So, after Schism and Regenesis, there's 8 different x titles. How many of the eight am I supposed to follow? Say, if I read wolverine and the x-men only, will I still understand the x-men continuity? Sorry, I'm kind of new.

Probably just

uncanny x-men

Wolverine and the x-men

Those are the main titles

Uncanny x-force(its just really good XD and sometimes is a need for events)

The rest of the titles are really up to you if want to read

New mutants: I wanted to like it but it's not necessary and i actually just dropped it

X-men Legacy: for readers like me who like rogue, the comic is good but not overly necessary for main x-men stories

X-factor: Heard it's really good but isn't overly involved in the main x-men story

Generation Hope: It's meh, don't care about it and only matters in crossovers, you can just buy the crossover issues when necessary otherwise it's a skip

X-men: O_O I tried to read it but its always behind story wise

Astonishing x-men: I don't really find it relevant anymore

My apologies for cutting & pasting, but as I've just types a lot about each title in another thread.

Truth be told, the definition of "Essential" is entirely up to you. For instance, Uncanny X-Men is meant to be the "flagship" title, but I don't buy it and cope very well. My personal "essential" reading is X-Factor and X-Men: Legacy. So read about the different titles (in no specific order) and see what tickles your fancy.

Astonishing X-Men

Astonishing X-Men started in 2004. It was set mainstream continuity, but was set aside from all the convoluted cross-overs. Mainly because Joss Whedon (the original writer) couldn't keep up with the regularity of other on-going writers. His run on the title saw the resurrection of Colossus, the introduction of Ordworld, established that Emma Frost &Cyclops truly love each other, and lead to the eventual "death" of Kitty Pryde (by launching her into space inside a giant planet-sized bullet). The series carried on with the same premise; in-continuity stories that can be read separately from the other X-Men titles. Warren Ellis continued to focus on the main team of X-Men, creating "Ghost Boxes" and the return of the Brood.

X-Factor

X-Factor is the mutant detective agency run by Madrox. It's a series that has a 'film noir' style of story telling, relying heavily on strong characterisation. Unlike the rest of mutantkind, X-Factor quickly discovered the true reasons behind the Decimation and the role that the X-Men played in the reduction of the mutant population. Therefore they broke their ties with the X-Men. As such, instead of relocating to Utopia, they stayed in New York where they interact with the rest of the Marvel Universe (such as Thor, Black Cat, Werewolf By Night). The line-up features Madrox, Layla Miller, Banshee (formerly known as Siryn), M, Rictor, Shatterstar, Strong Guy, Darwin (who has currently left the team on a temporary basis as he explores his newly acquired Death God abilities), and Wolfsbane (who is still traumatised from the birth of her immortal hairy blood-thirsty son ;)

From the promotional image for the up-coming Re:Genesis story that'll affect all the titles, Havok & Polaris will appear in X-Factor. However, no-one knows for certain whether they will be a permanent addition to the team.

X-Men: Legacy

X-Men: Legacy has changed identities several times over the last 20 years.

Back in 1991 X-Men started as the second on-going X-Men title. At that time, there were suddenly too many X-Men to have on one team. Therefore Uncanny X-men focussed on the "X-Men Gold" team lead by Storm, while the new adjectiveless X-Men title told stories about the "X-Men Blue" team lead by Cyclops. As the years went on, there were annual cross-overs between the titles and the team members from the "Gold" & "Blue" teams worked together more & more. After several years the distinction between the two titles became blurred.

The title was transformed into New X-Men when Grant Morrison was given control over the X-Men. Instead of choosing Uncanny X-Men, he turned the "other" title into the so-called 'flagship' title. Therefore the numbering stayed the same, but the name of the series changed. The stories became darker. The school became the reasoning behind the X-Men once more, but this time they were the teachers. Emma Frost joined their ranks, and had a psychic affair with Cyclops behind Jean Grey's back. They enlisted hundreds of mutant children into the student body, and recruited a new character called Xorn who had his head permanently encased in a metal helmet as he had the brain of a star. New villains were introduced; Cassandra Nova; Professor Xavier's twin who he murdered while in utero & Quentin Quire who caused a riot among the student body that resulted in the death of one of he Stepford Cuckoos. When it transpired that Xorn was actually Magneto (which has subsequently been retconned so that it was Xorn after all), Jean Grey was forced to sacrifice herself in order to save the world. In her dying moments, Jean Grey (who has been retconned, so she really is the Phoenix) became aware of an alternate future timeline in which Cyclops closed the school and therefore the X-Men weren't around to save the world. As such, she telepathically pushed her husband into accepting his attraction to Emma Frost and turning the psychic affair into a real relationship - thus ensuring that the school stayed open & that the X-Men stayed together.

The title was renamed BACK into the X-Men after Grant Morrison left. The focus was on characters like Havok, Polaris, Juggernaut, Iceman, Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine &Mystique (sometims disguised as Foxx). There wasn't much of a clear definition to distinguish it from Uncanny X-Men. After a few years the title gained a new writer, Mike Carey. Suddenly the title focussed on a defined roster of X-Men lead by Rogue. The story-telling radically improved.

After the Messiah CompleX cross-over the title changed name yet again. This time to X-Men: Legacy. Like before, the numbering remained the same. The shift of the stories changed to focus on Professor Xavier. It followed him as he came to terms with how his powers had changed (after being shot in the head by Bishop), forcing him to explore the mistakes he'd made in the past. While discovering that Mr Sinister had been involved in his past, Xavier came across Gambit. The title briefly began to focus on Gambit, but soon shifted back to Rogue. It has since focussed on Rogue with a shifting cast of characters around her. For a few years she had a mentor role for the Young/New X-Men, but since the Age of X cross-over it has turned back into a 'defined team roster' book with Rogue in charge. However, Mike Carey will be leaving the title in a few months, so the future for Rogue and this title is another mystery.

Uncanny X-Force

Uncanny X-Force is about a secret team of X-Men assassins. They are different from previous X-Force incarnations; the first being a rebellious & angry group of teens lead by Cable, the second incarnation went on to become known as the X-Statix, and the last was Cyclops' strike-force of hunters. Cyclops disbanded the team after they were unvield to the rest of the X-Men who disapproved (carrying the belief that "X-Men Shouldn't Kill"). This time around Wolverine has gathered togetherArchangel, Psylocke, Fantomex & Deadpool. After an adventure that threw them into the Age of Apocalypse timeline, they have also gained an extra member... the Age of Apocalypse version of Nightcrawler.

It is still a relatively new title.

Wolverine & The X-Men

This title hasn't even started yet that is created as a result of the mini series "X-Men: Schism".

From what information we've got, this will follow the X-Men who returned to New York with Wolverine. They've split from the X-Men living on Utopia. And recently we've learned that Wolverine will start up the Jean Grey School for mutants. Other than that, no-one (except for those who work at Marvel) knows what this new team book will be about or do.

New Mutants

Back in 1983, the X-Men universe expanded for the first time with the launch of a new on-going title; The New Mutants. The X-Men were lost in Space, believed dead at the hands of the Brood. Back on Earth, Professor Xavier began to fill his school with a new student body. They weren't to become the X-Men of the future, but he still wanted to train mutants to control their powers. However, he was being controlled by the Brood Queen who was quickly defeated upon the return of the X-Men. Anyway, the New Mutants' ranks expanded, they had their own rival team The Hellions, Xavier left Earth to live with his lover Lilandra leaving Magneto as the new headmaster, and over time they experienced tragedy; the death of Cypher. The team ran away from Magneto and found a new leader, Cable. They gained new members, but the classic members left one-by-one (except for Cannonball), newer angry & violent characters were introduced... and therefore in 1991 the title was cancelled and replaced by X-Force.

Over the years, fans have demanded the return of the New Mutants. Therefore the new New Mutants title was launched in 2009. It originally focussed on the original cast of New Mutants who were all officially classed as X-Men. Over time both Warlock & Cypher returned to life, and aside from Wolfsbane (who was with X-Force when the series launched, and later X-Factor again) the New Mutants were together again. After a struggle in Limbo, the team became splintered again. The handful of remaining members found X-Man and liberated him from the Sugar Man. It is now a more reduced team, with X-Man on their roster and apparently Blink will join them in the near future.

Generation Hope

The newest of the 'next generation of mutants' titles that follows in the lineage of New Mutants, Generation X and New X-Men: Academy X. Generation Hope follows Hope Summers the so-called "Mutant Messiah" (the baby girl who was born at the start of Messiah CompleX) and the Five Lights; first 5 mutants who developed their powers since her birth. On a personal level, I don't have anything positive to say about this title.

X-Men

Yet another adjectiveless X-Men title; X-Men was launched last year. There had been several promo posters featuring character like Blade, Spider-Man, Elektra & X-Man all saying "I Am An X-Man". However, X-Man hasn't featured in this title as he has recently appeared in the New Mutants instead, and Blade & Spider-Man didn't join the X-Men. Instead Blade assisted the X-Men in a fight against a new breed of Vampires. Jubilee was transformed into a vampire. Spider-Man joined the X-Men to fight against mutant lizards. Both Blade & Spider-Man continued with their non-mutant lives separately. Elektra has yet to appear in the title.

Marvel struggled to give any definition to this title as it featured the same few key X-Men who appeared in Uncanny X-Men and Astonishing X-Men with a handful of others. During a story arc that didn't involve any characters from the rest of the Marvel Universe, Marvel defined this as the title where the X-Men interact with the rest of the Marvel Universe. It appears that after the Re:Genesis, this will revolve around a defined roster of X-Men including vampiric Jubilee, Warpath, Pylocke (who will still be in X-Force),Domino & Storm.

Uncanny X-Men

Originally titles The X-Men, this currently is Marvel's longest running on-going title. Others like Fantastic Four have been cancelled, relaunched and renumbered since. It seemed that Uncanny X-Men was immune to this trend until it was announced this year that Uncanny X-Men would be cancelled due to events in X-Men: Schism. During the life span of Uncanny X-Men there have been various instances when the X-men didn't actually exist; therefore Marvel's logic that the events in Schism would lead to a logical cancellation & relaunch doesn't make sense.

Aside from a couple of years, this has always been the "Flagship" title. The other X-Men titles revolved around this one. Over the last few years the title revolved around Cyclops, Namor, Magneto, Emma Frost & whichever cameo the writers felt like including (Pixie, Northstar, Dazzler, Colossus). It seems that the new title will be very much the same... Personally I think this makes the relaunch even more moot.

Solo Titles

Wolverine, Daken: Dark Wolverine & X-23. I've dropped both Wolverine & X-23, and didn't even bother with Daken. So I'm afraid I can't comment on them positively. Just know that they're solo titles, and take place roughly the same time as everything else. But you don't HAVE to read them.

Ultimate X-Men

The new series Ultimate X-Men has just begun (in September). Yes, it is set in an alternate universe, and therefore can be ignored if you choose to read only "Earth-616" in-continuity X-Men stories. However, stories leading up to this new series are in Ultimate X-Men, Ultimatum and Ultimate X.

Say if I only know barely 1/10 of the mutants in the X-universe, will I still be able to keep up if I randomly select a title after regenesis?

@hallaboy said:

Say if I only know barely 1/10 of the mutants in the X-universe, will I still be able to keep up if I randomly select a title after regenesis?

Yes. That's how everyone has to start...somewhere :)

Trust me, you'll meet new characters, get to learn who they are and decide for yourself who you like or don't like. And filling in the blanks is half the fun :)

@xerox_kitty said:

@hallaboy said:

Say if I only know barely 1/10 of the mutants in the X-universe, will I still be able to keep up if I randomly select a title after regenesis?

Yes. That's how everyone has to start...somewhere :)

Trust me, you'll meet new characters, get to learn who they are and decide for yourself who you like or don't like. And filling in the blanks is half the fun :)

Seems fun! Ahaha. I look forward to getting my X books. Thanks! Will probably be following uncanny X-men after the renumbering I guess.

@hallaboy: That'd be a smart place to start :) And I strongly suspect that's the real reason why Marvel are doing it... as DC have just proven, number 1's sell... a lot ;)

Wolverine & The X-Men will also tart at issue number 1, so you can try two titles and decide which you refer (or even stick with both ;)

I would say Ultimate Comics X-men & Wolverine & the X-men. Well those are the only X titles I'd be follow but Uncanny X-men seems to be a big deal so you can check it out

Essential X-men, Classic X-men lol.