Thanks for the info, CandySuxxx.

I actually almost picked up Shadowmoon when it first hit the bookshelves years ago. But a friend who just read it told me that it wasn't that great. She told me that Claremont and Lucas took turns writing chapters to the novel. Each has such a distinct writing style that you could tell right off the bat who wrote each chapter. She said it was kind of annoying to read because of this.

As to Busiek: I think he is a phenomenal writer. Although, my only opinion comes from Marvels, his tremendous writing of Iron Man in his current series, Avengers Forever, and Astro City.

Astro City is one of the best comics out there with great character portrayals. And Brent Anderson's art with Alex Ross's covers only enhance the book's appeal.

I'm telling you, if you want good X-Men stories, pick up the Ultimate X-men graphic novels.

Or just pick up the original comics as they hit the shelves.

All kidding aside, Ultimate X-Men [as well as all the Ultimate titles] are amazing! And this is coming from a guy that was reading comics during the Silver Age.

Here is a suggestion for those who want to read an awesome X-Book on a monthly basis. If you don't already own it, buy one issue of Excalibur a month for like eight years. LOL! It's awesome stuff!

Did anyone else like X-Men 2099? I thought it was rather different. While it didn't stoke me as much as Spidey, Doom, and FF 2099, it kept my interest more than some other team books at the time.

Never bought into the 2099 comics. Kind of thought they would have went the way of Marvel's New Universe series of comics from back in the late 1980's.

2099 actually had good writers. It was a shame when the big cheeses decided to just erase it. It was really about legacy, and new characters trying to carry what they felt was he torch of hope for people.

Then there was Doom. We were never really sure if it was him, but the rest of the world was so evil, that he was a hero by comparison.

I gave up on the Xmen before the Onslaught stuff. I got kind of tired of the pedantic soap opera feal the mag had.

Currently I've been enjoying Captain America, the first few issues of the latest series were good, dealing with 9/11, and the terrorist aftermath. It kind of got Cap back to his roots, as America's Defender.


The Xmen have lost any feel for being heros I think. Now it's all race, and breaking the law to serve their own selfish ends. I prefer them from the days when they were outcasts still trying to protect the rest of us, the racism thing has gotten out of control, and to sureal and pop culture. Not to mention I can't even reconize the heros anymore.

A cyclops who doesn't love jean? A Beast who says he's gay when he's not, a nightcrawler who doesn't seem to be the child of mystique anymore? I miss that old boyscout in glasses cyke.

Well, Claremont takes over the reigns of Uncanny next year so hopefully the "old feel" will be back.

Claremont still loves the X-Men and knows how to write them. You should have seen his reaction and tone of voice he had when I spoke with him at PhillyCon this year. This is a man that still feels like he got screwed by being booted off all the X-titles except X-Treme. He wouldn't come out and say it, but the eyes and tone of voice don't lie.

I had stoped buying X-Men until the movie came out. I then got Xtreme and Ultimate. I tried New and Uncanny, but they just weren't working for me. I love Morrison and Casey (who rocks on Wildcats), but there take on the mutants just didn't grab me. I even left Ultimate for TP' later.

But I pick up Xtreme first thing every month. Even with Larroca only on covers. Splitting that creative team was just stupid. Especially since Larroca has essentially just ben spinning his wheels. I like Korday a lot. I just resent the way editorial messed with things.

If a book is constantly in the top fifteen every month, why would you mess with it?

That was right up there with taking a dump on Waid after he brought FF into the top twenty from the bottom of the heap.

Yet Chuck Austen keeps getting all these breaks. Maybe he gets paid less, and just drops the soap a lot.

Chris was asked about Larocca during a Forum at PhillyCon and he was pretty blunt in implying Marvel dropped the proverbial ball in breaking the two of them up.

He did say he loves working with Kordey, but I still don't like Kordey's style. Maybe I just got spoiled with Larocca's amazing artwork. I still love Claremont/Larocca's run on the FF.

Larroca is my second most favorite artist of all time. (Byrne will always be first).

I don't have a prblem with Korday himself, because he wan my respect as an artist/writer on Cable. He is an incredible creator when not rushed. Giving him an inker on Xtreme was a good idea though.

I feel hwever that Claremont and Larroca were an even better team than Claremont and Byrne. The two worked as this seemless creation machine that could do no wrong. And until the recent last few months, I had all Larroca's runs from Ghost Rider to FF to Xtreme. I usually follow only writers, but Larroca is the only other artist besides Byrne that I will buy whatever he does regardless of the writer. Well except maybe John Cassaday.

I LOVED Claremont's/ larroca's run on FF. I despised X-treme X-men, though. The way they killed off PsyLocke was very lame.

anywho, I can't wait to get ish 150, just for kicks. Hopefully Morrison will deliver on this one. I didn't vare for Cassandra Nova, but the whole "Murder at the Mansion" arc makes complete sense after Magneto unmasked.

I own every issue of Stormwatch as well and I've got all of his Authority and went and got a lot of Planetary as well. Stormwatch was fine but when Authority hit, it got tired. Like I said. He hacks his own stuff. The huge twists and turns and conspiracies worked back in Stormwatch and somewhat in Planetary but he kept doing the same stories over and over by then. I've got nothing against his views but the fact that he beats us over the head with them in every book he rights gets on my nerves. Right down to the characters. It's not just Wisdom and Sparks but the entire cast of Planetary, Authority, and what he was trying to do with X-Force was almost completely interchangable. In attitude and usually in powers as well. Like I told my comic provider when I finally ditched Authority.

"I'm tired of reading the same book 3 times a month."

Fair enough.

I felt Authority was good until he left. Then it became violence for violence' sake. I love Planetary for it's exploration of all the genres that formed the groundwork of all the books we read today.

Now if someone could just explain my love/hate relationship with Millar. LOL! I hated his Authority, his U. X-Men were either up or down, and Ultimates has been nothing short of awesome. I think it may be that as much as he loves slam bang storylines, he doesn't realise what a great quiet character studying writer he is. The over the top antics sometimes leave me cold. But when he takes us into the head and heart of Captain America and Colossus, he really shines.

THREE DAYS TO ULTIMATE FF BY MILLAR AND BENDIS! That's going to rock!