As with previous ‘Classic’ releases the caveat applies that they’re really collections of short stories rather than definitive graphic novels. Twilight Of The Mutants even starts halfway through a storyline for no good reason.

For the most part it’s unremarkable fare, both in terms of story and art. Even with a fondness for the original X-Men developed by 80s UK reprints I struggled to maintain an interest, the issues showing their age horribly. You can see why this was a low selling book – the art’s competent rather than inventive and the stories tend towards unconvincing mundanity. The comments in the book’s introduction that this is where the roots of the modern X-Men success story lie are unconvincing. And then, halfway through an encounter with The Pharaoh Neal Adams turns up. It’s like the series has been given steroids, with instantaneous results. The layouts become more inventive, the art itself has power and verve and the stories acquire energy. All of a sudden you can see what Chris Claremont might have been taking on board when interning at Marvel in this period. There’s still the odd lack of storytelling sense that’s almost inevitable when you’re on a month to month treadmill but there’s so much going on that they’re less important than they were a few issues previously.

As a historical curio fascinating, but you have to weight up whether the first two thirds is worth the sudden dazzle of the last third. ( )