I just finished reading a hefty amount of Black Panther (Jungle Action through issue 50 of the 3rd - i.e. Priest - volume) to the point where BP is now some weird ass cop.  Awesome though - really looking forward to finishing up the Panther series.  But I need a break.  I've been wanting to read all the X-Men from #1 on but the 60's issues just KILL ME.  Awful and really long.  So I finally just skipped up to where I have real issues - Giant Size #1, #94 and so on - awesome!  I can't stop.  I've read some of these issues in the past but never straight through like this.  Claremont's run was magic from the start (i.e. iss 94).  I have the X-Men Vignettes (1 and 2) so I can read the Classic X-Men back-ups with the original issues.  This is a real treat I've been saving up for awhile (I have a smattering of pre-#94 issues but a solid run of (Uncanny) X-Men from 94 until issue 420 or so).  I'll read the annuals and mini-series as I hit the appropriate year (I bought all of those as well in the past year).  I don't mind digital comics but there ain't nothing like the real thing - and these issues are just awesome!

You bought every issue of the X-Men from the 1963 #1??  In the last year?!  Your bank manager must hate you...!

No no - not from 1963 #1 - I skipped those (they are deadly boring and way too expensive).  I bought a decent copy of Giant-Sized #1 then X-Men #94 up to 420 or so (replacing my childhood late 80's - early 90's collection that went the way of the dodo when I left home).  Still a hefty price-tag but no where near what the first 66 would cost me  (I only have maybe 5 issues from the first 66).  I did buy all the annuals and mini-series up through 1996.  Bank manager doesn't hate me but my wife did put me on time-out!!

Ha ha!  Good on her ;)

I've been filling in the gaps of my Uncanny collection. My plan is to chill out and read them all back to back...  Even though they were only gaps, it seems to have cost me a small fortune (and that was being thrifty & bidding low on eBay).  I've also been avoiding the 'original' X-Men run, since they're too expensive.  I don't need many now, but it's those early 100's that are sooooo expensive!