Cranboyz Online: Popa's 10 Favorite Uncanny X-Men Covers

Remember when comic book covers were awesome and told stories instead of just being random posed shots of characters? I do, too. Mostly because I'm as old as you. Probably older.

Anyway, how this should work is pretty obvious - my 10 favorite covers from the run of "Uncanny X-Men." There's no consideration here to historical worth or anything like that, these are just the 10 that make me go "ooooh, that's a cool cover." While the list goes back long before I started reading the book, it doesn't go long after when I stopped reading. This is for a couple reasons, 1 - favorite always implies a personal attachment, so books I never looked at are a bit tougher to add to a list like this. And reason 2 goes back to my initial statement about covers now being less awesome than they were years ago.

10. - Uncanny X-Men #251

I stopped reading comics for awhile, right after Mutant Massacre but it was this cover, seen at a drugstore one random day, that started to get me back into wanting to read comics again.

9. Uncanny X-Men #173

This follow-up story to the great Chris Claremont/Frank Miller "Wolverine" story is pretty super, with top notch art from Paul Smith. This cover tells us a lot about Wolverine and Rogue, who's in charge and who isn't. Rogue was just joining the team and would take a long time to become the iconic character she is now.

8. Uncanny X-Men #185

Or maybe Rogue didn't become a heroine, after all! I love the image here and John Romita Jr. was on fire at this point on the title. Rogue looks menacing (even though she's really not in the story) and Storm looks tough but beaten.

7. Uncanny X-Men #141

Ok, there's nothing wrong with an iconic, historic cover. If I need to tell you about this cover, you shoudn't be reading this post!

6. Uncanny X-Men #209

I don't know what to tell you if you don't want to read this comic!! And NIMROD.

5. X-Men #46

Ok, our one jump into the way, way back machine. I love covers that imply the heroes are beaten, as heroes should always be.

4. Uncanny X-Men #168

Another dramatic character shot. I guess I don't love noisy covers with a million things going on. This cover says "Kitty's Last Stand" to me and Paul Smith always drew a great Kitty, even if she wouldn't be given the correct costume until a later date (but that's a blog post for another time.)

3. Uncanny X-Men #207

See? Another dramatic character shot. As a kid especially, this cover was the greatest thing in the history of mankind. This is when Wolverine was awesome. Some of you don't know Wolverine used to be awesome. Now you think Deadpool is awesome. You're wrong.

2. Uncanny X-Men #145

DOOM TRIUMPHANT.

1. Uncanny X-Men #101

Yes, this one's iconic too. It's also the first 'expensive' back issue I ever bought (I think I paid $30 in 1990 for it.) But this shot has everything - danger, intrigue, Phoenix's cool green costume. And Dave Cockrum.