I need to be honest about something. When I was a kid, I didn’t like Whilce Portacio’s a

I need to be honest about something. When I was a kid, I didn’t like Whilce Portacio’s artwork. It was … I dunno … too detailed, or something. Too much like Jim Lee’s but not enough like Jim Lee’s at the exact same time. Don’t ask me. A few issues into his work on these X-Men comics as an adult, I feel completely different. I find it extremely easy on the eyes. I don’t know what’s changed, other than my tastes, but it certainly triggers a significantly different reaction than I had back then. Even so, I can kind of see where my younger self is coming from. I don’t agree with him, but yeah, there’s something weird going on here that I can’t quite put my finger on. Take this cover for instance. Jean, Bobby, and Warren all look like the same mannequin wearing different wigs and outfits. And what is that in the background? Is it Apocalypse? Is it Ship? Is it Kermit the Frog after contracting the transmode virus? Is it another tree zombie?? I dunno. It doesn’t really look like any of those things. See that’s the kind of thing I would have gotten hung up on as a kid. And as we all know, I never get hung up on anything anymore. (X-Factor #66 – May 1991)