Top 5: Best X-Men Stories

Hey there, friends! In honor of Avengers #1 coming  out this week, I've compiled a list of my top 5 favorite... X-MEN stories.

WOLVERINE VOL. 1

by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller

Wolverine Vol. 1 is what "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" should have been, and what I hope the upcoming "The Wolverine" will be. It chronicles Wolverine's adventures in Japan where he comes across his former lover Mariko and the villainous Silver Samurai. To be honest, there weren't really any underlying themes or complex mysteries in it. It was just a simple Wolverine story filled with action, and was meant to be enjoyed by everyone. The simplicity of the story is what I think makes it so great.

4. Mark Millar's ULTIMATE X-MEN

by Mark Millar (why, expecting someone else?) and friends

In my eyes, after Millar left UXM, the title just went downhill. Marvel decided to try to make its books more accessible with its Ultimate Comics line. Among the many titles, almost all of them were smash hits. One of the stand outs was Millar's Ultimate X-Men, which gave Xavier's  Men a much needed boost. I loved the book mainly for its unpredictability and characters. As usual, Millar infused his characters with a lot  of life, and didn't shy away from revealing who the characters really were. I think the title peaked during the fantastic Ultimate War storyline, which pitted the Ultimate X-Men against the Ultimates  This happened because of a misunderstanding brought about by Magneto. 

3. X-MEN: GOD LOVES, MAN KILLS

by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson

God Loves, Man Kills was the definitive X-Men story (that was before AXM, more on that in a bit). This pitted a psychotic priest named Stryker against the X-Men. Mutants have always been a metaphor for victims of racism, and it has never been more apparent than in this book. Stryker convinced his followers to kill all mutants, believing they were sick and evil little !@#$s. It gets pretty trippy and disturbing when Stryker kidnaps Xavier, but ultimately comes to a satisfying (and happy) ending. 

2. NEW X-MEN

by Grant Morrison and others

New X-Men changed the game for the future of X-stories. Without it, there would be no Schism. No Wolverine and the X-Men. Hell, not even AVX would exist if it weren't for this awesome book. Grant  Morrison brought back the fun of Chris Claremont's original run, and defied all expectations. For a good part of his story, Xavier was possessed by his evil twin sister, and Emma Frost was even shot and shattered. And this was the story where a major character died and actually STAYED MOTHER!@#$ING DEAD FOR ONCE. Jean Grey's death has effected the Marvel Universe to this day in more ways than one, and has the honor of being one of the few characters that still owns the farm. 

1. ASTONISHING X-MEN

by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday

I like to think of Morrison's New X-Men as the first part of an X-Men trilogy. If New X-Men was A New Hope (get it?) then Astonishing X-Men is "The Empire Strikes Back".  This is the book that stole God Loves, Man Kills' spot as the definitive X-Men story. Taking the threads  of Morrison's run, and weaving a great sequel that could be enjoyed on its own, Joss Whedon showed us that he understands these characters. The book was humorous, violent, shocking, campy and fun, all of the traits you want in a comic.