The early ’90s is arguably the peak of X-Men comic books, as this was when the series was setting new sales records and establishing itself as Marvel’s biggest IP. Anyone looking to revisit this age of blockbuster sales and extreme storylines can preorder the upcoming X-Men: Blue and Gold – Mutant Genesis, which launches for $139.50 on September 30. This is a massive hardcover omnibus that collects over 1,000 pages of iconic X-Men storylines from the 1980s and 1990s.
X-Men: Blue & Gold – Mutant Genesis
$139.50 (was $150 | Releases September 30
Primarily written by the prolific Chris Claremont and featuring a stacked roster of artists, X-Men: Blue and Gold is a mammoth 1,360 pages in size, so you’re going to get a great workout from holding this book. It collects several X-Men series together, as well as tie-in comic books like Ghost Rider, Marvel Comics Presents, and a few annuals. During the ’90s, the X-Men had split into two teams–Blue and Gold–so that they could better respond to threats across the globe. Cyclops would lead the Blue squad, while Storm took command of the Gold team, and both units took on enemies like Omega Red, Mojo, and their archnemesis, Magneto.
Two spin-off teams–X-Factor and X-Force–also featured in these tales, while other famous faces from across the Marvel Universe would often appear to lend a hand. After all, who better to fend off the Xenomorph-like Brood than the Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider?
Here’s a look at all the issues in X-Men: Blue & Gold – Mutant Genesis:
- X-Men (1991) #1-16
- X-Men Annual (1992) #1
- Uncanny X-Men (1981) #281-297
- Uncanny X-Men Annual (1992) #16
- Ghost Rider (1990) #26-27
- X-Factor (1986) #84-86
- X-Force (1991) #16-18
- Stryfe’s Strike File #1
- Materials from X-Factor Annual #7, X-Force Annual #1, Marvel Comics Presents (1989) #89, and X-Men: Odd Men Out
X-Men: Age Of Krakoa – Dawn Of X Omnibus Vol. 1
$139.50 (was $150) | Releases September 30
Several more X-Men omnibus editions and graphic novels are scheduled to be released throughout the year. For the modern era, X-Men: Age Of Krakoa – Dawn Of X is another major highlight, and the first chunk of it is being collected into an even bigger 1,400-page omnibus on September 30. The Krakoan Age saw the establishment of a mutant nation on the sentient island of Krakoa, leading to a new status quo in the Marvel Universe.
Tired of being hunted, Marvel’s mutants banded together to create their own refuge and sanctuary, while also establishing themselves as a political powerhouse for their kid.
This $139.50 (was $150) omnibus collects dozens of X-Men comics in total, including:
- X-Men (2019) #1-7
- X-Force (2019) #1-8
- Marauders (2019) #1-8
- Excalibur (2019) #1-8
- Fallen Angels (2019) #1-6
- New Mutants (2019) #1-7
- Material from Wolverine (2020) #1
- Wolverine (2020) #2-3
- Giant-Size X-Men: Jean Grey and Emma Frost
X-Men: Age Of Krakoa – Dawn Of X Omnibus Vol. 2
$150 | Releases March 17, 2026
The second volume is also on the way, and it’ll be released on March 17, 2026. Clocking in at 1,336 pages in size, Volume 2 sees the covert X-Force team take on a major threat, Britain goes to war with Krakoa, X-Factor is formed to investigate the deaths of mutants, and Mister Sinister creates his own team of Hellions to stir up some trouble.
While X-Men comics weren’t initially best-sellers, the team did see a resurgence in the ’70s and a steady growth in popularity throughout the ’80s, culminating in their rise to the top at Marvel Comics. The flagship series for the publisher, the comic books would break several sales records in 1990 and 1991 during a time when comic book creators and artists were the main selling point behind a series. X-Men continued to be popular throughout the decade, but with Marvel facing bankruptcy during that turbulent period, several comic book superstars leaving to form their own publishing company, and the comic book bubble burst, the good times sadly came to an end for a few years.
The influence of the series even made its way to Japan, as the Saturday morning cartoon show was adapted into a best-selling manga. This has been out of print for decades, but earlier this year, Viz Media and Marvel launched X-Men: The Manga Remastered. The first paperback volume is on sale for $17.30 (was $25) and the second volume is just $15.30 (was $30). Combined, that’s over 1,000 pages of X-Men manga for just $32, covering the first season of X-Men: The Animated Series.