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When did X-Men jump the shark?
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Started by Reno McCoy,

149 posts in this topic

F For Fake

F For Fake

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I was an 80's kid, so I started reading around the Jr.Jr. era, continuing with Silvestri, then Jim Lee. I started buying back issues pretty quickly, and although I loved the Cockrum and Byrne eras, I developed a strong affinity for the Paul Smith run as well. At one point or another, I'd managed to assemble a complete collection from GSX #1 through around 281, missing only #94.

 

At any rate, whether it was any good or not (in hindsight) I was totally hooked up until the Claremont/Lee title launched. I got about 4 issues into that one, and just couldn't make myself care anymore. I dropped UXM around the same time.

 

Fast forward a few years, I was working in a comic shop, and the Joe Mad books were selling well. I picked them up, then went back and read Age of Apocalypse, which I loved. I was totally hooked again. For my second go-round, I stuck with the book through the Morrison run, but when Claremont came back to the title, I bailed again. It was just so boring.

 

So, I was more or less done with X-Men, but a few years ago I picked up a large collection of trades and HC's, and decided to go ahead and finish out the collection. Then I decided to read the entire X-Men run, from X-Men #1 all the way through Schism and Avengers vs X-Men. It took me several months, but while a lot of the stories I loved as a kid turned out to be not so great (Fall of the Mutants, Inferno) I found that I really loved the runs by Brubaker and Fraction, and I'm still enjoying the Marvel now X titles today.

 

 

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500Club

500Club

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I'm probably one of the very few that really liked Maggot and Marrow.

I'd guess so.

 

For me, once X-Men got into the 200s, the quality became patchy. The Brood and Genosha stories in the 230s were probably the tipping point for me.

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Vikingreed

Vikingreed

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I loved the Joe Madureira run. I'm probably one of the very few that really liked Maggot and Marrow. I pretty much loved everything until Mad left, and beyond that I don't recall being in love with the uncanny title with the exception of little pockets here and there.

 

I concur.

 

+1

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fastballspecial

fastballspecial

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I loved the Joe Madureira run. I'm probably one of the very few that really liked Maggot and Marrow. I pretty much loved everything until Mad left, and beyond that I don't recall being in love with the uncanny title with the exception of little pockets here and there.

 

I concur.

 

+1

 

-1 Bad art and the story lines were just incoherent.

 

Id have to go back and read them again, to see if I still think the same now.

 

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Mephisto

Mephisto

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If I wanted to read Inferno what are the issues to get? This storyline spanned many titles and honestly I'm not interested in buying 2 Omnibuses, and I can tell many issues are pure outliers. What are the core issues for a cohesive X-centered story outside of UXM issues?

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vaillant

vaillant

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From what I've heard, many comic readers think that the X-Men and mutant books in general jumped the shark (started to suck) in the mid 1980s. For you, when did Uncanny X-Men and the other series start to suck? What was the last arc you thought was worth reading and/or holds up today?

 

I would say slightly after Inferno.

This does not interest Uncanny X-Men alone, but as the New Mutants was getting to a close, and editor Bob Harras indirectly favored Louise Simonson demise, things were already compromised.

I can’t say about Claremont, but Claremont between Inferno and X-Cutioner's song no longer resembles Claremont. The stories in the late Uncanny issues and early issues of X-Men (with Jim Lee) seem almost written by another person (Lee was contributing to the plots, this was stated in some interviews at the time).

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vaillant

vaillant

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If I wanted to read Inferno what are the issues to get? This storyline spanned many titles and honestly I'm not interested in buying 2 Omnibuses, and I can tell many issues are pure outliers. What are the core issues for a cohesive X-centered story outside of UXM issues?

 

Do you have read the Mutant Massacre and Fall of the Mutants? They are solid stories compared to Inferno.

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Mephisto

Mephisto

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I have read mutant massacre but not Fall of the mutants. This thread seems mixed on Fall. My library had one volume but the other was by returned. I'm not sure I want to take the plunge and buy it...I have bought so many Masterworks, Omnibuses and TPBs since April.

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vaillant

vaillant

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Fall is probably less accomplished than the Mutant Massacre, but still has great stories. The Power Pack story is probably one of the finest Marvel stories I have ever read. You could always try the first issues, and if you like the story purchase the books for cheap. Omnibuses are weighty, expensive and maybe you are not interested in reading all the issues.

 

 

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