Of Playthings and Puppets

My first introduction to comics went as such: My dad came home from work, dropped a plastic bag at my feet, and said, “Got these comics for you today. Enjoy.” I had no idea what these were; at the time, comics for me were Garfield and Peanuts strips in the Sunday paper. I opened the bag a little timidly at first to gaze down at an old issue of Fantastic Four, pulled it out carelessly and flipped through it… and immediately moved onto the next book.

I spent the first night with my new collection sorting the books (a nice precursor to my upcoming accounting lifestyle) and the next several reading through each and every one, with some standing out more than others. Like many of my generation, the ones that struck me most and later catalyzed my weekly addiction, were the X-Men issues. The plight of the mutants, the deep characterization, the insane stories; I had never read anything like them.

Thousands of books and several years later, I would consider many other comics from any company better reads than anything X-related, but I continue to hold a soft spot for those early Uncanny issues. So with this in mind, I flung myself wholeheartedly at the Uncanny X-Men Omnibus, which collects the earliest Chris Claremont work on the series (Giant-Size No. 1, Uncanny Nos. 94-131, and Annual No. 3). Presented in an attactive hardcover and thread bound, each issue is oversized with fully updated colors and crisp, clean whites on comfortably thick and glossy pages.

Within this tome of reprinted material are the seeds from which the rest of the X-Men franchise would grow, including, in an homage to the original run, the obligatory Magneto battle (there are several of these, actually) to display the team’s (lack of) ability to work together. The Savage Land, most recently heavily displayed in last year’s Secret Invasion, also plays a large role, as does Shi’Ar Space (later influencing Ed Brubaker’s misbegotten run and the relaunch of Cosmic Marvel), and Muir Island (as well as the ill-fated Moira MacTaggert).

Of course, Claremont’s run alongside artists and collaborators Dave Cockrum and John Byrne may be most fondly remembered for its layered introductions of some of the franchises most beloved characters: Nightcrawler, Collosus, Storm, etc., and most especially Wolverine. Originally only a villain for the Hulk to smash and mash, the character takes on a whole new shine under the writer and easily paved the way to the popularity and oversaturation seen today (however, it is now very rare to see Wolverine simply playing baseball with his friends instead of doing “what he does best,” as is seen a few times during Claremont’s run).

The book does a fantastic job bringing all the issues together, presenting them flawlessly and in an easy-to-read fashion that, despite its size, never feel too unweildy. Unfortunately, the Omnibus doesn’t do the same with its letter columns, which are instead reproduced seemingly from scanned books, thus bearing typos, fading, and yellowing. This was later rectified in other Omnibus titles, but still stands out glaringly within Uncanny. Other extras include cover galleries of the later Classic X-Men reprints, character and cover sketches, and introductions from Stan “The Man” Lee ripped directly from the earlier Essential Uncanny X-Men volumes.

At $99.99 new, Uncanny X-Men Omnibus vol. 1’s price may seem a little steep, but given a current Amazon price from $72.86 and the good liklihood a Comic Con will offer at least a 50% discount, the volume should really be a no-brainer for those, like me, who read the original Claremont run as a child and remember the carefree, yet extremely soap-opera like, atmosphere with fondness. If you’ve already purchased the Essentials, though, you won’t find much new here.

Also to note, if you’ve read any of the recent X-Men Forever continuation of Claremont’s epic run and either love it or wonder how the project was ever greenlit, this book might just be the one for you.