The Marvel Essential editions are well-known for faithfully reprinting collections of the early issues of famous comic book superheroes.  This one, of course, gathers the first 24 issues of the original X-Men series.  Fans of the silver age comics will enjoy the nostalgia and find most of the included stories entertaining.

The X-Men are five teenage mutants, each with a unique skill, who attend a private school run by "Professor X."  The professor protects the X-men while helping the mutants develop their talents.  "Angel" has wings and flies.  "Beast" is extremely acrobatic and strong.  "Cyclops" has powerful laser eyes.  "Iceman" manipulates ice to his advantage.  And "Marvel Girl" is skilled in telekinesis.  This was the original X-Men team which would later evolve into a different, more familiar roster.

The elephant in the room, of course, is all the b/w artwork.  Color would have really bumped this series up a notch.  But it is what it is.  Of the 24 issues, the stories start off average as you might expect, and grow progressively stronger as the characters become more familiar.  Seeing the gradual camaraderie develop between the teenagers is a lot of fun.  And there is an overall charm about it.

The teenage superheroes wise-cracking while trying to take down evil-doers and mischief-makers is corny, but exciting.  And being introduced to first-time villains is a treat.  Some villains we will meet again farther down the road, others you can just fugettaboutit.  If you can appreciate the historical silver age of superhero dramas...it's 1963, after all...you'll find this Volume to be some pretty cool stuff.  It's not a page burner.  I enjoyed reading my copy in smaller bites, rather than gulps, but it was pleasurable nonetheless.