I Love the X-Men, But They’re Exhausting

We’re just going to come right out and say it: sometimes being a comic book fan in the modern era is exhausting. Every franchise seemingly has dozens of series or comps to follow, and it can easily get overwhelming. This is especially true for the X-Men. Don’t get us wrong, they’re an amazing group of heroes with some of the most groundbreaking storylines. But trying to follow each character and every thread can feel like a herculean task, even at the best of times. Anybody who’s ever attempted to get caught up (and stay that way) with the X-Men can tell you how utterly exhausting that is.

The X-Men are a massive group of heroes, so nobody is expecting their stories to stay small. They have told us some amazing stories, from shorter (yet highly impactful) arcs like Days of Future Past to massive events like House of X/Powers of X and the entirety of the Krakoa era. However, new or aspiring fans will probably express some intimidation at the backlog, and those feelings are valid. Omnibuses and collected editions make it more approachable to read the highs and lows of X-Men, but it’s still hard to know where to start. Meanwhile, the idea of diving right into the current run of any X-Men era is daunting, to say the least.

Keeping Updated and Tracking Different Threads

Don’t believe us? Let’s use the modern X-Men relaunch as our example here. X-Men: From the Ashes started as six series, which, all things considered, is pretty reasonable, right? Well, that number quickly bloomed, more than doubling in count as characters got limited runs, new series opened up, and don’t forget the tie-ins into other ongoing series. Sure, it’s a lot of fun! But it’s also draining (emotionally, mentally, and financially).

Let’s stick with this example. Of the original six series, there are several events that run through them all. So if you’re not reading all of them, you’ve got one of two problems. First, it means that, at best, an irrelevant plot just ran through the series you’re enjoying. At worst, the plot that started in your series just disappeared, getting its conclusion somewhere else. We’ve all been there! It happens all the time, especially with bigger names.

Facing Constant Cancellations

There’s another major elephant in the room here, and that’s how often these series get canceled. These days, it isn’t uncommon for newer Marvel series to only run a year or two at best, outside of the mainstays. Of the original six From the Ashes series, half have already been canceled. In other words, it often feels like Marvel is throwing darts at a wall to see what sticks.

The problem with this method is that it doesn’t give these series enough time to grow and expand, and we’re the ones who lose out when that happens. Let’s stick with our above example, X-Factor may not have been the most popular series around, but it introduced one of our favorite new X-Men, Granny Smite. With the series being over, we don’t know when or if we’ll ever see her again.

Conversely, X-Force was legitimately trying to do something new and interesting with oft-overlooked heroes of X-Men, and we’ll lament that loss. Fans are fortunate to have gotten endings to these cancelled runs, as that isn’t always the case. While keeping up with dozens of series may be exhausting, losing series we’ve become invested in is disheartening. We’re ricocheting between two extremes.

Staying Sane And Reading What You Love

Now, there are a few obvious solutions to these problems. Readers can wait for collected editions to release, making it easier to read everything in a nicely curated order. This does have the downside of increased risk of spoilers, but that’s not the end of the world. The other option is to follow reading orders and guides, which are easier than ever to find.

Alternatively, readers can (and probably should) choose a few titles they love and stick with them. This won’t shield you from plots weaving in and out, but at least with the internet so close, you can look up what we’re missing out on. Sadly, this solution doesn’t protect us from cancellations, but that’s just a fact of life, right?

To be clear, we adore comic books (we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t). In a way, we’re fortunate to have something like this to complain about. We’re grateful that the X-Men have always been bold about giving fresh ideas and perspectives a chance. At the end of the day, we know that Marvel was facing an impossible task after the Krakoa era, as those were big shoes to fill. They were going to make people mad no matter what they did, so perhaps taking a few risks and allowing different series to take a shot was the right move. It’s good to remember that there are two sides to every story.

10 Best X-Men Artists