What do you like/dislike about the Claremont writing style?

[Moondoggie]

Hope he gets the next volume of Uncanny X Men.

I think he's a spent force tbh. He shouldn't tarnish what he did by coming back over and over writing stuff that doesn't work now. If he wrote some nostalgia comic in this event I'd definitely read it though.

[Senyaka]

I like that you can instantly tell it's him when picking up one of his books - it feels comforting to see the text boxes and narration style.

Dislike that he uses complete out of nowhere plot segues (X-men suddenly teleported into space/ random villain of the week shows up) rather than deal with consequences of what just happened far too often.

[Nachturne]

I understand how important he was, but I have never liked his writing style. I started reading comics in the 00s, so I have little nostalgia for his style. He reminds me a bit of George Lucas, we look back on what he did once with awe, and then when he's given full control to do more, it's a trainwreck.

Not to mention he hit the last nail in the coffin for my favorite X-book ever, plus completely destroyed Nocturne for the time he wrote her in New Excalibur. For a guy who feels the need to spell every damn thing out in thought bubbles and exposition, he didn't feel it proper to include a mention of their baby in the MUCH awaited reunion between T-Bird and Nocturne.....UGH I could go on and on about my beloved blue girl and the horrors she faced at his hand. STROKE?!

That said, his penchant to write the same characters was grating. Taking a book like Exiles where the point is to play with D-Z listers and filling it with Shadowcat, Mystique, and other characters you can pick up any other book and read was irritating to those who enjoy that book.

Ok, I'm rambling. I dislike Claremont a lot. A WHOLE lot.

[shgs]

I understand how important he was, but I have never liked his writing style. I started reading comics in the 00s, so I have little nostalgia for his style. He reminds me a bit of George Lucas, we look back on what he did once with awe, and then when he's given full control to do more, it's a trainwreck.

I'm in a similar position to you; my first introduction to superhero comics was as a kid in the early 00s. Morrison's New X-Men and Claremont's X-Treme X-Men were two of the first big comic runs I read. I loved X-Treme X-Men at the time (mostly for the Larroca art) but when I tried to reread it recently I soon got sick of the overly verbose style. New X-Men on the other hand has only improved with (my) age.

From what I've read of Claremont's earlier work (and I admit that's not a whole lot) I much prefer it. Like the overacting and static direction in old black and white movies, it suits a work of that era because everything about the work is from that era, but in a modern context it just doesn't hold up. I thought his recent Nightcrawler series was naff.

Still I appreciate everything the guy has done for the X-Men.

[DDD]

Claremont's work was anything but standard in "that era".

[yogaflame]

Claremont's work was anything but standard in "that era".

Kids these days....

Claremont's work is unparalleled. The X-Men would have remained some failed concept if not for him. His classic run is what makes X-Men the best mainstream superhero concept. Lobdell and Morrison, all other writers that followed him would have had nothing without him.

Yes, he can get corny, do too much SMBD, and yes, he has had plenty of stupid issues(I'm looking at you X-Men Forever(other than Perfect Storm, delicious!) and New Exiles). However his development of fully-fleshed characters, long-form plotting, and sensitivity for racism/sexism/politics/etc makes him the best!

Long live Sir Claremont!

[shgs]

Claremont's work was anything but standard in "that era".

Did I say it was standard? There are exceptional films from the black and white era that nonetheless utilise dated techniques and stylistic conventions.