X-Men Reading Order: From Claremont to Krakoa
The essential eras, from Claremont's classics to the Krakoa age.
By Web Admin
The X-Men are, by a wide margin, the most confusing corner of Marvel to get into. There are dozens of team members, decades of soap-opera continuity, at least three “everyone thought they were dead” resurrections per character, and a naming convention that includes X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, New X-Men, and X-Men again. It is a lot. But it is also home to some of the greatest superhero comics ever written, and you do not need to read all of it to get there.
This guide breaks the X-Men into clear eras, tells you what defines each one, and gives you two solid on-ramps depending on whether you want to start with the classics or start modern. Follow it and the mutant saga stops being a wall of continuity and becomes what it should be: one of the richest ongoing stories in comics.
First, pick your on-ramp
There are two sensible ways for a newcomer to start the X-Men, and both are valid:
- Start with the classics. Begin with Chris Claremont’s foundational 1970s-80s run. It is where nearly every famous X-Men story originated, and it reads as a complete saga.
- Start modern. Jump straight to Jonathan Hickman’s House of X / Powers of X (2019), the boldest relaunch in decades, which was explicitly designed as a jumping-on point.
If you love classic, character-driven soap opera, start with Claremont. If you want a slick, high-concept modern epic, start with Hickman. This guide walks through both, in historical order, so you can slot in wherever you like. New to Marvel in general? Our Marvel reading order for beginners is a gentler first step.
Era 1: The Claremont classics (1975-1991)
Modern X-Men begins with Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975) by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, which introduced the international “all-new, all-different” team, including Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus, and gave Wolverine his big break. Writer Chris Claremont then took over and wrote the book for an astonishing sixteen years, defining the franchise. The essential Claremont stories, in order, are:
- The Dark Phoenix Saga (1980), Uncanny X-Men #129-138, with art by John Byrne — Jean Grey’s corruption and tragic fall. The single most important X-Men story.
- Days of Future Past (1981), Uncanny X-Men #141-142 — a dark future where mutants are hunted to near-extinction. Short, brilliant, and endlessly adapted.
- God Loves, Man Kills (1982), a graphic novel with art by Brent Anderson — the definitive statement of the X-Men’s core theme of prejudice and hate. It later inspired the second X-Men film.
Read these three and you have the heart of classic X-Men. Claremont’s run is collected in X-Men: Milestones trades and the massive X-Men Epic Collection line if you want to go deeper.
Era 2: Morrison’s New X-Men (2001-2004)
After the sprawling 1990s, Grant Morrison’s New X-Men (2001-2004), with art by Frank Quitely and others, dragged the franchise into the twenty-first century. Morrison treated mutants as an emerging subculture and species, introduced a sleeker, black-leather aesthetic, and delivered bold ideas at a furious pace. It is smart, strange, and one of the best modern super-team runs.
It is collected as New X-Men Omnibus or in three Ultimate Collection trades. It works as a standalone reading experience and pairs beautifully with the Claremont classics as a “then and now” of the franchise.
Era 3: Whedon and Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men (2004-2008)
If you want the most beginner-friendly starting run of the modern era, this is it. Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday is a tight, gorgeous run that takes the team back to bright costumes and blockbuster superheroics while keeping the emotional depth. Cassaday’s art is stunning, the dialogue crackles, and the whole thing reads like a great X-Men movie you never got.
Collected in two oversized hardcovers or four trades, it is completely accessible and a superb entry point for anyone who found the older material daunting. Many longtime fans recommend it as the very first X-Men run to read.
Era 4: Hickman’s House of X / Powers of X (2019)
In 2019, Jonathan Hickman rebooted the entire franchise with the interlocking miniseries House of X and Powers of X (pronounced “powers of ten”), with art by Pepe Larraz and R.B. Silva. The premise is radical: all mutants unite to found their own sovereign nation on the living island of Krakoa, complete with their own laws, economy, and even resurrection technology. It reframed everything about the franchise and was explicitly built as a jumping-on point for new readers.
Read House of X / Powers of X as a single collected volume, alternating the issues in the intended reading order (the trade handles this for you). It is dense but exhilarating, and it is arguably the best modern place to start.
Era 5: The Krakoa age (2019-2024)
Everything after Hickman’s relaunch is the “Krakoa era,” a five-year saga across many titles. You do not need to read all of it, but the highlights are worth chasing once you are invested:
- X-Men (2019) by Jonathan Hickman — the flagship title continuing the Krakoa story.
- Marauders by Gerry Duggan — Kitty Pryde leads a pirate crew; a fan-favorite.
- Immortal X-Men and Sins of Sinister by Kieron Gillen — the political and cosmic peak of the era.
The Krakoa era eventually builds to the “Fall of X” and a line-wide reset, so it functions as a complete, self-contained modern epic with a beginning, middle, and end.
Reading order at a glance
| Step | Era / title | Collects | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Dark Phoenix Saga | Uncanny X-Men #129-138 (1980) | Classic on-ramp |
| 2 | Days of Future Past + God Loves, Man Kills | 1981-82 | Essential Claremont |
| 3 | New X-Men (Morrison) | 2001-2004 | The modern reinvention |
| 4 | Astonishing X-Men (Whedon) | 2004-2008 | Most beginner-friendly run |
| 5 | House of X / Powers of X | 2019 relaunch | Modern on-ramp |
| 6 | The Krakoa era highlights | 2019-2024 | A complete modern epic |
You can start at step 1 or jump straight to step 5. Both are legitimate ways in, and both lead to the same rich, sprawling saga.
Which should a new reader actually pick?
Pros
- Start with Claremont if you love character-driven, emotional soap opera and don’t mind older art
- Start with Astonishing X-Men for the most accessible modern superheroics
- Start with House of X / Powers of X for a bold, high-concept fresh beginning
Cons
- Older Claremont issues have dense, wordy captions that read as dated
- The Krakoa era spans many titles, so completists can feel overwhelmed
- The many relaunches and same-name series make the publishing history confusing
Where to buy and how to collect
The classics are collected in X-Men: Milestones and Epic Collection trades, while the modern runs are easy to find in standard trade paperbacks and deluxe hardcovers. House of X / Powers of X is a single volume that is widely stocked. Marvel’s digital service also carries essentially all of it, which is a low-risk way to sample eras before buying print.
AmazonCheck price on AmazonWhere to go next
The X-Men are one thread in a much larger tapestry. To broaden out, our Marvel reading order for beginners covers the rest of the universe, and the Marvel hub collects everything in one place. If you want to see how these runs stack up against the medium’s all-time best, our best graphic novels list puts them in context.
Frequently asked questions
Where should a beginner start with the X-Men?
You have two great options. For the classics, start with Chris Claremont’s The Dark Phoenix Saga. For a modern jumping-on point, start with Jonathan Hickman’s House of X / Powers of X (2019). If you want the smoothest single modern run, Whedon and Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men is the most beginner-friendly.
Do I need to read the Claremont run before the modern comics?
No. The modern relaunches, especially House of X / Powers of X, were designed so new readers can start there. You will get more out of the classics, but they are not required homework.
What is the Krakoa era?
It is the 2019-2024 saga, launched by Hickman’s House of X / Powers of X, in which all mutants found their own nation on the living island of Krakoa. It functions as a complete, self-contained modern epic with a clear beginning and end.
Is Astonishing X-Men a good place to start?
Yes, it is one of the best. Whedon and Cassaday’s run is tight, gorgeously drawn, and completely accessible, which is why many fans recommend it as a new reader’s first X-Men run.
Keep exploring with our Marvel reading order for beginners or the wider Marvel hub.
