X-Men: TAS vs. X-Men: Evolution vs. Wolverine and the X-Men

[Sam Robards, Comic Fan]

EDIT: Added a poll!

I haven't seen a thread that combines discussion of all three animated X-Men series, but let me know if there is one already in progress.

At any rate, I wanted to talk about the three main* X-Men animated series: X-Men (TAS), X-Men: Evolution and Wolverine and the X-Men (WatX). Which one do you like best? What're the pros and cons of each series? If you could merge aspects of each together, what would they be?

Not being one to simply toss a topic out and leave, my favorite is TAS. It had great characters, great stories, great voice talent, the whole nine. The only areas where it struggled were in animation quality (a side-effect of Saban wanting to make the show for as little as possible) and the somewhat over-reliance on Claremont adaptations in the latter seasons, which were often somewhat neutered for kids TV (Proteus being the primary example). That last season (when they had shifted production to the Philippines) also had some stinkers, but Old Soldiers was legit (and written by Len Wein, to boot!). This series was also the best at incorporating a political aspect of X-Men, what with their regular sojourns to Congress and treating the Friends of Humanity like an extremist political group.

I watched the first season of Evolution when it first aired, but lost interest: I later went back and rewatched the entire series back when Marvel had it on their YouTube channel (if they still do, let me know: I looked just now and couldn't find a trace of it anywhere). That said, there's definitely a lot to like there: the animation's great (the best out of the three shows), and it's nice that they switched the cast up from TAS to help make it more distinct. Adding Nightcrawler and Kitty in main roles, in addition to a more movie-like take on Rogue, was an especially nice touch; however, I wasn't crazy about the high school setting, and treating the X-Men and Brotherhood like opposing cliques just felt weird to me. They did borrow certain elements from the comics, but I never felt like they were doing straight adaptations like TAS did. I also appreciated the attention they gave some of the New Mutants/X-Force kids later down the line, and it does get credit for creating X-23.

Wolverine and the X-Men was one I was really excited for when it came out, and there was a lot to like there. The Terminator-esque plot setup is ingenious and really sets it apart from the other two series. I also loved the inclusion of Genosha as a mutant state, and this show's version of the Scarlet Witch is probably the best on-screen representation the character's ever gotten (no offense to Elizabeth Olsen, but the MCU Wanda is Jean Grey lite). Unfortunately, Wolverine being the center of the show got old kinda fast, but having the present and future scenarios run simultaneously helped keep things fresh. Also, on a personal level, why the Hell is Cyclops wearing a trench coat? Sure, he pulls it off, but it looks like he swiped it from Gambit (who, funnily enough, doesn't wear a trenchcoat in this series). The unfulfilled cliffhanger that we got at the end of the season/series also stings because I was psyched for an Age of Apocalypse storyline.

So there're my thoughts on the X-Men animated series. I like 'em all, but none of them are perfect.

One last thing before I end this exhaustive thread opener, my dream team from all three series would be:
-Cyclops (TAS)
-Jean (Evolution)
-Wolverine (TAS)
-Rogue (TAS)
-Nightcrawler (WatX)
-Storm (Evolution)
-Beast (WatX)

*Pryde of the X-Men was only a pilot episode, and there isn't really enough there worth talking about, if we're being honest, even if it was the inspiration for the beloved arcade beat 'em up.