The story has a happy ending with the subscription to FANTASTIC FOUR soon arriving with Mr. Byrne in charge. Thanks, Mom!

Moms are the best eh ? Mine bought me comic books weekly when she went shopping.

I need to give a call before heading out to work...........

I continued to follow JB to Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight and so on...and I have yet to be disappointed in any of the work JB has done.

But I distinctly remember issue 143 as the first time as a young comic reader I experienced the shake up of a creator change.

Sorry if I didn't articulate that well enough."

*****

No need to be sorry at all, Stuart - and I really appreciate the clarification.  I have heard this expressed in the past and I know it comes from a place of appreciation.  I just didn't feel anger or some sense being punched in the gut or betrayed over the news, and I too found out by reading the letter column.  I think the announcement had said that Dave Cockrum was returning, and I had a smattering of his original issues and thought it would be good.  It was with JB leaving that I learned why I liked the X-Men - those issues from 145 on looked good, but the stories were absolutely dreadful, so I had my disappointment later.  It's clear that what I liked about Claremont/Byrne/Austin was JB.  And like others have said above, the momentum that started with X-Men continued with Fantastic Four.  It wasn't just the art that carried over, it was the storytelling.  There was no more engaging storytelling at the time than JB's X-Men, then FF. 

What I was trying to express is that I think it's a shame that you read all of those issues, and the one negative memory became the focus of the thread.  I just don't focus on nor identify with anger over any artist doing something different.  With the release of the omnibus and the release DAYS OF FUTURE PAST in theaters, I was hoping for some discussion of the actual stories.  I was hoping enough time had gone by that the focus would be on the stories and the characters.  So this is just my own expectations not being in line with the Forum -- not the first time and not the last time and I apologize if I expressed my feeling too critically.  I just really care about these stories and get a bit defensive.  They meant more to me as a kid than all books and most movies!

When I read these issues today, I know what is coming, so the moments between Scott and Jean grow even more tragic.  I love how Wolverine develops over the series - these issues show why he became a favorite of mine.  He is portrayed pitch perfectly, as a tough guy with rage, but also deep, hidden emotion.  He was a favorite by the time he confronts Wendigo with his old pals in Alpha Flight, and then is the lone wolf of the future in "Days of Future Past".  This is before he descended into caricature beyond "Days of Future Past".

And my strongest memory of #143 is that it is one of the best single issue stories in comic books.  Kitty was an interesting character, but not a favorite.  That story showed her at a moment when she is tested and revealed her mettle.  I used to always think of this story through middle school and high school whenever I was doing something challenging and felt utterly alone.  She became a part of the Marvel Universe that night, and I am glad to see she has never left.

Funny how such a thing as comic books can leave such an impression. I still have a vivid memory of seeing issue #142 in that dingy bookstore at the bus station. 

Historically speaking, I believe that the Byrne-Claremont X-Men is one of the three greatest (and my favorite) runs in the history of Marvel Comics, alongside the early Lee-Ditko Spider-Man issues and the Lee-Kirby Fantastic Four run from the mid-Sixties.  The number of times those issues have been reprinted is a testament to the greatness of those timeless stories.  To this day, no comic has made me think as much as X-Men #137 did - it was light years ahead of its time.  

UXM #137 hit me in a similar fashion.  Especially in the way that JB took out Jean.  it was a unique and poignant death.  Suicide wasn't something that you routinely saw in comics...