Cockrum's return in #145

[Mutant 77]

It is me or it was totally horrible?

To me, the combination Claremont + Byrne was the quintessential and best X-Men cycle in history. However, Cockrum did a good job in #94-107, as well as #110.

I would say that anything in the #94-143 (and maybe even 144?) frame was the "CLASSIC" X-Men and pure perfection.

When Cockrum returned, well, it was super-awful. Bad stories and bad pencils. I'm sorry about this.

[misty101]

Go and read some real super awful X-Men comics, then go back and read it.

[Big Joe]

I always thought Cockrum always got a bad deal with inkers. I don't remember specifics and who inked which issues, but I do remember that inking changed hands often while Cockrum was doing the pencils. Definitely leading up to Byrne taking over in 108 there were different inkers almost every issue. Can't remember who each time. I was of the opinion, at the time, that Byrne was very influenced by Cockrum early on, and found his own way from there, some of the work he produced from 111 onwards was amazing. I think I'd really got used to his work on the title, and the return of Cockrum was art from 10 years earlier and in some ways looked it at times. But Cockrum was a fantastic storyteller and I think in the mid seventies he pointed the way for artists like Byrne and Miller, a fabulous, and still under appreciated artist in my opinion.

[Uncanny X-Man]

I think Cockrum peaked on Superboy & The Legion of Super-Heroes and his first X-Men run. Nothing else after those, including his second X-Men run, was quite as good. I seem to recall there were health issues involved though?

[From The Shadows]

I have to disagree. I thought those later stories were fine and thought Cockrums art was even better and more detailed. But tha'ts just my opinion.

[ARkadelphia]

I have to disagree. I thought those later stories were fine and thought Cockrums art was even better and more detailed. But tha'ts just my opinion.

Not just your opinion. I agree as well.