My public library has been revamped with a pretty impressive graphic novel/comic book section. I've been reading the Essential X-men and was shocked to discover that right after Byrne left the title with issue 145 (?) the quality of the art and stories went down so low. All of the subtle characterizations and interesting plots disappeared.

When I was a kid during the Silvestri/Jim Lee runs I remembered Chris Claremont being a pretty solid writer, but I now might have to reevaluate my opinion. So my question to the longtime readers, was what was the reaction like when Byrne left the X-men? Did people keep away from the comic in droves once it became a generic sub-standard superhero comic again or was there still an excitement around the characters? 

As a little kid in the 70s, Claremont-Cockrum #1 didn't draw me in at all. But John Byrne's contemporary non-X-Men work snagged me immediately, particularly with Marvel Team-Up, most especially Spider-Man & Red Sonja (she has never been drawn better), and Spider-Man & Luke Cage (fighting a fire, just a fire, and nothing more -- and it's still a comic whose images reverberate almost 30 years later).

In re Claremont-Cockrum #2, it wasn't the artwork so much that drove me away but the stories and in particular the details of the writing. Chris Claremont began repeating himself ad nauseam in so many little ways, it began to get painful. Plus, I simply got sick of his wrongheaded focus on Storm. After he had Dracula, Dr. Doom, and Magneto in quick succession all basically be "charmed" by her into defeat whereas the entire team had been already beaten hands-down, well, I just couldn't take it.

I remember seeing a cartoon at the time (in general) with a fanboy declairing in sequince "What? Cockcrum is leaving the X-Men? that's it, i'm selling my collection!" followed by "What? Byrne is leaving the X-Men? that's it, i'm selling my collection!"

Personally - i was underwhelmed by Cockrum's 2nd stint, while still a masterful designer, there was a thickness (and abundance) to the linework which made it less appealing than the cleaness of his prior stint.  Not sure if this was due to Mr. Cockrum trying something differant, or the inker  - but i was on the verge of dropping the  book but Paul Smith came along just in time.