what X-Men artist did the best job

[mandog]

What artist did the best work on the X-Men?

For me its Joe Madureira. I love the mans work and I think when he was at the pencil the X-Men looked their best. #2 for me is Jim Lee

[Badger Boy]

Jim Lee. Jim's best work ever was his Uncanny X-Men work. Back then his figures were not posed and stiff like they are now days.

[mattbib]

Paul Smith

[Stephane Garrelie]

John Byrne, Paul Smith, John Romita Jr.

[Faded]

Art Adams, Leinil Yu, JrJr, and Chris Bachalo.

Short stint honorable mentions to Carlos Pacheco and Andy Park.

[Babylon23]

X-Men has been fortunate enough to have a lot of great artists work on the title: Jack Kirby, Neal Adams, Dave Cockrum, John Byrne, Paul Smith, John Romita Jr., Alan Davis, Barry Windsor-Smith, Marc Silvestri, Jim Lee, Joe Madeura, Carlos Pacheco, Bill Sienkiewicz, Walt Simonson, Art Adams, etc.

However, Byrne really defined the X-Men for me during his classic run with CC.

[malephoenix]

What artist did the best work on the X-Men?

For me its Joe Madureira. I love the mans work and I think when he was at the pencil the X-Men looked their best.

Seconded. I know everyone "fadded out" on him, and say how he was only good for that time, but he's still my favorite artist. I can't wait for Ultimates Season III, and I'll be supporting it even if the story sucks. (That means a LOT coming from me.)

It's weird; I remember how hated - loathed - his style during the Onslaught issues, but within around six issues, I couldn't get enough of his work. I started buying up back issues, and finding anything else he had done - even PSM covers.

[Badger Boy]

I started buying up back issues, and finding anything else he had done - even PSM covers.

Do you own Mad's Excalibur issues? Back then he drew very similar to Art Adams, and it looks nothing like his current work.

[mandog]

I do love Art Adams work on X-Men John Romita Jr. however is one of my least favorite artists period.

[Conn Seanery]

For me, John Romita Jr. Fantastic storytelling, to me the man could do very little wrong in his Uncanny work (I prefer the stuff he did with Chris, but I like his work with Scott too). I came into Uncanny officially around the 160s & 170s, so while Paul Smith sucked me in (short run, too bad), JR Jr. made me stay.

Honorable mentions: Paul Smith (who drew my favorite X-Men issue of all time: Uncanny X-Men #173), John Byrne, Art Adams, Jim Lee, Frank Quitely, John Cassaday, Alan Davis, Chris Bachalo, Barry Windsor-Smith, Leinil Francis Yu, and Bill Sienkiewicz.

[Brian M.]

Chris Bachalo
Carlos Pacheco
John Cassaday
Marc Silvestri
Joe Madeura
Jim Lee
Jack Kirby
Neal Adams
Dave Cockrum
John Byrne


All of those. I love Pacheco's art, I wasn't collecting a lot during his short run but the few issues I have I loved.

Silvestri is one of my favorites and Neal Adams recent GSX#3 issue made me realize how much I like it.

[fishtaco]

John Byrne (I don't like him no more)
Paul Smith
Dave Cockrum
John Romita Jr.
Marc Silvestri
Jim Lee
Rob Liefeld (like him or not)
Art Adams
Bret Blevins
Bill Sienkewicz (my all-time favorite)
Alan Davis
Barry Windsor-Smith
Rick Leonardi

[TinMan]

Jim Lee, 'nuff said.

...and Joe Mad sux! :p

(Just hadda throw that in there for posterities sake)

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Jim Lee was the best X-Men artist ever. His run still remains unmatched to this very day.

[Sentinel K]

Byrne/Austin and Paul Smith. Both make me do a sex wee.

[Hi-Fi]

Paul Smith
Marc Silvestri

[Your Imaginary Pal]

Neal Adams
Alan Davis
Jack Kirby
Art Adams
Silvestri
Jim Lee
Portacio
Byrne
JRJR
Cockrum

When I started with X-Men it was the JRJR run and I think his work still stands up among the best.
Any of these guys (still living) could take over any X-Men title right now and I'll be back on board, beyond just Astonishing.

[Titan76]

Marc Silvestri was the best follow by Jim Lee.

[FanboyStranger]

I'm partial to Paul Smith myself.

[spoon_jenkins]

This is hard because it's a bit like apples and oranges. I like Paul Smith, John Byrne, Mark Silvestri, and Jim Lee most. At his best, John Romita Jr. is up there. But I'd place him below those four because I think he was less consistent on X-Men than the others. He took a while to hit his stride in his first run. His 90s run wasn't nearly as good as his originally stint.

If I had to pick one, let's say Smith.

It's surprising to see so much Paul Smith support in top X-artist threads, because he's not nearly as celebrated as the others I mentioned among the comics media.

[Dr Ray Palmer]

I'm glad to see so much Paul Smith love. He gets my vote, too. Even though his run was short, in my mind he drew the definitive versions of so many of the X-Men -- Rogue, Kitty, Cyclops, Storm, Lockheed, Colossus....

Honorable mentions: Paul Smith (who drew my favorite X-Men issue of all time: Uncanny X-Men #173)

That may be my favorite single issue of any comic, ever. It's where I fell in love with Rogue as a character, and in my mind nobody's ever written her any better than Chris Claremont did in that issue. She's brash, sassy, cocky, tough, and funny, and she knows how to have a good time, but there's also a sadness and a real sense of tragedy there. I want to take all these writers who have written her as mopey, dopey, whiney, and wimpy over the years and force them to read that ish while I say, "See, THIS is how Rogue should be written!"

Rogue's response to Viper here is my favorite thing she's ever said:

Viper: A noble gesture, X-Man. I hope your compeers appreciate your sacrifice.
Rogue: Joke's on you, lady. They couldn't care less whether Ah live or die.

So anyway, yeah, Paul Smith. :)

[Amokitty]

I'll take Paul Smith for the win please? :D

The man's linework is simply gorgeous. I've been one of his biggest fans for over last couple of decades now.

John Byrne/Terry Austen's spin on the team is iconic. I'm pretty sentimental about them.

Followed by Sienkiewicz, Davis, and Larocca. Beautiful work, all of 'em.

[bakla]

I'm only counting the new X-men years.

1) Paul Smith
He brought new levels of characterization, so subtley yet with a completely innovative line. I hated his first issue because I couldn't understand it, but by his second, I was in love.

2a) (tie) John Byrne & Dave Cockrum - they defined the X-men. Without them, Claremont's tenure would never have succeeded, imho.
2b) Terry Austin!!! Because without him, Bryne was less than he was.


Honorable mentions to Jim Lee (stellar figures, albeit a bit stiff), Barry Windsor Smith (beautiful storytelling), Alan Davis (great characterization and classic comic book style in his later years), Art Adams (Always fun!) and Marc Silvestri (beautiful women and great atmosphere), whose work made me enjoy the books although I didn't want to emulate their styles.

Looking back now, I loved the period in time that Romita drew the X-men because I really did like the stories. But I hated JR, Jr back then, first because he immediately followed the stellar Paul Smith and suffered greatly by comparison, and I never really liked his style on the X-men - I was always imagining ways I could have drawn his pages better on multiple levels (especially his costume & character designs!). But Claremont brought out the best in his storytelling skills, I think.


My 2 cents. :)

[Alex A Sanchez]

I'm going to have to give Paul Smith a nod. I only have a few of the reprints in Classic X-men, but I love them, and they truely capture the essence of what I have always thought the X-men to be.