Claremont's back issues, but my time as a regular collector of the monthly titles had been the Lobdell/Niceiza years. So two fresh writers, both quite popular when they came in, was a big change for X-fans, myself included.There are a lot of problems with these two writers' runs - dropped subplots, character arcs that didn't really go anywhere, new team members that didn't get a chance before being removed from the books, and the fact that editorial interfered with the writers' plans for the books. Both writers effectively wrote only ten issues (Kelly - X-Men#70-79 and Seagle Uncanny#350-359), as, after that point, their remaining six issues on each book were almost completely editorially driven - the stories, the new lineup, the direction. So, naturally, the work they put in before that feels truncated, unfinished, and at times, unfocused. But there is a lot of good to their respective ten issues, and they both brought a voice to the books that resonated for me when they were being released.
For one thing, these issues felt fresh. For the first time in my reading history, the X-Men lineup was shaken up. Xavier was long out of the picture, and, as the two writers started, Bishop, Gambit, and Joseph also departed. Cyclops and Phoenix moved to Alaska to recover from injuries, and remained in
Uncanny in a supporting role. Archangel and Psylocke's previous supporting role diminished even further. The core X-Men were Storm, Wolverine, Beast, Rogue, Cannonball, and new recruits Marrow, Cecilia Reyes, and Maggott. There's a great scene in X-Men#71, where Scott and Jean depart, that Wolverine and Storm discuss how they are going to hold this team together. I've always connected more with the second generation of X-Men than the first, so anytime Storm and Wolverine take charge of the team, I find it to be 
more energetic and fun. There's was also a fun dynamic here - suddenly, neophyte Cannonball was a veteran, the Beast took a more active role than he had in awhile, Rogue struggled with personal issues after Gambit's departure, and the new members each brought something to the table. Ok, Maggott is a bit embarrassing reading these issues back, but Marrow had a lot of potential and Cecilia is a gem. She's defined by her reluctance to give up her real life and become a hero, and her story is one of the more interesting ones. She slowly comes to respect the X-Men, but her disdain for their way of life and superheroics never goes away. She's a funny, fresh voice who left her stamp on this era of X-history.But it wasn't just the characters who felt fresh. With all due respect to Lobdell, who did the best he could on the X-Men, I wouldn't say his writing had personality. Outside of a few issues, he didn't ever really create mood or atmosphere on the titles. Niceiza was a rock solid writer, generally much stronger than Lobdell, but I would say the same for him. But for the first time in my reading history, under Seagle and Kelly, the books did have a real personality to them. Seagle, with his focus on Rogue's desire to touch people and Jean's struggle with her powers, went for a much darker, more atmospheric feel. Aided by Chris Bachalo's artwork, Seagle was able to create dark dream sequences, inventive page layouts and character designs, and unique-looking characters, all within the confines of some moody, character-based issues. Kelly focused on humour, but certainly touched on darker themes as well. His artists were more conventional in nature, but just as good as Bachalo. Carlos Pacheco wrapped up his X-Men run with four of Kelly's issues, and he brought a lot of energy and emotion to Kelly's scripts. After that, Kelly is joined by German Garcia, a guest artist whose style looked a lot like John Romita jr's, and I've always enjoyed the look of his issues.
Rereading these issues (which I've done a number of times) is always fun. Back when they were first released, I always thought Seagle's Uncanny X-Men was the stronger title of the two. I think I was so taken with the fact that someone had finally brought some mood and atmosphere to the X-Men (and loved Bachalo's artwork so much) that I overlooked some of his heavy-handed characterization and weaker plots. Kelly's X-Men was fun, but lighter than Uncanny. Rereading both runs concurrently, Kelly's X-Men always stands out as the stronger book now. The plotting is solid, even with the dropped plotlines. The character arcs (for Marrow, Cannonball, Cecilia, even Storm and Wolverine) feel more well-rounded and some of the individual issues work better as complete stories than Seagle's did. Still, there is an awful number of highlights between both writers' runs. On Uncanny, #356 is a thoughtful reunion of the original five X-Men, and 
#353-354 is a disturbing look at Rogue's darker impulses, wonderfully illustrated by Bachalo. There's also an inspector from a school board visiting the Institute (and horrified by what she sees). This storyline never continues, but, hey, it was enjoyable while it lasted. Kelly's wonderfully handled the team interaction on X-Men, injecting realistic voices and humour into the book. He achieved some really drama as the team fought over debate what to do with the reckless Marrow, gave Beast more of a purpose in the book, and even managed to develop the hardened Marrow's character and her relationship with Cannonball.Reading Seagle and Kelly's issues as part of the bigger X-Men story, it's easy to see their failings. They introduce a number of subplots that don't go anywhere, they introduce a lineup and new members that aren't given enough time to develop, and they introduce a direction for the X-Men that seems to get quickly pushed aside. These are all fair points, but I will always see their time on the books as one very special year, where the patterns and dynamics the X-Men had played with for years were allowed to bend just slightly, resulting in new relationships, new stories, and a fairly unique voice on the titles for the first time in years. After years of mediocrity, Marvel rebounded in the later 90s, and this isn't always acknowledged by fans. The core X-books played a small part in that.
