There are so many books and characters how is a newbie supposed to even get a grasp of what the hell is going on or who all the characters are!

There are about 10 X-Books total at this moment in time. 
 They are: 
Uncanny X-men 
Wolverine and the X-men 
Uncanny X-Force 
New Mutants 
X-Factor 
Astonishing X-men 
Wolverine 
X-men Legacy 
Ultimate Comics X-men 
X-men 
Gambit (Coming soon) 
 
But really if you just are someone who wants to focus on what is going on in the big picture just grab Wolverine and the X-men and Ucanny X-men. 
The others which contain good stories (more or less) are not so essential to the world of Mutants.

@Kallarkz said:

There are about 10 X-Books total at this moment in time. They are: Uncanny X-men Wolverine and the X-men Uncanny X-Force New Mutants X-Factor Astonishing X-men Wolverine X-men Legacy Ultimate Comics X-men X-men Gambit (Coming soon) But really if you just are someone who wants to focus on what is going on in the big picture just grab Wolverine and the X-men and Ucanny X-men. The others which contain good stories (more or less) are not so essential to the world of Mutants.

Don't forget the Age of Apocalypse series and the upcoming Xtreme X-Men series

@papad1992 said:

@Kallarkz said:

There are about 10 X-Books total at this moment in time. They are: Uncanny X-men Wolverine and the X-men Uncanny X-Force New Mutants X-Factor Astonishing X-men Wolverine X-men Legacy Ultimate Comics X-men X-men Gambit (Coming soon) But really if you just are someone who wants to focus on what is going on in the big picture just grab Wolverine and the X-men and Ucanny X-men. The others which contain good stories (more or less) are not so essential to the world of Mutants.

Don't forget the Age of Apocalypse series and the upcoming Xtreme X-Men series

I hadn't heard about the Xtreme X-men series. Wow. And that is not counting the First X-men series coming up.

Which would make a total of 14 X-titles

@Kallarkz said:

@papad1992 said:

@Kallarkz said:

There are about 10 X-Books total at this moment in time. They are: Uncanny X-men Wolverine and the X-men Uncanny X-Force New Mutants X-Factor Astonishing X-men Wolverine X-men Legacy Ultimate Comics X-men X-men Gambit (Coming soon) But really if you just are someone who wants to focus on what is going on in the big picture just grab Wolverine and the X-men and Ucanny X-men. The others which contain good stories (more or less) are not so essential to the world of Mutants.

Don't forget the Age of Apocalypse series and the upcoming Xtreme X-Men series

I hadn't heard about the Xtreme X-men series. Wow. And that is not counting the First X-men series coming up.

Which would make a total of 14 X-titles

Yeah, Xtreme X-Men, not like the same title with the previous name though... it's going to involve Dazzler and some alternate X-Men. It will have an Exiles type feel to it! And I forgot about the First X-Men book that's gonna come out soon! Damn... 14 titles.

Deadpool could also count towards the X-Titles...

I started reading comics a little more than three years ago and it was easy for me to jump in. Just pick up Wolverine and the X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, and perhaps Uncanny X-FOrce. If you want to read more than pick up New Mutants, X-Factor, X-Men, or X-Men Legacy.

Marvel has always been confusing with X-Men Titles. I think back in the early 2000's they had X-Men, then it became New Mutants, then back to X-Men, then it became X-Men Legacy. But what really confuses with when they try to use New Muntants on a completely different title change. It was just a big mess. Now it's a bit easier to jump in, if you start with Wolverine and the X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, and Uncanny X-Force.