Dawn of X: Your Simple Guide To The New X-Men Line

It’s an exciting time to be reading the Marvel’s X-Men comics. Johnathan Hickman, after taking a few years away from Marvel, is back and has become the architect of the whole X-Men line.

He kicked it off with the duel miniseries House of X and Powers of X, which will lay out the groundwork for years to come. So far he’s guided the franchise into compelling territories which take concepts of the past and present them in very fresh ways, mixing in high concept science fiction, and even the odd infographic too. But when these two miniseries are finished in October, what will be next?

Then comes, the Dawn of X! That’s the name of the new line of X-Men comics – or what the fans call them, X-books. If House of X and Powers of X is laying the foundations, then these new comics are what will be built on top of them on ongoing.

Read on to find out all about Dawn of X, including which comics are involved and much more.

What Should I Read In The Lead Up To Dawn of X?

As I mentioned above, House of X and Powers of X build the foundation for the X-Men franchise going forward. As a result, I would say that the only thing I recommend is those two comics before reading any of the below comics.

Find out more about House of X/Powers of X and how to read it in this convenient reading order.

Which Comics Are Part Of This New Line?

So, which comics are part of this new era of the X-Men? Read on to find out!

X-Men

Written by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Lenil Francis Yu.

Team Members: Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Rachel Grey, Havok, Cable, Corsair, and Vulcan.

Written by the X-Men architect Jonathan Hickman, X-Men will the flagship book of the X-Men line. Marvel is keeping quiet about any particular story details, but it will feature Cyclops leading a “hand-picked squad of mutant powerhouses.”

Hickman has stated that each issue will be a done-in-one story, which has a different cast each issue. There will be some overlapping cast members, so your favourite characters may be around for more than one issue in a row.

Trade Paperbacks

X-Men by Jonathan Hickman Volume 1
Collects: X-Men (2019 series) #1-6

X-Men by Jonathan Hickman Volume 2
Collects: X-Men (2019 series) #7-11

New Mutants

Written by Jonathan Hickman and Ed Brisson. Art by Rod Reis.

Team Members: Magik, Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Mirage, Karma, Chamber, and Mondo.

Hitching a ride with the Starjammers, the New Mutants team are heading on a mission into space to track down their friend Cannonball.

The team will be made up of classic members from the original New Mutants comic book series, as well as a few others too.

From issue #3, we’ll be introduced to a secondary team who have not been in the New Mutants before. Who are they? We’ll have to read to find out!

For those unfamiliar with the New Mutants, it was a team made up of students from the second generation of students from the Xavier Institute. While the team is much older now, the name has stuck.

Trade Paperbacks

New Mutants Volume 1
Collects: New Mutants (2019 series) #1-2, 5, and 7

New Mutants Volume 2
Collects: New Mutants (2019 series) #3-4, 6, 8-12

X-Force

Written by Benjamin Percy. Art by Joshua Cassara.

Team Members: Beast, Jean Grey, Sage, Wolverine, Kid Omega, and Colossus.

In this new era, X-Force is the “CIA of the mutant world” and is broken up into two different sides. On the intelligence side, there’s Jean Grey, Beast, and Sage. On the other is the special ops side which includes some more morally grey characters such as Wolverine, Domino, and Kid Omega.

At NYCC, Benjamin Percy described the comic as a procedural with a “Michael Mann sensibility. Think of Heat or something.” He went on to say that not every character in the roster will be featured in every issue:

Sometimes we’ll have an issue that just follows Domino. Sometimes we’ll have an issue that’s more about two characters in particular. Sometimes we’ll have one that’s more investigative work. Sometimes we’ll have one that’s more wet work. The only thing that you can expect is the unexpected.

In the past, X-Force has been about mutants proactively taking on threats before they become a problem, even if that means using questionable methods. The “CIA of the mutant world” is a new spin on the concept, which has traditionally had a paramilitary or black -ops leaning to it.

Trade Paperbacks

X-Force Volume 1
Collects: X-Force (2019 series) #1-6

X-Force Volume 2
Collects: X-Force (2019 series) #7-12

Fallen Angels

Written by Bryan Edward Hill. Art by Szymon Kudranski.

Team Members: Kwannon, Cable, and X-23.

Out of all of the new X-books, Fallen Angels is the darkest one. It’s a gritty tale of personal vengeance which could jeopardise all of mutantkind.

With the small cast, expect this series to be more character-focused than other series.

Trade Paperbacks

Fallen Angels Volume 1
Collects: Fallen Angels (2019 series) #1-6

Excalibur

Written by Tini Howard. Art by Marcus To.

Team Members: Captain Brittan (Betsy Braddock), Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Rictor, and Apocalypse.

Excalibur has traditionally been a series which combines the X-Men and Captain Britan franchises together to form a series full of cross-dimensional adventures and a British vibe.

While it looks like it will have less of a British cast, this series will continue with the cross-dimensional adventures, specifically Otherworld. War has broken out in there and it’s up to Excalibur to stop it.

The team will be lead by Betsy Braddock, who is the new Captain Britain.

Trade Paperbacks

Excalibur Volume 1
Collects: Excalibur (2019 series) #1-6

Excalibur Volume 2
Collects: Excalibur (2019 series) #7-12

Marauders

Written by Gerry Duggan. Art by Matteo Lolli.

Team Members: Kitty Pryde, Emma Frost, Storm, Pyro, Bishop, and Iceman.

The Marauders were originally a supervillain team, but with this new series, we see the idea turned on its head. Instead, this new series features a heroic team which uses the name in a more swashbuckling way.

In this new era of X-Men comics, the team, funded by Hellfire Trading Company, defends the shipping lanes that mutantkind rely on.

Trade Paperbacks

Marauder Volume 1
Collects: Marauders #1-6

Marauder Volume 2
Collects: Marauders #7-12

Wolverine

Written by Benjamin Percy. Art by Adam Kubert and Victor Bogdonavic.

Wolverine is back and in his own solo series!

There are two story threads at play here. Th first revolving around the Krakoan flower and the other the villain amnesty that has been put in place at Krakoa.

Benjamin Percy has a strong track record with the character, penning the Wolverine: The Long Night and Wolverine: The Lost Trail audio dramas.

Adam Kubert is one of the most loved Wolverine artists of all time. He did a long stretch with the character in the 90s and has returned to the character multiple times.

Trade Paperbacks

Wolverine Volume 1
Collects: Wolverine (2020 Series) #1-5

X-Men/Fantastic Four

Written by Chip Zdarsky. Art by Terry Dodson.

If you read House of X then you would remember there was a particular scene with the Fantastic Four which seeded some possible tensions between the two groups. This four-part miniseries explores that tension as well as the attitudes of the outside world to the island nation of Krakoa.

Trade Paperback

X-Men/Fantastic Four
Collects: X-Men/Fantastic Four #1-4

Giant Size X-Men

Written by Jonathan Hickman. Art by various.

Giant Size X-Men will be five oversized one-shots that focus on a character while also showcase some of Marvel’s finest artists.

Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey and Emma Frost
Written by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Russell Dauterman.

Giant Size X-Men: Nightcrawler
Written by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Alan Davis.

Giant Size X-Men: Magneto
Written by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Pere Perez.

Note: Giant Size X-Men: Magneto was originally announced to have art by Ben Oliver but he had to drop out due to personal reasons.

Giant Size X-Men: Fantomex
Written by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Rod Reis

Giant Size X-Men: Storm
Written by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Russell Dauterman.

Trade Paperback

Giant-Size X-Men by Jonathan Hickman
Collects: Giant-Size: Jean Grey and Emma Frost, Giant-Size: Nightcrawler, Giant-Size: Magneto, Giant-Size: Fantomex, and Giant-Size: Storm.

Hellions

Written by Zeb Wells. Art by Stephen Segovia.

Team Members: Mister Sinister, Havok, Psylocke (Kwannon), Orphan-Maker, Nanny, Empath, Scalphunter, and Wild Child

As part of the new status quo on Krakoa, villains have been offered an amnesty. It is now Mr Sinister’s task to make them a productive member of society.

Hellions will feature Havok, Psylocke (Kwannon), Orphan-Maker, Nanny, Empath, Scalphunter, and Wild Child. Based on the premise there are sure to be other villains dropped into the mix too.

Trade Paperbacks

Hellions Volume 1
Collects: Hellions #1-4

Cable

Written by Gerry Duggan. Art by Phil Noto.

Cable has had many solo series over the years, but we haven’t seen one like this. Starring the young Cable, this series follows him leading the teenage revolution on Krakoa.

Trade Paperbacks

Cable Volume 1
Collects: Cable #1-4

Children of the Atom

Written by Vita Ayala. Art by Bernard Chang.

The X-Men have always been a team so they have never needed sidekicks before. In this series we are introduced to a new batch of kids who have risen to the occasion to work with their role models. Who are they? You’ll have to read to find out.

Children of the Atom #1 was originally announced to come out in April but disappeared from the schedule when COVID-19 shut down the comics industry for a short period of time. It’s expected to return in January 2021.

X-Factor

Written by Leah Williams. Art by David Baldeon.

Team Members: Prestige, Eye-Boy, Prodigy, Northstar, Polaris, and Daken.

This new X-Factor series focuses on The Five – the mutants who work together in order to resurrect those who have fallen. We’ll see their trials and tribulations of the process as well as how they follow the rules of reincarnation.

Trade Paperbacks

X-Factor Volume 1
Collects: X-Factor #1-4

Juggernaut

Written by Fabian Nicieza. Art by Ron Garney.

He’s been a villain and an ally to the X-Men but in this new era of X-Men where does the Juggernaut fit? Many people forget that he is not a mutant and because of this he cannot live on Krakoa. What is he to do? I guess we’ll find out in this new in this new five-part miniseries.

Juggernaut #1 (of 5) is available from September 23rd.

This series is collected in Juggernaut: No Stopping Now.

X-Men: Empyre

Written by Jonathan Hickman, Tini Howard, Gerry Duggan, Benjamin Percy, Leah Williams, Vita Ayala, Ed Brisson, and Zeb Wells. Art by Matteo Buffagni, Lucas Werneck, Andrea Broccardo, and Jorge Molina.

This is a four-part miniseries that ties directly into the Avengers/Fantastic Four: Empyre event.

This was collected in trade paperback as Empyre: X-Men.

X of Swords

This is the first big crossover event of this new era of X-Men comics, which brings most of the comics mentioned above together to tell a massive 22-part story.

Find out all about this epic story, how to read it, issues involved, and more in the X of Swords Reading Order Checklist.

Dawn of X Anthology Collections

Along with the regular format of trade paperback collections, which collect 6 issues of a series at a time, Marvel is trying something a little different with the first wave of Dawn of X titles.

They will be releasing special trade paperbacks which have one issue of each series in them all together under the name of Dawn of X. For instance Dawn of X Volume 1 will collect X-Men #1, New Mutants #1, Marauders #1, Fallen Angels #1, Excalibur #1, and X-Force #1.

This might be a good way to try each issue if you’re on the fence or not sure which series you might like.

Find out all the details below:

Dawn of X Volume 1
Collects: X-Men #1, New Mutants #1, Marauders #1, Fallen Angels #1, Excalibur #1, and X-Force #1.

Dawn of X Volume 2
Collects: X-Men #2, New Mutants #2, Marauders #2, Fallen Angels #2, Excalibur #2, and X-Force #2.

Dawn of X Volume 3
Collects: X-Men #3, New Mutants #3, Marauders #3, Fallen Angels #3, Excalibur #3, and X-Force #3.

Dawn of X Volume 4
Collects: X-Men #4, New Mutants #4, Marauders #4, Fallen Angels #4, Excalibur #4, and X-Force #4.

Dawn of X Volume 5
Collects: X-Men #5, New Mutants #5, Marauders #5, Fallen Angels #5, Excalibur #5, and X-Force #5.

Dawn of X Volume 6
Collects: X-Men #6, New Mutants #6, Marauders #6, Fallen Angels #6, Excalibur #6, and X-Force #6.

Dawn of X Volume 7
Collects: X-Men #7, New Mutants #7, Marauders #7, Excalibur #7-8, and material from Wolverine #1.

Dawn of X Volume 8
Collects: Marauders #8, Wolverine #2-3, X-Force #7-8, Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey and Emma Frost #1.

Dawn of X Volume 9
Collects: New Mutants #8, Marauders #9, Cable #1, X-Men #8-9, X-Force #9.

Dawn of X Volume 10
Collects: X-Force #10, Excalibur #9, Giant-Size X-Men: Nightcrawler #1, Hellions #1, and New Mutants #9.

Dawn of X Volume 11
Collects: Excalibur #10, Hellions #2-3, New Mutants #10-11, and material from Wolverine #1.

Dawn of X Volume 12
Collects: Hellions #4, Marauders #10, X-Factor #1, Giant-Size X-Men: Magneto, and Cable #2.

Dawn of X Volume 13
Collects: Cable #3-4, X-Men #10, and Empyre: X-Men #1-2.

Dawn of X Volume 14
Collects: Emypre: X-Men #3-4, X-Men #11, Wolverine #4, and X-Factor #2.

Dawn of X Volume 15
Collects: X-Factor #3, Wolverine #5, New Mutants #12, Marauders #11-12, and Giant-Size X-Men: Fantomex.

Dawn of X Volume 16
Collects: Giant-Size X-Men: Storm #1, X-Force #11-12, and Excalibur #11-12.

Do I Have To Read Every Series?

Nope. It’s up to you which titles you read.

The first 2-3 issues of the series have some interconectivity, referencing one another, but after that they become their own story. Well, that’s until they crossover in X of Swords.

If you want to follow the main events of the X-Men line then X-Men is the way to go. It’s written by Jonathan Hickman, who’s steering the whole X-Men ship, and is considered the flagship title.

After that, follow whichever comics interest you the most, whether it be based on the characters involved, creators, or premise.

Have Your Say!

Are you excited for these new X-Men comics? Which ones are you looking forward to reading? Let me know in the comments below or via Facebook or Twitter.