were always great. There were some fantastic moments in terms of impactful art scattered throughout this volume. The writing varied similarly; there were some poignant moments and some weirder ones.
Overall, I would say the page count is quite a lot to invest yourself in for a comic without a plot. Perhaps if it collected half the number of issues it would be more appropriate and still have the same level of impact. But if you want to introduce yourself to these characters or already like them—and this volume showed there is quite a lot to like about them—then this is a good, relaxed read.
(Recommended by Robert)
A collection of issues that felt like one shots alongside a special issue that felt like more shorter one shots.
The plot was not overarching. The one and done story style followed this volume throughout, leaving each issue feeling like a filler issue that belonged in another volume.
On the flip side, the lack of a cohesive plot made the reading less heavy. This worked great as an introductory volume because you could get used to the characters without being thrown headfirst into a heavy plot that suddenly required years of background knowledge. So, this was light and fun at times, and each story had no real consequence because none of them inter-linked. Some of them suggested there could be a follow up to them in the future, but no immediate follow up made those suggestive endings lose their impact.
The art ranged from adequate to good and the colours were always great. There were some fantastic moments in terms of impactful art scattered throughout this volume. The writing varied similarly; there were some poignant moments and some weirder ones.
Overall, I would say the page count is quite a lot to invest yourself in for a comic without a plot. Perhaps if it collected half the number of issues it would be more appropriate and still have the same level of impact. But if you want to introduce yourself to these characters or already like them—and this volume showed there is quite a lot to like about them—then this is a good, relaxed read.
(Recommended by Robert)
September 19, 2022
Wer die X-Men kennt und mag, wird hier seine Freude dran haben, denke ich. Das Team ist super cool, wird hier aber nicht weiter eingeführt und vorgestellt, obwohl es die ersten Issues der First-Class-Reihe sind. Stattdessen gibt es in jeder Issue eine neue Mission, die nicht in großer Verbindung zu den anderen steht. Folglich fehlt hier eine große Rahmenhandlung oder etwas, das sich durch die verschiedenen Issues zieht. Trotzdem wird es nicht langweilig, da jede neue Aufgabe nicht einfach nach dem Muster der Vorhergegangenen abläuft, sondern immer neue Charaktere, Verbündete und Aufgaben mit sich bringt.
April 25, 2025
Felix review: 4 stars, his favorite part is when a master of illusions makes Beast think he's a bear and angel think he's a bird
Having read X-Men first class out of order, I was excited to see the beginning where they covered some of the most famous events of the original X-Men plot reimagined in this more modern way. But no, this expects you to already know those highlights and purports to come after them with the same team even though this definitely has an early 2000s aesthetic and technology. Very weird choice.
Also they chose to have 3 stories in a row where, for various reasons, Iceman is extra powerful. Strange to do that in three consecutive issues.
Having read X-Men first class out of order, I was excited to see the beginning where they covered some of the most famous events of the original X-Men plot reimagined in this more modern way. But no, this expects you to already know those highlights and purports to come after them with the same team even though this definitely has an early 2000s aesthetic and technology. Very weird choice.
Also they chose to have 3 stories in a row where, for various reasons, Iceman is extra powerful. Strange to do that in three consecutive issues.
February 8, 2023
Fun casual read for fans of the X-Men. Definitely not canon material, but it's all cool.
December 15, 2022
A very fun, light read. The art and writing really pop throughout. And the digest format really works!
May 4, 2024
This is an either/or part of my headcanon. If you just can't stomach the Silver Age comics, this is an alternative introduction to the first proper team of X-Men. Written in 2007, it takes place during Children of The Atom. While it never contradicts the stories there, it does muddle history a bit by including more modern technology. Also, the characters are more in-tine with their modern selves rather than everyone being a reactionary fool like they are in The Silver Age.
There's a ton of fun tie-ins to the original X-run, but none of them are necessary to follow the stories. Also, each issue is a one-off story, usually featuring a member of the wider Marvel Universe.
If you're a completist, or just wanting to read the adventures of the original team, I would place this between the two epic collections of the original run, Children Of The Atom and Lonely Are The Hunted.
There's a ton of fun tie-ins to the original X-run, but none of them are necessary to follow the stories. Also, each issue is a one-off story, usually featuring a member of the wider Marvel Universe.
If you're a completist, or just wanting to read the adventures of the original team, I would place this between the two epic collections of the original run, Children Of The Atom and Lonely Are The Hunted.
January 1, 2026
TBH, I read this because I needed an "X" title for my alphabet challenge. I am a big graphic novel fan and I even have some superhero graphic novels that I like. But I hated this one. It just isn't for me. Despite being advertised as a great place for brand new fans of the X-Men to start, it required a huge amount of knowledge about not only the X-Men but the universe they occupy in order to fully understand the plot of the issues. Not to mention that multiple issues were crossovers with other series, so they required knowledge of those series too. I really did not enjoy it.
July 27, 2022
This is adorable, and the stories are fun, but this is some intense inside baseball, full of references to terrible late '60s stories that leave me feeling lost. The art is fine, the retcons are fairly small (e.g. Jean being super powerful) but these issues feel like The Hidden Years without the overarching plot. Remember that time the X-Men discovered Thor's secret identity so the ice giants could talk about how Bobby was destined to have super ice powers? Me neither.
December 19, 2025
I read this because I wanted to know more about the relationships between the og 5, and more about Angel and Iceman, since they don’t really show up in the Clairmont run, but this book really isn’t focused on the characters. Moreover, it doesn’t really make us of its premise very well. The fun of having a team full of teenagers is the heightened melodrama that comes with it, but aside from the issue with the Scarlet Witch, it’s not present in the story.
May 8, 2023
Well, this was a bit of fun! I do enjoy these retrospective titles, which take Charles Z=Xavier's First Class and put them in stories in which Jean Grey is more than just 'the girl one'.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews