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Essential X-Men is a 76-page comic book published by Panini Comics UK, as part of their Collectors' Edition range. Beginning in 1995, the title reprints Marvel US's range of X-Men comics; three per issue. The comic is produced on higher quality paper than the US originals, and the covers are composed of card, which helps to preserve the comic. Also unlike the US originals, advertisements are kept to a minimum, with most simply promoting the other comics in the Collectors' Edition range or Marvel DVDs or video games. The comics it reprints are generally about two years behind comics in the US. It retails at the price of £2.95
Over the course of its 15 year history, Essential X-Men has reprinted many key events in the X-Men's history including the Age of Apocalypse and Onslaught sagas as well as more recently Grant Morrison's run. Currently it is reprinting Peter Milligan and Salvador Larroca's run on X-Men. Unlike other Collector's Editions that Panini Comics publishes, Essential X-Men rarely reprints the classic stories. This is because in the US, the X-Men have multiple comics and in order not to fall behind the other Collector Edition's in terms of continuity there is no room to print classic stories.
At the end of 2007, Essential X-Men became the title to host the House Of M event starting at issue #160 and ending with the release of issue #163 on 20 March 2008.
A new volume began in January 2010 with the storyline X-Men: Divided We Stand.
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