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Collecting X-Men limited series & one-shots as Graphic Novels

The definitive, chronological, and up-to-date guide on collecting X-Men limited series and one-shot comic books via omnibuses, hardcovers, and trade paperback graphic novels. A part of Crushing Krisis’s Collecting X-Men: A Definitive Guide. Last updated July 2016 with titles scheduled for release through April 2017.

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In the early 1980’s Marvel found renewed success with comic fans, in no small part due to a surging X-Men title helmed by Chris Claremont.

With the trend 60s and 70s anthology titles out of vogue, Marvel tried a new approach to promote their most popular characters to a growing audience – releasing limited series telling finite stories.

Some of the earliest characters to receive the limited series treatment were Scarlet Witch and Wolverine, but soon the trend expanded to include seemingly any and every character. Some of the series were collected in trade paperbacks at the time, and are now being revitalized in Marvel Premiere Classics hardcover editions.

In the 90s the comics speculating trend helped limited series and one-shots balloon out of control – each first issue bore a “Collector’s Item!” burst! These editions are under-collected, just as their stories are frequently ignored by the canon of current X-Men authors.

Marvel’s tactic changed in the 2000s, using limited series to showcase hot creators and to test the waters for possible ongoing series. It seems that the more targeted approach is yielding more collections! [Read more…] about Collecting X-Men limited series & one-shots as Graphic Novels

Namor The Sub-Mariner, Definitive Collecting Guide & Reading Order

Updated Jan 4, 2025! The definitive issue-by-issue comic book collecting guide and reading order for Marvel’s Namor, The Sub-Mariner in omnibus, hardcover, trade paperback, and digital. Part of Crushing Krisis’s Crushing Comics. Last updated January 2025 with titles scheduled for release through June 2025.

Namor. The Sub-Mariner. The King of Atlantis. He was Marvel’s first superhero, their first anti-hero, and their first mutant.

Namor has been around longer than the majority of people who will read this guide, and those seventy-odd years of life have seen him inhabit as many ongoing series as Wolverine!

If you enjoy Namor’s regal bearing and obstinate attitude, there are hundreds of comics to delve into – many of which have been collected into graphic novels. Namor has been a villain, an Avenger, an Invader, a Defender, and an X-Man.

This guide covers every one of those appearances, from the Golden Age to the present day! [Read more…] about Namor The Sub-Mariner, Definitive Collecting Guide & Reading Order

Young Avengers & Avengers-in-Training – Collecting Guide & Reading Order

Updated Feb 12, 2025! The definitive, chronological, and up-to-date guide on collecting Young Avengers, Avengers Academy, and other youthful and in-training Avengers comic books via omnibuses and trade paperback graphic novels. A part of Crushing Krisis’s Collecting Avengers Graphic Novels: A Definitive Guide. Last updated February 2025 with titles scheduled for release through June 2025.

The Avengers has not historically included division for younger heroes, unlike the X-Men, whose entire premise was based upon a school. That made sense, since being an Avenger was a serious duty and frequently a job. A random team couldn’t declare themselves Avengers, though they could could be mutants by birth. And from a publishing standpoint, Avengers never had the cache to support more than a handful of titles.

That all changed in 2005 in a series created by budding superstar artist Jim Cheung and TV and film writer Allan Heinberg. In the wake of Avengers Disassembled fundamentally altering the team, a group of teen heroes arose to take on the mantles of their heroes – some of whom had fallen in battle. Inspired by Avengers members like Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Vision, Iron Man, and Giant-Man, this new group declared themselves Young Avengers.

With the proverbial seal broken and the Avengers brand hotter than ever thanks to the stewardship of Brian Bendis, Marvel seized the opportunity for a decade-long run of titles focused on a next generation of Avengers. While the Young Avengers continued in a string of mini-series, an official training-squad was coined in Avengers: The Initiative, followed by an actual Avengers school in Avengers Academy.

The line-wide Marvel Now relaunch in 2012 brought with it not one but three Avengers titles focused on training squads – a redux of Young Avengers from the hip team of Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, the Hunger Games inspired Avengers Arena (which became Avengers Undercover), and finally a team of android and robot characters in Avengers A.I. [Read more…] about Young Avengers & Avengers-in-Training – Collecting Guide & Reading Order

Grading #TheVoice – Battle Round #2

May 17, 2011 by krisis

Here are my first reaction thoughts to tonight’s The Voice Battle Round!

I made my first notes listening totally blind, although tonight it was easy to tell the voices apart. I then went back for a single watch before picking my victor. I didn’t peek at the judges picks until after I made my own.

Here we go! The rankings I list are based on my original team breakdowns from last week.

Team Cee Lo: Tje Austin (#4) against Nakia (#6) on “Closer”

In my original breakdown of Cee Lo’s team I said Tje had a lot of raw awesome, while Nakia was a sweetheart and a showman, but not the best singer.

Did my opinion hold up? [Read more…] about Grading #TheVoice – Battle Round #2

Recap: #TheVoice – Battle Round #1

May 12, 2011 by krisis

Alright, I’m wiped out beyond recognition right now (more on that tomorrow), but I promised reactions to the full episode of The Voice to accompany my Battle Round post.

The introductory recappery and previewing things that will happen in five minutes seemed crazily over-indulgent, but I guess if your new show is posting week-over-week ratings increases you have to catch up new fans. Your show is a commercial for your show.

There were voices, there were chairs, we had seasons in the sun. Et cetera. It’s very interesting that Emily Valentine got face time twice in the brief montage alongside top picks Jeff, Javier, and Kelsey. In a sneak peak at Team Christina’s room, Tarralyn gives great face – a crazy bitch face when X-Tina says “[only one singer] …survives.” It’s the first of many terrific faces she pulls this episode. [Read more…] about Recap: #TheVoice – Battle Round #1