I hated Morrison's run due to the Scott summers/emma frost angle.......I hated what Scott did to Madelyne Pryor,then he does it again to Jean........truly unbelievable.He did have some solid stories though but the arc seemed like an extended fight scene most of the time.Genosha wipeout was a great idea,but Imperial was one big fight scene.The only trade I haven't read by Morrison is ASSAULT ON WEAPON PLUS.

In contrast,Austen's X-men seemed refreshing & more like a family.Sure,he did get a few facts wrong like the catholic angle in HOLY WAR.Again,the only arcs I haven't read by Austen are SHE LIES WITH ANGELS & DAY OF THE ATOM.The rest is pretty decent stuff,even THE DRACO.Soap opera is decent if it works.He also brought a great angst angle to the team.I like my heroes as a family of humans,not leather clad grandstanders.Also,Morrison did rehash old standard stuff:mass scale destructions(aka coast city),evil twins & more

I think in time Carey will be much more revered for what he's been doing for the X-books. Having to salvage the mess that was before was a monumental task.

So far I love the Grant Morrison era, have been indifferent about Milligans work and so far have enjoyed the legacy series in terms of art work (I haven't actually read the series yet)

Here's my TOP eras:

1. PHOENIX ERA (should be called the All New-All Different Era) - this is by far the finest X-Men books ever written. Like many have said, without this Era - the X-Men wouldn't have been the X-Men we know today and Wolverine would not have become 'Wolverine'. These books not only paved way for the future in story-telling of the X-Men but for comics in general.

2. SUPERHERO ERA - looking back at these issues, its quite refreshing to see comics just be comics. The stories were clean and to the point. This is comic nostalgia at its best.

3. REBIRTH ERA - Jim Lee is a big reason why I am such a fan of this era. His artwork really was revolutionary for the time and still stands the test of time when looking back today. I also really like the new Asian Psylocke and even the X-tinction Agenda story arc.

4. THINGS FALL APART ERA - I like this era for a pretty shallow reason - The covers! #248, 267, 268, #269 are Jim Lee classics and Mark Silvistri's #251 (Wolverine crucified) is one of the best X-Men cover ever!

He destroied Jean Grey!

This is followed by Grant Morrison's New X-Men, in which he advances the ideas of the X-Men to their next logical step, moving past years of a stagnant holding pattern that was held in fear of doing something too new. Not only did he advance those ideas, he also created a whole bunch of great new ideas to hag 20 more years of stories off of. Plus, Morrison had Evil Xavier and gone Xavier, so he's got that going for him. Plus, Jean Grey was never so cool, and he finally made Emma Frost into an interesting character. Plus, Beast is a lionface now, as long as artists actually remember that. Also: Check out that ultra new wave visor Cyclops has going.

Most fans disagree on that.

1. The Phoenix Era
2. The Superhero Era
3. The Legacy Era
4. The "We Screwed Up" Era
5. The Onslaught Era

I wouldn't put Claremont's third go-round on "Uncanny" on the same level as Whedon's "Astonishing." Whedon's dialogue is natural, his charcters feel real, the art is spectacular, the only big problem being it's dreadful scheduling. Claremont's run then was filled with mind-control and slavery, moreso than usual, and inconsistent art.

And Paul Smith is one of the top 3 best artists the X-Men have ever had.

It is very pretty, though.

1. God of All Comics Era - I just don't think the book has ever been written as well, before or since. Morrison brought innovation and (gasp!) subtlety to the series, and dragged it, kicking and screaming, into the 21st Century. It's now retreated safely back into the 20th again, but for one real bright shiny moment, I was happy.
2. Phoenix Era - Amazing comics that have aged well, and launched what many think of as the modern standard for super hero comics.
3. New Blood Era - The book took a dip in quality once Claremont lost Byrne as a co-plotter, and the book slowly lost focus. But these were still some imminently readable books.
4. Super Hero Era - Claremont's work on the title continued to slide here, but Romita Jr's art saves a lot of stories that might not have worked otherwise.

After issue 200, X-Men fell completely apart as far as I was concerned, and really only became readable again when Morrison came on. If I was pressed to pick a fifth era, I guess I'd say the current stuff. I don't like it enough to buy it, but it doesn't seem to be actively bad, either.

Or, if I could give you a write-in, I'd pick the Milligan/Allred X-Force. Very great, very weird comics that I loved.

2. Exile Era
Shortly after this I dropped them from my pull, though I picked up an issue here and there to see if I liked it again.

3. Morrison Era
When I added them back to my pull

4. Pander
I am one of the oldtimers they're going after, though the only book I read is Astonishing.

5. don't really have a fifth, guess it's a tie between Phoenix, New Blood, and Fall Apart mk2

You can blame it on fans en masse deciding that Ultimate's continuity has become less interesting than 616's, though, and I've heard this logic outlined by more than a few fans who aren't happy with various Ultimate titles. Right now X-Men is getting something of a revitalization very reliant on Brube and Casey's willingness to play in the backwaters of X-Men continuity, while in Ultimate, Kirkman appears to be trying to manufacture backwaters out of whole cloth.

The God of All Comics Era is a close second- I hadn't been as excited for a new issue of X-Men to come out as I was when New X-Men was announced. It exceeded my expectations. The Morrison stories rose in fell in quality, but "E is for Extinction," "Riot at Xavier's," and "Planet X" were top-notch.

The Paul Smith run (Early Superhero Era) was dynamite. If only he had drawn the book longer! I know JR Jr gets a lot of love, but I think his X-Men work pales in comparison to Smith's pacing, experimentation, humor, and character art.

I have an inordinate fondness for the Joe Kelly issues in general, and Maggott in particular.

Neal Adams' X-Men comics may contain some questionable dialogue and plot contrivances, but they are out-and-out fun!

As for X-Comics total, Alan Davis' Excalibur and the Sienkiewicz New Mutants issues get top-5 spots with the Phoenix, God..., & Smith eras.

I was always a big fan of New Mutants esp Sienkiewitz
Also let me put in a plug for X statix

1. Morrison's run - My god, there's just so many unforgettable, iconic moments in here. It's one of the most exciting takes on mutant comics I've ever read, and the Xorn reveal in Planet X is one of my favorite plot twists of all time.
2. Mike Carey's run - This is perhaps the X-Men comic I had been dreaming of ever since I was a kid first learning about the characters. It's fast paced, excited, brilliantly characterized, and Carey's obvious love for all eras of the X-Men just shines through. It's this book more than anything else that got me excited about Messiah Complex and the franchise all over again.
3. Claremont/Sienkiewicz New Mutants - I'm a sucker for Sienkiewicz in any form, and although I've only read a few issues, this book was definitely ahead of its time.
4. Age of Apocalypse: X-Calibre - I'm pretty sure this was the first Warren Ellis comic I ever read, and at age 11, it blew my mind. This comic is the reason that I'm a huge fan of both Mystique and Nightcrawler to this day, and it's still the only part of AoA that I have any desire to reread to this day.
5. X-Factor #87 - Peter David and Joe Quesada at the top of their game for what is probably still my favorite thing David has ever written.