This week, on the Major Spoilers Podcast, Matthew, Rodrigo, and Stephen sit down to talk about the first book in the Complete Age of Apocalypse saga.
Age of Apocalypse (BOOK 1)
Writers: Many
Artists: Even More
It begins here! The critically acclaimed, fan-favorite storyline that rocked the X-Men Universe to its core is collected across four volumes! In a cracked-mirror world ruled by the genocidal mutant despot Apocalypse, only one hope remains: Magneto and his Astonishing X-Men! The first in a four volume series collecting the entire Age of Apocalypse storyline.Join in on the discussion by ordering the book here X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic, Book 1
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15 Comments
For those who are wondering, this volume collects
1) X-Men Chronicles #1: Origins
2) X-Man Annual #1996
3) Tales From The Age of Apocalypse: Sinister Bloodlines
4) Tales From The Age of Apocalypse: By The Light
5) X-Men Chronicles #2: Shattered Dreams
6) X-Man #-1: Breeding Ground
7) Blink #1
8) Blink #2
9) Blink #3
10) Blink #4
It’s the first volume of Age of Apocalypse, but oddly doesn’t contain the stories that tell us how we go there.
Wait, this doesn’t include Blink #182?
Dang.
Since this volume only contains a lot of the side stories from this universe, this collection probably shouldnt be called Vol.1. Feel like Vol. 2 should be the true Vol. 1 and these stories should just be intertwined in the other volumes when ever they fit.
Age of Apocalypse came right after my exit from comics. I left after Days of Future Present, X-Tinction Agenda and X-Cutioner’s Song completely demolished any desire I had to continue following X-books.
And AoA didn’t make me want to partake either. The whole hyperbolic, oppressive story-telling style that confused casual cruelty and meaningless violence for depth just killed it for me.
Noooo, you’re reviewing the wrong one. Part 1 was badly tacked on afterthought. Part 2-4 are the meat of the AofA storyline.
While I enjoyed AoA alot at the time, and purchased all the crossover titles, Marvel has killed this story since then with all the ‘alternate reality’ stories(exiles, house of m, etc). I havn’t even been tempted to go back and reread these…..and I’m a marvel guy.
Have you read any of the current Uncanny X-Force stuff? It revisits this world and for the most part doesn’t mess things up to bad.
Yeah, I have those…I wasn’t real excited about the direction they took the story between that and the last miniseries, which I have forgotten the title
Loved it. Was me 3. place at the top 5 time travel storys.
I am interested to hear the discussion. To be honest I never really “got” AoA. I borrowed the collection from a friend and tried to read it and just didn’t get anywhere. But I can tell that a lot of people really do, so I want to get some insight into why.
Of course the comment that Stephan made:
but oddly doesn’t contain the stories that tell us how we go there.
Probably has a lot to do with it.
I read the full AoA a few years back after a lengthy break from comics.
I was glad to begin the story, but was even more glad to finish it so I could give the books back to my friend.
Don’t get me wrong – I like a good What If or Elseworlds story.
I even approve of a good crossover story that has lasting consequences for the characters at large.
In my rather limited opinion of current X-Universe plotlines, it seems that the effects of AoA have not persisted.. rather lingered like a bad smell.
I can’t wait for the next team reorganization so Marvel can put Cable, Nate Grey, Rachael Summers, Bishop and Shatterstar on a team together and call it Parado-X or some stuff.
AoA came at the height of my comic collecting, and I was high on the X-men at the time. I collected and enjoyed the hell out of the series and the crossovers. It’s probably what made me a fan of alternate realty/alternate time -line stories (including CSA stories, elseworlds and the Exiles). I’d like to go back and re-read it soon, as it has some of my favorite Bachalo art.
Alas, while the well was good, they went back to it far too many times and drained the AoA world dry. Let it stand as a lesson to the editors, sometimes you need to quit when you are ahead.
I would rather they go back to AoA then trying to revisit Onslaught and all that mess.
The AoA happened about a year or so into when I started reading comics and, following it, I was completely hooked on both the X-Men and alternate realities (which then lead to years and years of hunting down Marvel What If issues). Now I can finally say along with Matthew that I read these in “the original issues” (read with obnoxious voice, please).
Unfortunately, though, the issues in this collection are not the original releases. It seems that Marvel published these collections in “AoA chronological order”, including a lot of backstory issues in this volume, but none of the original stuff.
For those who are not familiar with the AoA and have heard millions of X-Fans rant and rave about this storyline, please don’t let this volume be the benchmark. This collection should really be read after the issues that I presume to be in the later volumes. If you hate the 1995 storyline, then don’t worry about this volume. If you like the 1995 storyline, then go ahead and read all this other stuff, the X-Man comic, the 2005 revisit, the just ended arc in New Mutants, the current Dark Angel storyline in Uncanny X-Force, and whatever else you want to satisfy your AoA urges. I personally will read anything AoA related for as long as they keep making it. But, if I was completely honest with myself, nothing has come close to the scope, originality, and fun of the 1995 story.
Looking forward to the next volume and thanks for all the great past reviews (now I’ve picked up We3, Blacksad, Creature Tech, Y The Last Man, Fables, Atomic Robo, Locke and Key, and more) — you’ve made this X-Fan into a more of a comics fan.
The first comic book I ever bought was The Astonishing X-men, I was quite confused not knowing why everything was so different, until the comic book shop clerk told me what was going on, to say the least it became my first collection in comics. Back then I was a marvel guy, a mutant, after 1999 I fell off the wagon almost completely, came back to comics and marvel for the Ultimate universe but sadly I haven’t followed the mutie campaign in a great while!! But nonetheless AoA was a great story!