TASCHEN”Marvel Comics Library. X-Men. Vol. 1. 1963-1966″ Book by Fabian Nicieza & Chris Claremont

The foundation of a pop-culture phenomenon

WhenMarvelpublisher Martin Goodman askedStan Leeto deliver another new team book for his line of comics, he had no idea he’d be getting something likeThe X-Men. In fact, nobody could have imagined theextraordinary phenomenon the X-Men would eventually grow into—not Goodman, not Lee, not even the forward-thinking futurist Jack Kirby. What they started out as was a charming, ragtag team of misfits, devised by Lee and Kirby to bemutants—youngsters born with “X-tra” powersthrust upon them not by accidentally crossing paths with cosmic rays or a nuclear blast, but by the fate of birth—led by a no-nonsense professor who trained them to become heroes that could protect the world from menaces, mutant and otherwise.

The first years of storytelling laid the foundation for much of what has put the X-Men at thecrossroads of comics and popular culture: Hounded by a public that fears and misunderstands them, mutantkind find themselves at the heart of their own civil rights struggle;Cyclops,MarvelGirl, Angel, Beast,andIcemanfound safety amongst themselves despite the challenges that set them apart from others in society; and Professor Xavier lined up against his ideological foe, Magneto, who had assembled a Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to take the fight for their self-preservation directly to humankind.

Along the way, Lee and Kirby—who were on fire taking comics into theMarvelAge—introduced a menagerie of villains and supporting characters that would become mainstays ofMarveland its lore: the super-powered siblingsQuicksilverandScarlet Witch; the formidableBlob; the unstoppableJuggernaut; the jungle dweller from the Savage Land,Ka-Zar; the demigod from the stars, theStranger; andBolivar Traskand his army of mutant-hunting Sentinels. And as Lee and Kirby gave way to new talents, so they could move on to new corners of theMarvelUniverse, Atlas era art veteran Werner Roth teamed with writing newcomer and future X-Men legend Roy Thomas to begin their long run on the title.

Close in size to the original artworks, this XXL-sized edition features the first 21 stories of our favorite oddball superheroesfrom 1963-1966. The most pristine, pedigreed comics have been cracked open and photographed for reproduction in close collaboration withMarveland the Certified Guaranty Company. Each page has been photographed as printed more than half a century ago, then digitally remastered using modern retouching techniques to correct problems with the era’s inexpensive, imperfect printing—as if hot off a world-class 1960s printing press. A custom paper stock was exclusively developed for this series to simulate the feel of the original comics.

In addition to these seminal tales are an original foreword by modern X-Men mastermindChris Claremont, reliving the heyday of Lee and Kirby’s foundational years, and an in-depth essay by X-Men writerFabian Niciezaalongside original art, photographs, and memorabilia from the early years of X.

Details:

• Hardcover book
• Author: Fabian Nicieza
• Contributing Author: Chris Claremont
• 666 pages
• Approx. 15.6″L x 11″W
• Item Weight (Lbs.): 12.4
• Made in Italy

About the Series:
MARVEL COMICSLIBRARY is an exclusive, long-term collaboration between TASCHEN and Marvel. The rarest classic comics, includingSpider-Man,Avengers, andCaptain America,are meticulously reproduced in their original glory, in extra-large format. The library offers collectors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lay their hands on the world’s most desirable comics. Each volume includes an essay by a comic book historian along with hundreds of photos and artifacts, including rare original comic book artwork.