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X-Men: Days of Future Past
Chris Claremont, John Byrne
A story about a future that the X-Men try to prevent.
Superhero guide
Best X-Men comics
Seven X-Men collections, from the classic Claremont years to the 2019 relaunch, with a clear first pick and what makes each one worth reading.
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the X-Men, and X-Men #1 has a cover date of September 1963. The team most readers picture today comes from 1975, when Len Wein and Dave Cockrum launched a new line-up in Giant-Size X-Men #1 and Chris Claremont began a run of about sixteen years from issue #94.
Our list is not a ranking by sales. It is an order of where we would send a new reader, with the most welcoming books first. Each is a collected edition, so you do not need the original single issues. If you want a numbered path to follow, use our X-Men reading order.
Start here
Read X-Men: Days of Future Past first. It is short, complete and a good test of whether the X-Men are for you.
Seven X-Men books, in the order we would read them
Teen
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Astonishing X-Men Vol. 1: Gifted
Joss Whedon, John Cassaday
A modern run built around a mutant cure.
Teen
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X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga
Chris Claremont, John Byrne
The classic Claremont and Byrne story of Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force.
Teen
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X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills
Chris Claremont, Brent Anderson
A graphic novel about prejudice and the X-Men.
Teen
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New X-Men by Grant Morrison, Vol. 1: E Is for Extinction
Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely
Collects issues #114-117, the opening arc of Grant Morrison’s X-Men run, so you can start without years of backstory.
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Wolverine
Chris Claremont, Frank Miller
A four-issue miniseries set in Japan.
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House of X/Powers of X
Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz
The 2019 relaunch of the X-Men line.
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Why these seven
- Days of Future Past: made by Claremont and John Byrne right after the Dark Phoenix Saga, a short time-travel story about a grim future.
- Astonishing X-Men: Gifted: Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s run began in July 2004 and was written to be easy to join.
- The Dark Phoenix Saga: a landmark Claremont story that opened the 1980s.
- God Loves, Man Kills: a stand-alone story that partly inspired the 2003 film X2: X-Men United.
- New X-Men: Grant Morrison’s run began in July 2001, with a stranger, more modern tone.
- Wolverine: Chris Claremont and Frank Miller’s Wolverine story, a good pick if he is the reason you came.
- House of X / Powers of X: Jonathan Hickman’s 2019 relaunch, the start of the Krakoa era.
These books are rated for teen readers and older in our catalog. If you are buying for a younger reader, look through a copy first. For other starting points in the same universe, see our best Marvel comics guide, and for another Marvel hero, the best Daredevil comics.
Questions people ask
What is the best X-Men comic to start with?
Days of Future Past is a short, complete story and a common first pick. Astonishing X-Men: Gifted by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday was written for newcomers and starts a longer run. If you want a modern relaunch, try House of X and Powers of X. Opinions differ, so pick the style you like.
Do I need to read X-Men in order?
No. The books on this page are collected stories that work on their own, and you can read them in any order. If you want to follow the team over time, our X-Men reading order gives a starting path in rough publication order, with a checklist that remembers which books you have finished.
Who created the X-Men?
Writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby created the X-Men, and X-Men #1 carries a cover date of September 1963. In 1975 writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum introduced a new team, and Chris Claremont took over the writing from issue #94 and stayed for about sixteen years.
Is House of X a good starting point?
It can be. Jonathan Hickman wrote House of X and Powers of X as a relaunch, announced in May 2019, and it is written so new readers can follow it. It leans on years of history, though, so some readers prefer to try a shorter classic first and come back to it.
Are X-Men comics for kids?
The characters are popular with young fans, but the comics on this page are rated for teens and above in our catalog. They contain superhero violence and mature themes. Look through a copy and check the publisher’s age rating before buying for a younger reader, or start with our kids hub for series written for children.
Which X-Men story inspired the movies?
God Loves, Man Kills was a partial inspiration for the 2003 film X2: X-Men United, according to Wikipedia. Days of Future Past is also a famous story that others have adapted. If you liked a film, reading the comic it drew on is a good way to see what the writers changed.